Limmattalbahn

Limmattalbahn AG
legal form	Corporation
founding	2010
Seat	Dietikon , Switzerland
Website	www.limmattalbahn.ch

Limmattalbahn

Altstetten railway station Seidelhof existing tram line 2 Farbhof Zurich – Zug Micafil Garbage Gasometer bridge Wagon factory Center Schlieren Geissweid Kesslerplatz Reitmen Färberhüsli tunnel (260 m) Limmattal Hospital Luberzen Away Birmensdorferstrasse Schäflibach Dietikon train station Bremgarten-Dietikon Railway Zentralstrasse Oetwilerstrasse Maienweg Niderfeld Depot cereal Canton border Zurich / Aargau Access to the depot Kreuzäcker Graveyard SCS / Tivoli Furttalstrasse Spreitenbach-West Killwangen-Spreitenbach train station possible extension to Baden

The Limmattalbahn (formerly Stadtbahn Limmattal ) is a light rail project to better develop the Limmattal by public transport . As part of the Zurich tram network, the Limmattalbahn is to operate between the Zurich-Altstetten and Killwangen-Spreitenbach train stations in the canton of Aargau from the end of 2022 . On its route, it connects the western part of the city of Zurich and the communities of Schlieren , Urdorf , Dietikon , Spreitenbach and Killwangen . 27 stops are planned on the 13.4 km long route. Construction began in August 2017. Including VAT, the project is expected to cost the federal government and the cantons of Zurich and Aargau CHF 755 million.

The Limmattalbahn is being implemented jointly by the cantons of Zurich and Aargau . In 2010 they founded the Limmattalbahn AG to plan and build the infrastructure . The operator of the light rail line is Aargau Verkehr (successor to BDWM Transport ).

The Limmattal , along with the Glatttal and the Zurich lake basin, is one of the fastest growing regions in the Zurich area. A sharp increase in the number of people and jobs is expected over the next few years. But more living space and more jobs also cause more traffic in a region that is already congested in terms of traffic. The Limmattalbahn is to take over a large part of the future additional traffic. In addition, like the Glattalbahn in northern Zurich, it should give the region a further boost and increase the attractiveness of the location.

History of public transport in the Limmat Valley

"Lisebethli" in Schlieren at what was then the Linde stop in Badenerstrasse. Trams should run here again in the future.

The Limmattal has a long and important tradition of public transport. In 1847 the Spanish Brötli Railway was the first railway line in Switzerland to travel from Zurich to Baden . In 1899 the Limmattal-Strassenbahn (LSB) was founded, also known as «Lisebethli». One year later it started operations on the route between Letzigraben and Dietikon , and one year later on the branch from Schlieren to Weiningen . In 1928 the LSB ceased operations on the Schlieren-Dietikon section, and the line to Weiningen was abandoned in 1930. The line between the Letzigraben and Schlieren then became the property of the Zurich urban tram . In 1955 this closed the Farbhof – Schlieren section.

In the 1973 vote on the Zurich subway , an almost identical route from Dietikon via Schlieren to Zurich Airport in Kloten was envisaged, but the people rejected this project.

Planning for the future Limmattalbahn began in 2000. The cantonal platform Aargau / Zurich (PAZ) awarded the contract to carry out the first corridor and route studies in the Limmat Valley. Five years later, the Limmattal regional transport concept was presented, which included the Limmattalbahn as one of the core measures. In 2006, the line was entered in the Aargau structure plan , followed in 2007 in the structure plan of the Canton of Zurich. In the same year, the Limmattal municipalities confirmed their desire for the Limmattal Railway with a declaration of intent that they submitted to the responsible government councils in Zurich and Aargau . In 2010, the cantons of Zurich and Aargau founded Limmattalbahn AG and commissioned them to plan and implement the infrastructure. In 2015, the Limmattal municipalities reaffirmed their desire for the Limmattal Railway by signing a manifesto.

Transport system

The Limmattalbahn is a light rail , a transport system that is also increasingly used abroad. It runs as a meter - gauge railway on two tracks, so that a seamless transition to the Zurich tram and the Bremgarten-Dietikon railway is possible, which have the same gauge. Their maximum speed is 60 km / h, the average cruising speed 22 km / h. There are 27 stops at an average distance of 515 m from each other. So that the light rail and private transport can coexist and the Limmattalbahn does not get stuck in traffic jams, 92% of it runs on a separate route .

Lines

City square Schlieren in December 2018

After its completion, the Limmattalbahn will connect the Zurich Altstetten train station with the Killwangen-Spreitenbach train station .

Starting from the south side of Altstetten train station, the route follows Hohlstrasse in street position. The Farbhof is reached via the Seidelhof stop, where the route joins Badener- / Zürcherstrasse. On Eigenentrassee, Schlieren is reached on this main axis , where a turning loop for the extended tram line 2 is created at Geissweid (near the train station). From here, the Limmattalbahn continues along Badenerstrasse until it branches off to the south at the Reitmen stop shortly before the Bernstrasse intersection and pierces the Färberhüsli area with a 260 m long tunnel. At the Limmattal Hospital, the route comes to the surface again, to get through Urdorf via Luberzen and past the Limmattal Cantonal School to Birmensdorferstrasse. It crosses the junction of Hauptstrasse 1 (Bernstrasse) and the A4 and A3 motorways and thus reaches Dietikon .

To the west of the Glanzenberg S-Bahn stop, you turn back onto Zürcherstrasse, which the route to the center of Dietikon follows. By means of a guide on the Poststrasse to the station Dietikon a change junctions with the S-path Zurich and the bremgarten-dietikon railway line (BD) are produced. Limmattalbahn and BD use the same track structure as far as Kirchplatz, then the route branches off from the existing BD meter-gauge line. Following the main axis Zürcher- / Badenerstrasse, you will then cross Hauptstrasse 3 (Ueberlandstrasse) in the northwest of Dietikon . The canton border is reached through Niederfeld, where the depot area for the light rail line is to be built parallel to the Limmattal marshalling yard . Passing IKEA and Shoppi Tivoli , you will reach Spreitenbach , where the route swings once more onto Zürcherstrasse in order to cross the town. The north-western terminus of the Limmattalbahn is being built at Killwangen-Spreitenbach station.

In August 2018, the canton of Aargau presented a possible continuation of the Limmattalbahn and started a corresponding structure plan procedure. The route should lead via the Killwangen-Spreitenbach train station to Neuenhof , bridge the Limmat parallel to the A1 motorway , run across Wettingen and reach the city of Baden via the high bridge , where it is to end at Baden train station . The aim is to commission it in 2032.

Visualization

• 

  Limmattalbahn in Schlieren

• 

  Limmattalbahn on Badenerstrasse in Dietikon

• 

  Limmattalbahn in Spreitenbach

depot

For the remediation of the Limmattalbahn vehicles, a separate depot is to be created along the route of the urban railway line so that the vehicles can be parked in the immediate vicinity of their place of use and the small maintenance can be carried out. The following technical framework conditions were defined for the company premises:

• Space for 7 to 14 bidirectional vehicles (depending on the desired cycle) with a vehicle length of 45 meters
• Extension area for 10 additional bidirectional vehicles (for a possible future extension of the Limmattalbahn towards Baden)
• Maintenance area (sanding system and washing system)
• Operating and staff rooms

The major maintenance should be provided in the facilities of contractual partners or in other facilities of the operator, which is why no corresponding facilities should be provided in the depot area. In the course of the location evaluation, a total of 20 depot locations in the area of ​​the route were examined in detail. After initial preliminary investigations, the Dietikon Müsli (north of the route near the Limmattal marshalling yard) and Spreitenbach Asp (south of the route) locations were shortlisted.

Ultimately, the Muesli 1 variant was preferred. It provides for a storage facility to the north of the light rail line parallel to the freight tracks. Due to the proximity to the marshalling yard, an open design of the parking facility is possible. The Asp site had significantly higher costs than muesli , which would sometimes be due to the necessary remediation of contaminated sites for the corresponding area. The premises is long, with a 500 meters mostly single-track operation range of the stop on the Aargauer side in the area east Kreuzäcker connected to the Streckengleis. The Gleisdreieck there will enable exits both in the direction of Spreitenbach and in the direction of Schlieren. The road access to the company premises runs parallel to this company track.

In the south of the depot area, an approximately 10-meter-high and 23-meter-wide light-weight workshop is being built that will accommodate a washing and maintenance track, each around 50 meters long. A pit and a raised stand for roof work and an overhead crane are planned for maintenance in the southern hall track (number 1). The car wash is located in the northern hall track (number 2). Service rooms are planned at the eastern end. On the west side of the building there is a workshop for the infrastructure. The seven-track storage facility (tracks 3–9) will be arranged towards the marshalling yard and will be designed without a roof. Each dead end will initially offer space for two vehicles and be around 120 meters long. An extension to the east up to Mutschellenstrasse is reserved as an option.

vehicles

The Zurich government council decided in December 2009, in consultation with the canton of Aargau, that bidirectional vehicles would be used on the route . Such vehicles have driver's cabs at both ends of the vehicle and doors on both sides, which means that they can be used in both directions in regular service. Complex and space-intensive infrastructure for changing the direction of travel, such as turning loops or turning triangles, as is necessary in one-way vehicles, is thus eliminated. In addition, due to their flexibility, bidirectional vehicles offer advantages in terms of offering and in the event of malfunctions. The vehicles are also compatible with the VBZ network adjacent to Zurich and the branch of the Bremgarten-Dietikon Railway in Dietikon .

Aargau Verkehr (AVA), formerly known as BDWM Transport , as the future operator of the Limmattalbahn, is largely responsible for the procurement of the new rolling stock . The tender for the new vehicles was carried out jointly with Baselland Transport (BLT), which would like to procure identical meter- gauge vehicles for use on the changed Waldenburgerbahn between Liestal and Waldenburg . In addition to synergies in operation and maintenance, joint procurement can also save costs when purchasing.

In October 2018, Stadler Rail was the only applicant to be awarded the contract for the construction of 18 seven-part, bidirectional , multi-articulated trams of the Tramlink type , which are to be definitely ordered in early 2019 and delivered by the end of 2021. The total price is 103 million Swiss francs, whereby a total of 7.5 million francs could be saved compared to separate procurement.

Eight of these vehicles are intended for the Limmattalbahn, the costs for this amount to 43 million francs, this is a saving of 4.2 million francs for AVA through joint procurement. The tram links for the Limmat Valley will each be 45 meters long and 2.4 meters wide, and the maximum speed will be 80 km / h. Each vehicle has 88 seats, 16 folding seats and 172 standing places. There are seven doors on each side for getting in and out. The tracks are built in the Stadler plant in Valencia, Spain .

Tramlink vehicles are already in use at the Austrian Stern & Hafferl Verkehrsgesellschaft, there in the shorter five-part configuration

The tram links for the Waldenburger and Limmattalbahn will not be the only vehicles of this type in the Alpine region. The Ferrovie Lugano are also from 2020 nine seven-part tram links to the renewal of the fleet to the  Lugano-Ponte Tresa Railway  (FLP) received with the option of three additional tracks. As early as 2015, Stadler delivered eleven five-part vehicles of this type for the Traunsee and Attergaubahn to Stern & Hafferl Verkehrsgesellschaft .

business

The public transport company Zurich (VBZ), the Sihl Valley-Zurich-Uetliberg-Bahn (SZU) and the BDWM Transport AG from Bremgarten applied for the operation of the light rail system in the Limmattal . The decision of the cantons of Zurich and Aargau as well as the Federal Office of Transport (FOT) ultimately fell in favor of the BDWM (which went up in Aargau Verkehr in 2018 ), although all applicants were granted the necessary reliability for the smooth operation of the light rail due to their many years of experience. The award is initially to take place for ten years from the start of operations.

organization

Originally, the Zürcher Verkehrsverbund was in charge of the Limmattalbahn project. In June 2010, the two cantons of Zurich and Aargau founded a stock corporation with the purpose of planning the Limmattalbahn and then building the infrastructure. The Canton of Zurich holds 75% and the Canton of Aargau 25% of the share capital . The Board of Directors includes Hans Egloff (Canton of Zurich, President), Matthias Adelsbach (Canton of Aargau, Vice-President), Franz Kagerbauer (Canton of Zurich) and Roland Kobel (Canton of Zurich). Overall project manager and managing director of Limmattalbahn AG is Daniel Issler. The overall project management receives support from external companies for the planning and implementation of the Limmattalbahn.

financing

The total cost of the Limmattalbahn is around 755 million francs. These costs are borne by the federal government and the participating cantons of Zurich and Aargau. The canton of Zurich pays around ¾ of the costs and the canton of Aargau ¼, with the federal government taking on around 35% of the first stage (Altstetten to Schlieren). Co-financing from the federal government is also promised for the second stage.

Time schedule

	Period
Start project planning	2010
License application	February 2012
Development of the construction and edition project	till the End of 2013
Approval of the realization loan	November 22, 2015
start of building	August 28, 2017
Commissioning first section	2nd September 2019
Commissioning second section	End of 2022

Limmattalbahn AG started project planning in July 2010 . The first phase, the so-called preliminary project, ran until the end of 2011. During this time, the planners defined the exact route, the location of the stops and the expected costs. They then worked on the construction and implementation project by the end of 2013 . During this phase they refined and checked the plans. Finally, the submission was made public and the Federal Office of Transport (FOT) issued the planning permit (building permit) in April 2017 . In February 2012, Limmattalbahn AG submitted a license application for the operation of the light rail between Zurich-Altstetten and Killwangen-Spreitenbach to the federal government. The Federal Council approved the corresponding application on October 9, 2013 and granted the infrastructure license. Construction work began on August 28, 2017. A first section between Zurich Farbhof and Schlieren Geissweid is due to go into operation in September 2019.

In parallel to the project planning, political decisions had to be made in both cantons and at the federal level. The loans for the preparation of the preliminary project were approved in 2009, the financing of the construction and initial project (project planning loan) in 2011. On March 30, 2015, the Cantonal Council of Zurich clearly approved the implementation loan of around 510 million francs. The Aargau Great Council also clearly accepted the proposal on May 5th. In the canton of Zurich one but came referendum , which concluded on 22 November 2015 referendum was held. The Zurich electorate accepted the project with around 64% yes-votes. The initiative "Stop the Limmattalbahn - from Schlieren", which called for a construction freeze from Schlieren, failed in a referendum on September 23, 2018.

On August 30, 2019, the opening ceremony of the first stage between Farbhof and Schlieren Geissweid took place as part of a festival lasting several days. The 2.9 km long section will initially only be used by VBZ tram line 2. At the same time, construction work began on the second stage to Killwangen. Scheduled traffic will start on September 2nd.

Adjustments to the road network

In connection with the construction of the Limmattalbahn, various adjustments to the road network are planned. On the one hand, this includes the streets in the direct perimeter of the railroad, and on the other, projects that aim to relocate traffic. For example, traffic should be routed from the centers of Schlieren and Dietikon. One of the largest projects is the renovation of the Engstringer crossing in Schlieren.

Criticism, reactions and objections

The project is endorsed by the government council , the cantonal council and the executives of all affected communities in the Limmattal. Critics from the region complained that the planned Limmattalbahn between Altstetten and Dietikon runs largely parallel to the very well-developed and ideally served by the S-Bahn railway line of the SBB, which is why they see the added value of the meter-gauge railway only to a very limited extent. Proponents oppose this by saying that the planned light rail system will serve as a fine development and thus ideally complement the S-Bahn and railway lines with their greater distances between stops. The opponents favored an electric bus solution, which they believed would be much cheaper to implement than a light rail. In addition, they questioned the growth forecasts of the affected region of around 17 percent by 2030, which means that the use of the light rail transport is not given. The opponents also criticized the elimination of existing lanes for motorized private transport.

By the beginning of 2014, Limmattalbahn AG had received 196 objections . Most of it came from the directly affected owners and was therefore directed against individual sections of the route. These conflicts are to be eliminated through selective adjustments. Overriding objections concerned the route in the center of Dietikon and the area around the Limmattal Hospital, where an extension of the Färberhüsli tunnel was requested.

Following the decision of the Zurich Cantonal Council on March 30, 2015, the "Limmattalbahn - NO!" the referendum. This came about in a short time, after which the cantonal referendum was scheduled for November 22, 2015. 64.45% of the votes were in favor of the Limmattalbahn project, which meant that the referendum had failed. In the Dietikon district , in whose area the middle section of the route is being built, a slim majority of 54.10% was against the Limmattalbahn, whereas the Zurich district , in whose area the eastern section is planned, a majority of 72.69% in favor of the project was true. At the community level in the planning area, the following result emerged: While in Schlieren , Urdorf and Dietikon the majority of votes were no with 57.26%, 53.58% and 64.03%, Zurich District 9 voted for the project with 59.24% . The affected Aargau municipalities of Killwangen and Spreitenbach were not eligible to participate in the referendum in the neighboring canton, and no referendum had been taken in the canton of Aargau.

A popular initiative entitled “Stop the Limmattal Railway - from Schlieren” intended to prevent the construction of the second stage of the Limmattal Railway. The main argument of the initiative committee was that the canton of Zurich was imposing a project on the Dietikon district that was largely rejected by the local population. On September 23, 2018, the initiative failed even more clearly than the referendum of 2015. 83% of those eligible to vote in the canton of Zurich were in favor of further construction to Killwangen-Spreitenbach, as did all the municipalities in the Dietikon district (albeit less clearly than the other municipalities) . The lowest agreement was in Dietikon, where only 52% supported the construction of the second stage.

See also

• Swiss railway projects: Zurich region

Web links

Commons : Limmattalbahn  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Limmattalbahn
• History of the Limmattalbahn

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} Florian Niedermann: Limmattalbahn should cost around 755 million francs. Aargauer Zeitung , August 19, 2014, accessed on November 11, 2014 . 
2. ↑ The short life of "Lisebethli". Neue Zürcher Zeitung , February 18, 2002, accessed on September 23, 2018 . 
3. ^ Norbert Hobmeier: The Zurich S-Bahn . Orell Füssli, Zurich 1990, ISBN 3-280-01763-7 , p. 12 .
4. ↑ Portrait. Limmattalbahn AG, 2018, accessed on August 8, 2018 . 
5. ^ Limmattal communities and the city of Zurich are committed to the Limmattalbahn. Community of Schlieren, November 3, 2015, accessed on August 8, 2018 . 
6. ↑ Facts & Figures. Limmattalbahn AG, 2018, accessed on September 23, 2018 . 
7. ↑ ^{a b c} lines. Limmattalbahn AG, 2018, accessed on September 23, 2018 . 
8. ^ The Limmattalbahn - the engine for growth in the region. (PDF, 4.6 MB) In: Mailing. Gruner , 2013, p. 19 , accessed on September 23, 2018 . 
9. ↑ Aargau presses the gas at Limmattalbahn. Swiss Radio and Television , August 16, 2018, accessed on September 23, 2018 . 
10. ↑ ^{a b c d} construction project. (PDF, 1.9 MB) Limmattalbahn AG, September 24, 2013, accessed on September 23, 2018 . 
11. ↑ ^{a b} Alex Rudolf: BDWM Transport becomes the operator of the Limmattalbahn. Aargauer Zeitung , May 13, 2016, accessed on May 13, 2016 . 
12. ^ Limmattalbahn: This tram will run between Killwangen and Zurich-Altstetten in the future. Aargauer Zeitung , October 24, 2018, accessed on November 8, 2018 . 
13. ↑ Project organization. Limmattalbahn AG, 2018, accessed on September 23, 2018 . 
14. ↑ Board of Directors. Limmattalbahn AG, 2018, accessed on September 23, 2018 . 
15. ↑ Overall project management. Limmattalbahn AG, 2018, accessed on September 23, 2018 . 
16. ↑ The start of construction for the Limmattalbahn has been set. 20 Minuten , July 14, 2017, accessed July 15, 2017 . 
17. ↑ Federal Council grants infrastructure license for Limmattalbahn. Federal Office of Transport , October 9, 2013, archived from the original on September 12, 2014 ; accessed on September 11, 2014 . 
18. ↑ Oliver Graf: Limmattalbahn will initially function as a tram. Limmattaler Zeitung, August 20, 2014, accessed on February 23, 2017 . 
19. ↑ ^{a b} The Limmattal gets a train against its will. Tages-Anzeiger , November 22, 2015, accessed February 23, 2017 . 
20. ↑ Oliver Graf: Schlieren and Zurich are moving closer together: first stage of the Limmattalbahn officially opened. Limmattaler Zeitung, August 30, 2019, accessed on August 31, 2019 . 
21. ↑ Stop of the Limmattalbahn: Only Schlierem center would be relieved. Limmattaler Zeitung, December 2, 2017, accessed on December 3, 2017 . 
22. ↑ Engstringer intersection Schlieren. Civil engineering office of the canton of Zurich, January 15, 2015, accessed on December 3, 2017 . 
23. ↑ Alex Rudolf: There is a prominent resistance against the Limmattalbahn. Limmattaler Zeitung, August 21, 2014, accessed on September 11, 2014 . 
24. ↑ Bettina Hamilton-Irvine: "It is not interesting if I say the same thing seven times". Limmattaler Zeitung, January 25, 2014, accessed on September 11, 2014 . 
25. ↑ Approval of state contributions for the construction of the Limmattalbahn as well as for additional measures on the road network. Cantonal Council of Zurich, March 30, 2015, accessed on February 23, 2017 . 
26. ↑ Referendum came about! www.limmattalbahn-nein.ch, July 15, 2015, accessed on February 23, 2017 . 
27. ↑ Voting archive. Canton of Zurich, November 22, 2015, accessed on May 31, 2018 . 
28. ↑ Clear yes to the continuation of the Limmattalbahn. April 10, 2018, accessed June 1, 2018 . 
29. ↑ The Limmattalbahn will continue to be built. Swiss radio and television , September 23, 2018, accessed on September 23, 2018 .