Rheinfall Railway

The Rheinfall Railway (German: Rheinfallbahn) is a railway line in Switzerland. The line links Winterthur in the canton of Zurich with Schaffhausen in the canton of Schaffhausen. The Rheinfall Railway was constructed by the independent Rheinfallbahn-Gesellschaft.[2][3]

Rheinfall Railway
Bridge carrying the Rheinfall railway over the Rhine above the Rhine Falls
Overview
Native name	Rheinfallbahn
Owner	Swiss Federal Railways (SBB CFF FFS)
Locale	Switzerland
Termini	Winterthur, ZH Schaffhausen, SH
History
Opened	16 April 1857
Technical
Line length	29.92 km (18.59 mi)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in)
Electrification	15 kV  16.7 Hz AC supplied by overhead line
Maximum incline	1.4%
Route diagram km elev SBB to Zurich to Winterthur 26.14 Winterthur Hauptbahnhof 439 m SBB to Etzwilen, to Romanshorn to St. Gallen and Rapperswil A1 motorway 70 m 32.71 Hettlingen 425 m 35.01 Henggart 434 m 39.17 Andelfingen 403 m Thur Bridge (River Thur) 133 m 44.57 Meder 403 m 46.47 Marthalen 411 m 51.31 Dachsen 394 m 52.49 Schloss Laufen am Rheinfall 389 m Schloss Laufen 66 m Rheinfall Bridge (River Rhine) 177 m Röti 153 m SBB to Neuhausen 53.84 Neuhausen 397 m DB from Waldshut 56.06 Schaffhausen 404 m SBB to Stein am Rhein DB to Singen Source: Swiss railway atlas[1]

The Rhine Fall, with the Eglisau-Neuhausen line on the near bank and the Rheinfall line on the far bank

Bridge over the river Thur at Andelfingen

Train on the S33

Towards its northern end, the Rheinfall Railway crosses the Rhine on a viaduct adjacent to the famous Rhine Falls, from which it takes its name.[2][3]

History

The Rheinfallbahn-Gesellschaft was founded in 1853 by the Schaffhausen industrialist Heinrich Moser. Construction of the line commenced in 1855, and it was opened on 16 April 1857. The section of line between Andelfingen and Schaffhausen proved particularly difficult and costly to build, including as it does major bridges across the rivers Rhine and Thur, together with a tunnel under Laufen Castle.

The Swiss Northeastern Railway (NOB) acquired the Rheinfallbahn-Gesellschaft on 4 November 1856 prior to the line's opening, providing connections to Zurich and beyond. In 1902, the NOB became part of the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB CFF FFS), who retain ownership of the line.

Until 1897, the Rheinfall railway provided the main railway route between Schaffhausen and the rest of Switzerland. However in that year the Eglisau to Neuhausen line opened, providing a shorter route to Zurich via Bülach that is now used by all long distance trains.

The line was electrified on 11 April 1943. In 2007 its 150th anniversary was celebrated by the operation of historic steam trains over the line.

Operation

Today the Rheinfall Railway is served by two lines of the Zurich S-Bahn. The S16 provides an hourly through service between Zurich and Schaffhausen, with only limited stops on the Rheinfall railway section of its route. The S33 links Winterthur and Schaffhausen twice an hour, stopping at all intermediate stations.[4]

The northernmost section of the line, between Neuhausen and Schaffhausen, also carries all the traffic using the Eglisau to Neuhausen railway line, including most long distance trains between Schaffhausen and the rest of Switzerland, together with Zurich S-Bahn line S22 from Bülach to Schaffhausen.[3][4]

The line is predominantly single track with passing loops at stations, although there are double track sections between Hettlingen and Henggart, in the Marthalen area, and between Neuhausen and Schaffhausen. It is 30.45 kilometres (18.92 mi) long, standard gauge and electrified at 15 kV  16.7 Hz AC supplied by overhead line.[3]

The S-Bahn service over the single-track railway south of Neuhausen leaves little room for other trains, and most freight and long-distance passenger services use alternative routes.

References

1. Eisenbahnatlas Schweiz [Swiss railway atlas]. Schweers + Wall. 2012. pp. 3–5. ISBN 978-3-89494-130-7.
2. Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland. Verlag Schweers + Wall GmbH. 2009. pp. 110–111. ISBN 978-3-89494-139-0.
3. Eisenbahnatlas Schweiz. Verlag Schweers + Wall GmbH. 2012. pp. 4–5. ISBN 978-3-89494-130-7.
4. "S-Bahn trains, buses and boats" (PDF). ZVV. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-01-31. Retrieved 2012-01-09.

Bibliography

• Eberhard, Jules (1957). Hundert Jahre Rheinfallbahn, 1857–1957. Jubiläumsschrift [One hundred years of the Rheinfall Railway, 1857–1957. Anniversary publication] (in German).

External links

• Media related to Rheinfall Railway at Wikimedia Commons
• Video of 150th anniversary, from YouTube