Lake Zürich left-bank railway line

The Lake Zürich left bank railway line (German: Linksufrige Zürichseebahn), is a railway line in Switzerland. As its name suggests, it runs down the left, or west, bank of Lake Zürich, connecting Zürich to Ziegelbrücke and Näfels.[2]

Lake Zürich left-bank railway line
The line at Horgen, showing the proximity of Lake Zürich
Service
Route number720 (Zürich–Ziegelbrücke)
736 (Ziegelbrücke–Näfels)
Technical
Line length61.31 kilometres (38.10 mi)
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification15 kV/16.7 Hz AC Overhead line
Maximum incline1.7  %
Zürich–Ziegelbrücke–Näfels
km
elev
cross-city line from
platforms 31–34 S2 S8
0.34
Zürich HB
S24 terminus of S25
408 m
to Winterthur S24
to Zürich Altstetten and Baden
1.96
 Zürich Aussersihl
Zimmerberg Base Tunnel
9478 m (left) / 9419 m (right)
2.93
 Zürich Wiedikon
405 m
 Wiedikon-Ulmberg tunnel
848 m
SZU goods line to Giesshübel
3.41
 Kollerwiese
3.93
 Zürich Enge
409 m
 Enge tunnel
903 m
5.81
 Zürich Wollishofen
409 m
8.86
 Kilchberg
424 m
9.68
 Nidelbad
planned extension of the
base tunnel to Zug
10.64
 Rüschlikon
433 m
12.09
 Thalwil
to Zug S24
14.23
 Oberrieden
424 m
16.77
 Horgen
408 m
20.73
 Au ZH
409 m
23.97
 Wädenswil
408 m
Wädenswil–Einsiedeln railway
27.46
 Richterswil
408 m
28.73
 Hafen
29.37
 Bäch SZ
411 m
31.71
 Freienbach SBB
410 m
to Arth-Goldau
33.44
 Pfäffikon SZ
terminus of S8
412 m
to Rapperswil over the Seedamm
37.18
 Altendorf
412 m
39.58
 Lachen
416 m
 A3 Lachen
62 m
43.49
 Siebnen-Wangen
433 m
46.57
 Schübelbach-Buttikon
418 m
49.94
 Reichenburg
420 m
54.23
 Bilten
421 m
 Lower Linth canal bridge
62 m
Rapperswil–Ziegelbrücke railway
S4 S6
57.14
 Ziegelbrücke
terminus of S2 S27
425 m
to Unterterzen – Sargans S2 S4
to Linthal S6 S25
Source: Swiss railway atlas[1]

The left-bank railway opened in 1875 and forms part of the Zürich–Chur main line. It is 61.31 kilometres (38.10 mi) long, standard gauge, double track and electrified at 15 kV  16.7 Hz AC supplied by overhead line. Between Zürich and Thalwil, the line originally shared its tracks with the Zürich–Lucerne main line, although many through trains on this stretch now use the Zimmerberg Base Tunnel rather than the lakeside line.[2]

Geography

Linksufrige Zürichseebahn en

History

The line was opened by the Swiss Northeastern Railway in 1875. Prior to this, trains between Zürich and Chur travelled on the Wallisellen to Rapperswil via Uster line. The parallel line on the opposite bank of Lake Zürich did not open until 1894.

Between 1875 and 1925, the line followed a routing through Zürich north of Wollishofen that differed from the current alignment and was largely at street level, with many level crossings. The line passed through a single tunnel, the original Ulmberg rail tunnel, and crossed the Sihl river on a bridge. Between 1925 and 1927, this stretch of line was relocated westwards and to a lower level, largely in the new Ulmberg and Enge tunnels, and the current Wiedikon and Enge stations date from this period. The original Ulmberg rail tunnel is still in use for road traffic, forming the western bore of the Ulmberg road tunnel, but most of the rest of the former route has been obscured by subsequent building.[3]

References
  1. Eisenbahnatlas Schweiz [Swiss railway atlas]. Schweers + Wall. 2012. pp. 12–13, 24, 64. ISBN 978-3-89494-130-7.
  2. Eisenbahnatlas Schweiz. Cologne: Schweers + Wall. 2012. pp. 12–13, 64–65. ISBN 978-3-89494-130-7.
  3. map.geo.admin.ch with Siegfried Map First edition overlaid (Map). Swiss Confederation. Retrieved 13 May 2013.
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