Trams in Zürich
Trams make an important contribution to public transport in the city of Zurich in Switzerland. The tram network serves most city neighbourhoods, and is the backbone of public transport within the city, albeit supplemented by the inner sections of the Zurich S-Bahn, along with urban trolleybus and bus routes as well as two funicular railways and one rack railway. The trams operate within a fare regime provided by the cantonal public transport authority Zürcher Verkehrsverbund (ZVV), which also covers regional rail and bus services.[1][2][3]
Most trams within the city are operated by the Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich (VBZ), which operates the city's urban network, but the city's tram tracks are also used by two other operations. The VBZ also operates the Glattalbahn tram services to the Glattal area to the north of the city, although in this case it does so as a sub-contractor to the Verkehrsbetriebe Glattal (VBG). The independent Forchbahn (FB) also uses the city's tram lines to reach their city terminus.[4]
Trams have been a consistent part of Zurich's streetscape since the 1880s, when the first horse tram ran. Electrified from the 1890s, they have seen off challenges including proposals to replace them by trolleybuses and by a metro or U-Bahn. With a relatively static city network from the 1930s to the late 1970s, the city's trams have been expanding again since then. Recent expansions have taken the network into the suburbs beyond the city boundary, covering areas it retreated from in the first part of the 20th century.
History
Beginnings
Various projects to introduce trams to Zurich were proposed from the 1860s onwards. It was not until 1882, however, that the first tram operated in the city. These initial trams were operated by the Zürcher Strassenbahn Gesellschaft (ZStG), a private company, and were standard gauge and horse-drawn. In 1894, another private company, the Elektrische Strassenbahn Zürich (EStZ) started operating. Unlike those of the ZStG, the trams of the EStZ were metre gauge and electrically propelled taking power from an overhead line. The EStZ only survived for two years before it was taken over by the City of Zurich, who renamed it the Städtische Strassenbahn Zürich (StStZ).[5]
Further tramway companies were founded, some operating entirely within the city, some connecting the city with its nearer suburbs, and some running in rural areas entirely beyond the city, but still linked by connections with other lines to the city. The StStZ gradually took over those companies that had significant city operations, usually closing any cross-boundary lines, whilst leaving those lines entirely beyond the city to their own devices.[5]
Many companies
The many companies that operated trams in and around Zurich are summarised in the table below. Companies whose lines were entirely outside the current city boundaries are shown in italic type, whilst companies which still operate tram or other light rail services are shown in bold type.
| Company | Abbreviation | From | Until | Absorbed by | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zürcher Strassenbahn Gesellschaft | ZStG | 1882 | 1896 | StStZ | The private company that opened Zurich's first tramway, using horse drawn trams.[5] |
| Elektrische Strassenbahn Zürich | EStZ | 1894 | 1896 | StStZ | The first electric tram operator. Bought by the City of Zurich, and renamed the StStZ.[5] |
| Zentrale Zürichbergbahn Zürich | ZZB | 1895 | 1905 | StStZ | |
| Städtische Strassenbahn Zürich | StStZ | 1896 | 1950 | VBZ | The city owned company continued to acquire other tram operators, until by 1931 it owned all the remaining tramways within the city. In 1950, renamed as the VBZ.[5] |
| Strassenbahn Zürich-Oerlikon-Seebach | ZOeS | 1897 | 1931 | StStZ | |
| Industriequartier-Strassenbahn Zürich | ISZ | 1898 | 1902 | StStZ | |
| Strassenbahn Zürich-Höngg | StZH | 1898 | 1923 | StStZ | |
| Dolderbahn | Db | 1895 | From 1899, the Dolderbahn company operated an electric tram between the upper station of the Dolderbahn (then a funicular) and the Dolder Grand Hotel. This line never had any track connection with any other tram line, and was replaced by a bus in 1930. In 1973 the Dolderbahn was converted to a rack railway and extended to the Dolder Grand, thus replacing the bus. | ||
| Limmattal-Strassenbahn | LSB | 1900 | 1931 | StStZ | |
| Bremgarten Dietikon | BD | 1902 | 2000 | BDWM | Originated as a metre gauge rural electric tramway between Bremgarten and Dietikon to the west of Zurich. Well outside the city of Zurich, it was at one time indirectly connected to the city's tramways by the LSB, which also served Dietikon. The section between Bremgarten and Wohlen was originally a standard gauge railway, which was converted to mixed gauge and taken over by BD in 1912. |
| Albisgütli-Bahn | AGB | 1907 | 1925 | StStZ | |
| Wetzikon-Meilen-Bahn | WMB | 1909 | 1950 | (closed) | A metre gauge rural electric tramway linking Kempten, Wetzikon and Langholz to the east of Zurich with Meilen on the shores of Lake Zurich. Well outside the city of Zurich, it was at one time indirectly connected to the city's tramways by the UOeb, with which it connected at Langholz, and hence the FB.[6] |
| Uster-Oetwil-Bahn | UOeB | 1909 | 1949 | (closed) | A metre gauge rural electric tramway linking Uster, Esslingen, Oetwil am See and Langholz to the east of Zurich. Well outside the city of Zurich, it was at one time indirectly connected to the city's tramways by the FB, with which it connected at Esslingen.[7] |
| Forchbahn | FB | 1912 | |||
| Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich | VBZ | 1950 | Owned by city of Zurich.[5] | ||
| Bremgarten Dietikon Wohlen Meisterschwanden | BDWM | 2000 | Created by amalgamation of the BD with the bus operator WM. Still operates a light rail service between Dietikon and Wohlen, but is no longer connected to the Zurich tram system. |
Heyday of the StStZ
By the mid 1930s, the StStZ had acquired all the companies that operated tramways within the city boundaries, with the single exception of the Dolderbahn, which had closed its short tramway in 1930. The standard gauge horse tram lines had all been converted to metre gauge and electrified. The StStZ had also built many tram extensions, resulting in a dense network of tramlines serving most city neighbourhoods.[5]
However in 1927, the StStZ had introduced its first motor bus route, and this was to be followed in 1939 by the first trolleybus route. Initially these modes complemented the trams, but at various times they have threatened to replace parts of the tram system, and sometimes succeeded in doing so.[5]
In 1940 the StStZ started a modernisation of its trams, introducing the first prototypes of the Swiss Standard Tram. Despite Switzerland's neutrality, the economic effects of the second world war slowed down the program, but by 1953 the VBZ, as the StStZ had become in 1950, had taken delivery of 177 such trams.[3][5]
Lines closed
Whilst the tram network within the city of Zurich has seen relatively few line closures, the same cannot be said for the lines beyond the city. The StStZ had no interest in operating transport systems outside the city boundaries, and generally closed any out-of-city lines belonging to the companies it took over.[3] In other cases, private sector operated lines succumbed without StStZ involvement. Out of town closures included:
- The Schlieren to Dietikon and Schlieren to Weinigen lines of the LSB company, closed in 1928 and 1931 respectively.
- The Oerlikon to Schwamendingen and Seebach to Glattbrugg lines of the ZOS company, closed in 1931.
- The Uster to Langholz line of the UOeB company, closed in 1949.
- The Wetzikon to Meilen line of the WMB company, closed in 1950.
In the city, the initial threat to the tram came from its perceived inflexibility and susceptibility to the growing traffic congestion in the city streets. One proposed solution was the conversion of the less busy lines to trolleybus routes, and the first step in this direction was the conversion of tram route 1, from Burgwies to Hardplatz (1954-1956). This was followed by the Farbhof to Schlieren section of route 2 (1956-8) which became a westward extension of the same trolleybus route. These conversions came to be seen as a mistake, as the trolleybus service struggled to cope with peak loadings and, contrary to expectations, punctuality did not improve. No further conversions of tram routes to trollybuses have taken place.[3]
Underground proposals
In the 1950s, as well as proposing the conversion of less busy lines to trolleybus, plans were also made to convert the busier lines to a pre-metro form called the Tiefbahn, by placing them in tunnel. The recently delivered Swiss Standard trams were not seen as suitable for this, and several new designs of tram were introduced. The first design, known as the P16 or Karpfen, was unsuccessful because it could not run on some existing routes, and only one batch of 15 motor tram and trailer pairs was built. A later design, which used articulation to avoid the problems of the P16, was eventually more successful and 126 vehicles were delivered by 1969. This car became popularly known as the Mirage.[3]
Despite the planning and new rolling stock, a referendum in 1962 rejected the Tiefbahn. However the proponents of going underground did not give up, but instead proposed a full scale metro, or U-Bahn system. This would be standard gauge and electrified using a third rail, and hence incompatible with the tram system. In 1973, this too was rejected in a referendum, but not before several stretches of U-Bahn tunnel had been built.[3][5]
Extensions and a new model
In 1976 the first tram extension since 1954 took place, with the extension of route 4 from Hardturm to Werdhölzli. This was followed in 1986 by the extension of routes 7 and 9 into new residential areas to the north-east of Zurich. This used one of the stretches of tunnel that had been built for the rejected U-Bahn, between Milchbuck and Schwamendingen. The tram route was extended through the tunnel before splitting at Schwamendingen to serve the area beyond, using new surface track. However the tunnels and stations were built with island platforms, whilst Zurich trams only have doors on their right hand side. Because of this, the section through the tunnel uses left-hand running.[3]
From 1976 onwards, the VBZ tram fleet was further updated, with the introduction of Zurich's variant of the Tram 2000 design.[5] 201 of these vehicles were delivered, ending in 1992. From the 1980s onwards, the system was increasingly acclaimed for its success in maintaining a high share of the modal split, and the Zürich model of transport provision was named after it.
Low floors and more extensions
In 2001, the VBZ took delivery of the first prototypes of a brand-new low-floor design of tram, known as the Cobra.[5] Despite many teething problems with the prototypes, which were eventually extensively rebuilt, there are now 88 of these trams in service, with the last delivered in 2010. In order to increase the number of low-floor trams in service, 23 trams from the otherwise high-floor Tram 2000 fleet were rebuilt between 2001 and 2005 with the addition of a low-floor centre section.
From the 1950s onwards, the Glattal region to the north of Zurich experienced a rapid boom as population and industry spilled over from nearby Zurich, partly driven by the presence of Zurich Airport. Whilst the airport is served by the city's S-Bahn rail network, the economic growth and resulting congestion led to a need for a finer-grained form of public transport. The responsible transport authority (the Verkehrsbetriebe Glattal or VBG) responded by constructing a new light rail system, the Glattalbahn. This was built to be compatible with Zurich's tram network, with which it connects at several points on the city boundary. The system opened in stages between 2006 and 2010. The VBG contracted the VBZ to operate the network, and several tram routes now operate across both networks.
"Tram Zürich West", an extension from Escher-Wyss-Platz to Bahnhof Altstetten Nord, in the city of Zurich, opened in December 2011. The resulting reorganisation of routes included a new route 17 from Hauptbahnhof to Werdhölzli via Escher-Wyss-Platz, and the diversion of route 4, which had previously served Werdhölzli, to Altstetten.
The arrival of new trams between 2001 and 2010 led to the departure of older vehicles. The Karpfen last ran in regular service in 2006, and the Mirage in 2010. Many members of both classes have been transferred to Vinnytsia in the Ukraine.[8][9][10]
History preserved
The Zurich Tram Museum, located at the former tram depot at Burgwies (on tram route 11), preserves many examples of Zurich's former tramcar fleet, along with other related exhibits.
Operation
Route network
The following tram routes make up the urban and Glattalbahn route network:[4][11][12]
| Route | Description |
|---|---|
| 2 | Bhf.Tiefenbrunnen - Bellevue - Bürkliplatz - Paradeplatz - Rennweg - Stauffacher - Farbhof |
| 3 | Klusplatz - Römerhof - Kunsthaus - Central - Hauptbahnhof - Stauffacher - Albisrieden |
| 4 | Bhf.Tiefenbrunnen - Bellevue - Central - Hauptbahnhof - Escher-Wyss-Platz - Bhf.Altstetten |
| 5 | (Laubegg -) Bhf.Enge - Bürkliplatz - Bellevue - Kunsthaus - Kirche-Fluntern (- Zoo) |
| 6 | (Bhf.Enge - Stockerstr. - Paradeplatz -) Hauptbahnhof - Central - ETH/Universitätsspital - Kirche Fluntern - Zoo |
| 7 | Bhf.Stettbach - Schwamendingerplatz - Milchbuck - Schaffhauserplatz - Central - Hauptbahnhof - Paradeplatz - Stockerstr. - Bhf. Enge - Wollishofen |
| 8 | Hardplatz - Stauffacher - Stockerstr. - Paradeplatz - Bürkliplatz - Bellevue (- Kunsthaus - Römerhof - Klusplatz) |
| 9 | Hirzenbach - Schwamendingerplatz - Milchbuck - Irchel - Seilbahn Rigiblick - ETH/Universitätsspital - Kunsthaus - Bellevue - Bürkliplatz - Paradeplatz - Stauffacher - Heuried |
| 10 | Hauptbahnhof - Central - ETH/Universitätsspital - Seilbahn Rigiblick - Irchel - Milchbuck - Sternen Oerlikon - Glattpark - Bhf.Glattbrugg - Bhf.Kloten Balsberg - Zürich Flughafen |
| 11 | Rehalp - Kreuzplatz - Bhf.Stadelhofen - Bellevue - Bürkliplatz - Paradeplatz - Hauptbahnhof - Schaffhauserplatz - Bucheggplatz - Bhf.Oerlikon - Sternen Oerlikon - Hallenstadion - Leutschenbach - Glattpark - Auzelg |
| 12 | Zürich Flughafen - Bhf.Kloten Balsberg - Bhf.Glattbrugg - Glattpark - Auzelg - Bhf.Wallisellen - Dübendorf - Bhf.Stettbach |
| 13 | Albisgütli -Bhf.Enge - Stockerstr. - Paradeplatz - Hauptbahnhof - Escher-Wyss-Platz - Wipkingerplatz - Frankental |
| 14 | Seebach - Sternen Oerlikon - Milchbuck - Schaffhauserplatz - Hauptbahnhof - Stauffacher - Heuried - Triemli |
| 15 | Klusplatz - Römerhof - Kreuzplatz - Bhf.Stadelhofen - Bellevue - Central - Schaffhauserplatz - Bucheggplatz |
| 17 | Hauptbahnhof - Escher-Wyss-Platz - Werdhölzli |
Route 10 is operated by the VBZ on behalf of the Verkehrsbetriebe Glattal (VBG), using VBZ owned tracks as far as Oerlikon and VBG owned tracks thereafter. Route 11 is operated by the VBZ on its own behalf, using VBZ owned tracks as far as Oerlikon and VBG owned tracks thereafter. Route 12 is operated by the VBZ on behalf of the VBG, using VBG owned tracks throughout. All other routes are operated by VBZ over VBZ tracks.
The independent Forchbahn (FB) railway uses VBZ trackwork to reach their city centre terminus, at Bhf.Stadelhofen, from the eastern edge of the city, at Rehalp. The FB trains operate largely in the street for this section of their route, sharing track with VBZ tram routes, but are categorised as route S18 of the city's S-Bahn railway network rather than as part of the tram network. Beyond Rehalp the trains use the FB's own segregated tracks to reach their outer terminus at Esslingen.[4]
On one Sunday each month, the Zurich Tram Museum operates tram route 21 from the city centre to the museum at Burgwies, using their own heritage rolling stock.[13]
Infrastructure
Zurich's tram network is built to metre gauge and is electrified using overhead line at 600 V DC. The VBZ infrastructure within Zurich is largely street based, with varying degrees of segregation from other street traffic and significant sections where trams run in unrestricted traffic lanes. In the city centre the tram tracks run through largely pedestrianised streets, and in one place in the suburbs the trams use a tunnel originally constructed for a never completed U-Bahn system. By contrast, on VBG infrastructure in the Stadtbahn Glattal, VBZ trams operate on long stretches of dedicated track.[4][11]
Zurich's trams are single-ended, with doors on only one side. In consequence all terminal locations are equipped with turning loops, and all tram stops are to the near side of the tram.[11]
Tram fleet
- Passenger service
- Recently put out of service
- Be 4/4 "Karpfen" [withdrawn from service in late 2006]
- Be 4/6 "Mirage" #1601 - 1690 and #1691 - 17.. "Blinde Kuh" [cabless]
- B4 (bogie trailers) - various types in use with Be 4/4 and Be 4/6 1601 ff
- Other
- various works trams
- cargo tram / E-Tram
- various heritage trams
Future expansion
In the Limmat Valley, between Bahnhof Altstetten and Bahnhof Killwangen-Spreitenbach, the "Limmattalbahn", a new light rail service (compatible with the Zürich Tram Network and therefore metre gauge) is in planning and should be partially opened by 2020. Since this line would extend into Canton Aargau, there is the possibility of two referenda rejecting the project.
There are also plans for numerous other extensions to be built up to 2025, notably over the Hardbrücke between Hardplatz and the new Tram Zürich West branch at Schiffbau.
References
- ^ Moglestue, Andrew (April 2005). "Zürich: Top city — thanks to light rail". Tramways & Urban Transit. Ian Allan Ltd / Light Rail Transit Association. pp. 130–134.
- ^ Moglestue, Andrew (May 2005). "Zürich: The Cobra rules, all above ground". Tramways & Urban Transit. Ian Allan Ltd / Light Rail Transit Association. pp. 180–184.
- ^ a b c d e f g Moglestue, Andrew (December 2005). "Zürich: A city and its trams". Retrieved 2011-08-10.
- ^ a b c d Eisenbahnatlas Schweiz. Verlag Schweers + Wall GmbH. 2012. p. 64-65. ISBN 978-3-89494-130-7.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Facts & figures - Corporate history". VBZ. Retrieved 2012-05-26.
- ^ "Wetzikon-Meilen Bahn". www.eingestellte-bahnen.ch. Retrieved 2012-05-25.
- ^ "Uster-Oetwil Bahn". www.eingestellte-bahnen.ch. Retrieved 2012-05-25.
- ^ Moglestue, Andrew (November 2006). "Karpfen farewell tour". Retrieved 2012-05-26.
- ^ Moglestue, Andrew (June 2010). "Last Mirage day". Retrieved 2012-05-26.
- ^ Moglestue, Andrew (August 2010). "Karpfen and Mirage in Vinnitsa". Retrieved 2012-05-26.
- ^ a b c "Gleisplan - Straßenbahn Zürich mit Glattal" (PDF) (in German). 2012-03. Retrieved 2012-05-09.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Unknown parameter|trans_title=ignored (|trans-title=suggested) (help) - ^ "Stadt Zürich - Zurich City - Transport Map" (PDF). City of Zurich. Retrieved 2012-05-09.
- ^ "The Museum Line 21". Zurich Tram Museum. Retrieved 2012-05-09.
See also
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External links
- VBZ official Website
- Tram Museum Zürich
- Private homepage on Zürich trams in English
- Track plan of the Zurich tram system
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