Switzerland celebrates 175 years of railroad
On 9 August 1847, regular passenger services were launched between Zurich and Baden on the so-called "Spanish-Brötli-Bahn". This marked the beginning of the development of the Swiss railway network. Since then, Switzerland has impressed in many areas as a pioneer in the railway industry.
One example is the traffic junction principle „Bahn 2000“, which guarantees regular connections in every direction at 60-minute or 30-minute intervals in regional transport as well as long-distance transport. This ensures that even all local transport lines or bus connections to the larger stations always guarantee an onward journey.
Due to the Swiss topography, Swiss railway routes crossed the high mountains on narrow railway routes for many decades. With the ongoing industrialization, most transalpine railway lines were replaced by modern tunnels. In high-speed traffic, they allow for top speeds of 250 km/h and will be integrated into the European high-speed network in the next few years. But goods traffic in and through Switzerland largely contributes to the high traffic volume as well. Every day, several dozen container trains travel from the seaports in the north of Europe to Italy, where transport continues via truck or ship.
The anniversary year of Swiss railway history will be celebrated all year round with a befitting anniversary programme. The Swiss Association of Public Transport, SBB, PostBus and the Alliance Swiss Pass have planned various public events in five regions and an official ceremony on August 9, 2022.
The aim is to provide the Swiss population a broad insight into the operation of the Swiss railways. All other Swiss transport companies, like the BLS or the Rhaetian Railway, join in on commemorating the anniversary and organize events on the occasion.
A further highlight for the anniversary year is the locomotive series Re 460 designed by ROCO/FLEISCHMANN in cooperation with SBB and the artist Gudrun Geiblinger.
The jubilee locomotive 460 019 will feature different designs on each side. One side evokes the famous „Spanisch-Brötli-Bahn“, the first railway line in Switzerland, and the historical Zurich central railway station exudes the charm of the early days of the railway. The other side is dedicated to modern times. It shows the Swiss ICN high-speed train leaving the Gotthard Base Tunnel, a masterstroke of the Swiss railway industry.
On 9 March 2022, the special locomotive was ceremoniously presented at the SBB maintenance facility in Yverdon-les-Bains, along with a sister locomotive of the freight subsidiary "SBB Cargo”. The two locomotives will be on their way in Switzerland for a year and will be on display at the different anniversary events. Of course, the 460 019 will feature the current ROCO and FLEISCHMANN logos as a visible token of the official partnership between ROCO/FLEISCHMANN and the SBB.
The N-scale model (Art. No.: 731299, 731369) are being produced this year and will be delivered on time for Christmas. We can look forward to models that will be just as beautiful as their prototypes.