Lake Zürich left-bank railway line

Lake Zürich left-bank railway line
The line at Horgen, showing the proximity of Lake Zurich
Line length:	61.31 kilometres (38.10 mi)
Track gauge:	1435
Voltage:	15 kV 16.7 Hz AC
Electrification:	Overhead line
Maximum incline:	1.7  %
Zürich–Ziegelbrücke–Näfels
Legend 0.34 Zurich HB 408 m asl Link from Zurich Altstetten 1.96 Zürich Aussersihl Zimmerberg Base Tunnel9478 m (li) / 9419 m (re) 2.93 Zurich WiedikonReiterbahnhof 405 m asl Wiedikon-Ulmberg tunnel848 m SZU goods line to Giesshübel 3.41 Kollerwiese 3.93 Zurich Enge 409 m asl Enge tunnel903 m 5.81 Zurich Wollishofen 409 m asl 8.86 Kilchberg 424 m asl 9.68 Nidelbad Planned extension of the base tunnel to Zug 10.64 Rüschlikon 433 m asl 12.09 Thalwil Zurich–Lucerne railway line to Zug 14.23 Oberrieden 424 m asl 16.77 Horgen 408 m asl 20.73 Au ZH 409 m asl 23.97 Wädenswil 408 m asl Wädenswil–Einsiedeln railway line 27.46 Richterswil 408 m asl 28.73 Hafen 29.37 Bäch SZ 411 m asl 31.71 Freienbach SBB 410 m asl Pfäffikon SZ–Arth-Goldau railway line 33.44 Pfäffikon SZ Pfäffikon SZ–Rapperswil railway line over the Seedamm 37.18 Altendorf 412 m asl 39.58 Lachen 416 m asl A3 Lachen62 m 43.49 Siebnen-Wangen 433 m asl 46.57 Schübelbach-Buttikon 418 m asl 49.94 Reichenburg 420 m asl 54.23 Bilten 421 m asl Lower Linth canal bridge62 m Rapperswil–Ziegelbrücke railway line 57.14 Ziegelbrücke Ziegelbrücke–Sargans railway line old line until 1931 Upper Linth canal bridge53 m 58.91 Nieder-und-Oberurnen 427 m asl Weesen Linth canal to Sargans 61.65 Näfels-Mollis 437 m asl Weesen–Linthal 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.^[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 ²⁄₃ 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.^[1]

Geography

History

The line was opened 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.^[2]

References

1. Eisenbahnatlas Schweiz. Verlag Schweers + Wall GmbH. 2012. pp. 12–13, 64–65. ISBN 978-3-89494-130-7.
2. map.geo.admin.ch with Siegfried Map First edition overlaid (Map). Swiss Confederation. Retrieved 2013-05-13.