It’s a big day for all train fans. To mark the 175th anniversary of the first Swiss railway line, a historic steam train traveled from Baden AG to Zurich on Tuesday. Federal Councilor Simonetta Sommaruga (62, SP) was also on board.
A special permit from the city of Zurich was required for the journey. Because there is currently a fire ban due to the drought – and that would actually also apply to coal-powered trains.
With the “Crocodile” and the “Elephant” to Zurich
The eight historic carriages were pulled to Zurich by the electrically powered “Crocodile” locomotive and the Gotthard “Elephant” steam locomotive. The “Spanish-Brötli-Bahn”, which is usually located in the Verkehrshaus in Lucerne, was spared this 23-kilometer route.
The people of Baden are still proud today that they are at the beginning of Swiss railway history, said Mayor Markus Schneider at the departure in Baden. The “Spanish-Brötli-Bahn” got its name from the square puff pastry that was transported from Baden to Zurich.
Zurich spa guests had already eaten the pastries for breakfast in the thermal baths of Baden. In reformed Zurich, however, bakers were forbidden to produce such luxury pastries, which is why the gentlemen had the “Brötli” delivered to them by train.
Public transport “one of the great strengths of the country”
At the party in the SBB workshop in Altstetten, which took place following the trip, Minister of Transport Sommaruga gave a speech in praise of public transport. This is “one of the great strengths of the country”. «Our population can rely on trains, buses, postbuses and trams both in the cities and in rural areas. That’s why Switzerland is envied in many countries,” she said.
The war in Ukraine also made it clear that the railways are a central component of the European security architecture. “After the outbreak of war in Ukraine, practically only the railways worked,” said the Federal Councilor. The railway brought refugees to the country’s borders, transported food and relief supplies to the Ukrainian cities and now ensures that Ukrainian grain can still be exported at all.
Festival weekends for the population
“I would like to thank the Swiss railways for supporting Ukraine together with their European partner railways in order to keep operations going,” said Sommaruga. She is convinced that this shared experience will lead to much closer cooperation between the railways in Europe.
The general public should also benefit from the 175th anniversary: three festival weekends will take place in several parts of the country until October. More than 50 transport companies are now taking part in the celebrations. (SDA/lha)
