175 years ago, the first train ran in Switzerland. On August 9, 1847, the “Spanisch-Brötli-Bahn” was put into service between Baden and Zurich, becoming the first railway line in the country. The name originates from a bread specialty from Baden. The line was operated by the Schweizerische Nordbahn (Northern Railways), recalled the Union of Public Transport (UTP).
History and modernity
To start the festivities, two colorful locomotives were presented exclusively at the CFF workshops in Yverdon-les-Bains: one for CFF Cargo’s Re 420 freight traffic and one for CFF’s Re 460 passenger traffic. The choice of the site may surprise given the threats to its maintenance. But the CEO of CFF, Vincent Ducrot, wants to be reassuring:
On one side they represent a historic train and on the other a model of the latest generation, thus embodying the link between the past and the future. These two locomotives will run throughout the anniversary year, connecting and transporting people and goods throughout Switzerland.
The two locomotives are to be discovered in video:
Public demonstrations are also planned for five weekends in five regions of Switzerland. The jubilee festivities are due to begin on May 21 and 22 in the northern region and end on October 22 and 23 in central Switzerland and Ticino, passing through the eastern region (June 11-12), center (September 3-4) and west (October 1-2).
During these events, the public will be able to experience all facets of Swiss public transport, in particular during open days and historical journeys. Thanks to the 175-year day pass, customers can now travel from 17.50 francs, a way of thanking customers for their trust. /ats-dsa
