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Zentralbahn (Brünig & LSE) |
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last update:
20/10/2011 |
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The
Zentralbahn (ZB) is the result of the merger in 2005 of
the old companies Brünig Bahn (from SBB, Swiss Federal
Railways) and Luzern-Stans-Engelberg (LSE). The metric
track gauge is electrified at 15 kV 16.7 Hz and it's "Y"
shaped, with a common section from Luzern to Hergiswil.
From this point the main line goes to Interlaken via
Brünig and Meiringen whereas the other one continues to
Stans and Engelberg. The stretch from Alpnachstad to
Brienz was opened in 1888, from Luzern to Alpnachstad
the following year and in 1916 from Brienz to Interlaken
Ost. The line from Stansstad to Engelberg was opened in
1898 and in 1964 it was connected to the Brünig line at
Hergiswil, in order to get to Lucerne. The Brünig line
(Luzern-Interlaken) is 74 km long and it is single track
with sidings. To overcome the height difference of 500
metres rising from Giswil to Brünig and the 400 metres
down to Meiringen, there are four section equipped with
Riggenbach rack system, with a maximum gradient of 120‰.
Meiringen is a terminus station, so all the trains have
to reverse to continue the journey. Among Lucerne and
Horw there is a section with mixed gauge 1.000 and
1.435mm for giving service to various factories in the
area. From Kriens to Horw there is also a double track
section. The Hergiswil to Engelberg line has 24.8km of
single track with sidings and a rack section with a
maximum gradient of 105‰
placed inside the Grafenfort-Engelberg tunnel. This 4 km
tunnel since 2010 replaces the old layout, where there
where ramps with rack sections up to 246‰. |
Select a zone or station to see
photos of them:
The trains
The trains
that cover
the line
are
of various
kinds,
specially
depending on
whether
circulating
over rack sections
or not.
For Lucerne
S-bahn services
(S4
and
S5) and
the
Regio
Interlaken-Meiringen
3 cars EMUs
built by
Stadler
in 2004
"Spatz"
are
used
,
with low floor and panorama central car.
The
"Spatz"
EMUs
are not equipped with
rack
traction
system.
These
vehicles
are
often
merged with
conventional
cars
(the
end
car with a control cab
to
offer
"push-pull"
services)
as a
reinforcement
of the
trains
in certain
slots.
For
InterRegio
(IR)
and
GoldenPass services
from
Lucerne
to
Interlaken
conventional cars are
used
(in
the case of GoldenPass cars they have a specific livery and
there is a panorama car)
towed
from
Lucerne
to
Meiringen
by
electric
locomotives
adherence-rack
HGe
4/4
101.
From
Interlaken
to
Meiringen
the
veteran
De
110
locomotives
are
used
(they
were
formerly
EMUs)
because
this
section
is
only
in
adherence.
For
the
IR
Luzern-Engelberg
locomotives
HGe
101
and conventional
cars
are
also
commonly
used, but the last 3 cars are usually control cars of
similar design to Spatz EMUs to
make
"push-pull" services. On the Engelberg line adherence-rack EMUs
BDeh 140
have
been also used
until the opening of the new Grafenfort tunnel. There are also
different kind of rolling stock such as diesel or shunting
locomotuves, as well as historic train compositions.
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HGe 4/4 101 locomotive at Brünig station
with GoldenPass cars (august 2011) |
Inside a conventional car (august
2011) |
Map inside one of the cars
(august 2011) |
"Spatz" EMU 130 at Kriens Mattenhof
station (august 2011) |
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| Inside a "Spatz"
EMU (august 2011) |
The central
cars of the "Spatz" EMU has panorama windows
(august 2011) |
Information
screen on one of the S4 EMUs to Dallenwil (august 2011) |
End car of one
of the 130 EMUs of the Zentralbahn (august
2011) |
Links
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