Appenzell Railways

Last updated

Appenzell Railways
Native name
Appenzeller Bahnen (German)
Company type AG/SA
ISIN CH0026212446
Industry Public transport
Founded1 July 2006;18 years ago (2006-07-01) [1]
Headquarters
Herisau
,
Switzerland
Key people
Ernst Boos (CEO),
Thomas Baumgartner (director)
RevenueIncrease2.svg CHF41.9 million (2012)
Number of employees
216 (as of 2020) [2]
Divisions Passenger
Website http://www.appenzellerbahnen.ch/
Appenzell Railways (AB) network
Streckenkarte Appenzellerbahnen.png
Map showing AB railway lines (red) and bus route (blue) prior to the 2021 acquisition of the Frauenfeld–Wil railway
Overview
Dates of operation1875–present
Technical
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge ,
1,200 mm (3 ft 11+1⁄4 in),
1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre gauge
Electrification 1500 V / DC, 600 V / DC, 15  kV 16.7  Hz Overhead line [2]
Length93,592 km (58,155.4 mi) [2]

Appenzell Railways (German : Appenzeller Bahnen, AB) is a Swiss railway company with headquarters in Herisau. It operates a network of railways and a bus line in the cantons of Appenzell Innerrhoden, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, St. Gallen and Thurgau.

Contents

It was founded in 2006 through the merger of the former Appenzeller Bahnen (founded in 1988) with the Rorschach–Heiden railway, Rheineck–Walzenhausen mountain railway and Trogenerbahn. [1] [3] In 2021, AB acquired the Frauenfeld-Wil railway.

History

The origins of the Appenzeller Bahnen company lies in a number of formerly independent companies and railway lines: [4]

The Appenzellerbahn and Santisbahn merged in 1947, retaining the Appenzellerbahn (AB) identity. The St. Gallen–Gais–Appenzell-Bahn and Altstätten-Gais-Bahn merged in 1948, under the name St. Gallen–Gais–Appenzell–Altstätten-Bahn (SGA). [4]

The Appenzeller Bahnen company was formed in 1988, with the merger of the Appenzellerbahn and the St. Gallen–Gais–Appenzell–Altstätten-Bahn. In 2006, the Appenzeller Bahnen company merged with the Rorschach–Heiden-Bergbahn, the Rheineck–Walzenhausen-Bergbahn and the Trogenerbahn companies. In legal terms, this merger took the form of the Appenzeller Bahnen company acquiring the other companies. [4]

In 2021 the company merged with Frauenfeld-Wil-Bahn AG, owner of the Frauenfeld–Wil line. The two companies had shared operations for years. [6]

Operation

Today, the company operates the following railway lines: [7] [8]

The St. Gallen–Gais–Appenzell, Gossau–Appenzell–Wasserauen and Altstätten–Gais lines form a connected network of 1,000 mm or 3 ft 3+3⁄8 in metre gauge lines, all electrified at 1500 V DC. The St. Gallen–Trogen line is also of metre gauge, but ran independently until 2018.

From 2016 to 2018, the Appenzellerbahnen undertook a large construction project to connect the Appenzell-St. Gallen and St. Gallen-Trogen lines. The three points of incompatibility were electrification (the St. Gallen-Trogen line was 1000 V DC with a brief stretch at 600 V DC shared with the St. Gallen trolleybus system), different (but physically adjacent) termini in St. Gallen, and maximal grades (the rack railway approach to St. Gallen from Appenzell was too steep for adhesion-based St. Gallen-Trogen rolling stock). So the new project re-electrified the St. Gallen-Trogen line at 1500 V DC and constructed a new tunnel through St. Gallen. The old alignment through St. Gallen closed in April 2018, and the system began through-running in October of the same year. [9] [10]

The Rheineck–Walzenhausen and Rorschach–Heiden lines are geographically separate from the rest of the network, and are of respectively 1,200 mm (3 ft 11+1⁄4 in) and standard (1,435 mm or 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) gauges. The Altstaetten–Gais, Rheineck–Walzenhausen and Rorschach–Heiden lines all have rack railway sections, whilst the Gossau–Appenzell–Wasserauen and Appenzell–St. Gallen–Trogen lines are adhesion only. [7] [8] Frauenfeld-Wil was cooperating closely, but legally distinct from 2003. It is not connected by tracks. 2021 they were taken over.

The company also operates a bus service from Teufen, on the St. Gallen–Gais–Appenzell line, to Speicher, on the St. Gallen–Trogen line. Night bus services are operated over the routes of the St. Gallen–Gais–Appenzell and St. Gallen–Trogen lines. [7]

Services

As of December 2023, Appenzell Railways (AB) operates eight regional train services that run on its own railway network. Trains operate as S-Bahn services (numbered 15, 20‒26 with "S" prefix) for St. Gallen S-Bahn (some also for Bodensee S-Bahn). In addition, AB also operate bus line 190. [11]

#RouteNotes
S15 Wil SG–Wängi–Frauenfeld Operates over the metre (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) gauge Frauenfeld–Wil line
S20 Appenzell–Gais–Bühler–Teufen AR–St. Gallen–Speicher–Trogen Operates over the metre (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) gauge Appenzell–St. Gallen–Trogen line. Rush-hour service, calls between Gais and St. Gallen only at Bühler, Teufen AR and Niederteufen
S21 Appenzell–Gais–Bühler–Teufen AR–St. Gallen–Speicher–Trogen Operates over the metre (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) gauge Appenzell–St. Gallen–Trogen line
S22 Teufen AR–St. Gallen–Speicher–Trogen Operates over the metre (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) gauge Appenzell–St. Gallen–Trogen line. Only during rush hour
S23 Gossau SG–Herisau–Urnäsch–Appenzell–Wasserauen Operates over the metre (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) gauge Gossau–Wasserauen line
S24 Altstätten Stadt–Stoss–Gais Operates over the metre (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) gauge Altstätten–Gais line (part rack railway)
S25 Rorschach Hafen–Rorschach–Wienacht-Tobel–Heiden Operates over the standard gauge Rorschach–Heiden line (part rack railway)
S26 Rheineck–Ruderbach–Walzenhausen Operates over the 1,200 mm (3 ft 11+1⁄4 in) gauge Rheineck–Walzenhausen line (part rack railway)
190 Teufen AR–Speicher–Speicherschwendi–St. Gallen, NeudorfBus service

Rolling stock

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rail transport in Switzerland</span>

Rail transport in Switzerland is noteworthy for the density of its network, its coordination between services, its integration with other modes of transport, timeliness and a thriving domestic and trans-Alp freight system. It is made necessary by strong regulations on truck transport, and is enabled by properly coordinated intermodal logistics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walzenhausen</span> Municipality in Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Switzerland

Walzenhausen is a municipality in the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden in Switzerland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rorschach–Heiden railway</span> Railway line in Switzerland

The Rorschach–Heiden railway is a railway line and former railway company in Switzerland. It is a standard gauge rack railway, using the Riggenbach rack system and is part of Appenzeller Bahnen. The 7 km (4.3 mi) route links Rorschach with Heiden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rheineck–Walzenhausen mountain railway</span> Rack railway in eastern Switzerland

The Rheineck–Walzenhausen mountain railway is a 1.9 kilometres (1.18 mi) long rack railway in Switzerland. It links Rheineck station, in the municipality of Rheineck and the canton of St Gallen, with the village and health resort of Walzenhausen, in the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden. Passenger service on the line now forms part of the St. Gallen S-Bahn, branded as the S26. The S26 is also part of the Bodensee S-Bahn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rheineck railway station</span> Railway station in Switzerland

Rheineck railway station is a railway station that serves the municipality of Rheineck, in the canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland. The station is located on the eastern edge of Rheineck village centre, with the A1 motorway, the Alter Rhein river channel and then the border with Austria flanking the opposite side of the station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Gallen–Trogen railway</span> Railway line in Switzerland

The St. Gallen–Trogen railway, or Trogenerbahn (TB), is a 9.8 kilometres (6.1 mi) long railway line in Switzerland. It links the city of St. Gallen, in the canton of St. Gallen, with Speicher and Trogen, both in the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden. Passenger service on the line now forms part of the St. Gallen S-Bahn, branded as the S21.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Gallen railway station</span> Railway station in St. Gallen, Switzerland

St. Gallen railway station serves the town St. Gallen, the capital of the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. It is located at the junction of the standard gauge St. Gallen–Winterthur, Rorschach–St. Gallen, and Romanshorn–Toggenburg lines of Swiss Federal Railways and the 1,000 mm gauge Appenzell–St. Gallen–Trogen line of Appenzell Railways.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Gallen S-Bahn</span> Commuter rail network in St. Gallen, Switzerland

The St. Gallen S-Bahn is an S-Bahn-style commuter rail in Eastern Switzerland and neighbouring areas. The network connects stations in the Swiss cantons of Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Appenzell Innerrhoden, Glarus, Grisons, Schaffhausen, St. Gallen, Thurgau and Zürich, as well as a few stations in Austria and Germany. Some services also operate as part of the Bodensee S-Bahn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Gallen–Winterthur railway line</span> Railway line in Switzerland

The St. Gallen–Winterthur railway line is a standard gauge railway line between St. Gallen and Winterthur, connecting the Swiss cantons of St. Gallen, Thurgau and Zürich. The 57.1 km (35.5 mi) long line was opened between 1855 and 1856 in four stages by the former St. Gallen-Appenzell Railway and belongs to the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB). It is part of the West-East main line in Switzerland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Appenzell–St. Gallen–Trogen railway</span> Tramway in Switzerland

The Appenzell–St. Gallen–Trogen railway, also known as the Durchmesserlinie, is a metre gauge interurban tramway in the Swiss cantons of Appenzell Innerrhoden and Ausserrhoden and the city of St. Gallen. It is the steepest adhesion railway in Switzerland with a gradient of up to 8.0% and forms part of the network of the Appenzell Railways (AB) and the St. Gallen S-Bahn. The line's two branches were completed in sections between 1889 and 1904 by the St. Gallen-Gais-Appenzell-Altstätten Railway and the Trogen Railway. The two lines were connected by the AB with a cross-city route in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chur–Rorschach railway line</span> Railway line in Switzerland

The Chur–Rorschach railway line, also called the Rhine Valley line, is a standard gauge railway line in Switzerland. It belongs to the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) and is located in the cantons of St. Gallen and the Grisons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gossau–Wasserauen railway line</span> Narrow gauge railway line in Switzerland

The Gossau–Wasserauen railway line is a metre-gauge adhesion railway of the Appenzell Railways. It runs from Gossau via Appenzell to Wasserauen in Switzerland and is given the abbreviation of GAW by the operator. The connection was built and electrified in several stages by different companies and has been operating continuously since 1949.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Altstätten–Gais railway line</span> Narrow gauge railway line in Switzerland

The Altstätten–Gais railway is a metre-gauge railway in Switzerland. The 7.65 km (4.75 mi) long line was opened in 1911 by the Altstätten-Gais-Bahn (AG) and has been operated by the Appenzell Railways. Three sections of the line are equipped with the Strub rack system, while the rest of the line uses adhesion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gossau SG railway station</span> Railway station in Switzerland

Gossau SG railway station is a railway station in Gossau, in the Swiss canton of St. Gallen. It is an intermediate station on the St. Gallen–Winterthur line and the terminus of the Sulgen–Gossau and 1,000 mmmetre gauge Gossau–Wasserauen lines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Herisau railway station</span> Train station in Switzerland

Herisau railway station is a railway station in Herisau, in the Swiss canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden. It is an intermediate station on the 1,435 mmstandard gauge Bodensee–Toggenburg line of Südostbahn and the 1,000 mmmetre gauge Gossau–Wasserauen line of Appenzell Railways. Both companies have separate tracks and facilities, separated by Bahnhofplatz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">S4 (St. Gallen S-Bahn)</span>

The S4 is a railway service of the St. Gallen S-Bahn that provides hourly service between Sargans and Rapperswil via St. Gallen, connecting stations in the cantons of St. Gallen and Appenzell Ausserrhoden. The section near Lake Constance is also part of the Bodensee S-Bahn. Südostbahn (SOB), a private company primarily owned by the federal government and the canton of St. Gallen, operates the service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gais railway station</span> Train station in Switzerland

Gais railway station is a railway station in the municipality of Gais, in the Swiss canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden. It is located at the junction of the 1,000 mmmetre gauge Appenzell–St. Gallen–Trogen and Altstätten–Gais lines of Appenzell Railways.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Appenzell railway station</span> Train station in Switzerland

Appenzell railway station is a railway station in the district of Appenzell, in the Swiss canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden. It is located at the junction of the 1,000 mmmetre gauge Appenzell–St. Gallen–Trogen and Gossau–Wasserauen lines of Appenzell Railways.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">S2 (St. Gallen S-Bahn)</span>

The S2 is a railway service of the St. Gallen S-Bahn that provides hourly service between Nesslau-Neu St. Johann and Altstätten SG in the Swiss canton of St. Gallen, via Herisau in the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden. The section near Lake Constance is also part of the Bodensee S-Bahn. THURBO, a joint venture of Swiss Federal Railways and the canton of Thurgau, operates the service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wasserauen railway station</span> Train station in Switzerland

Wasserauen railway station is a railway station in the district of Schwende-Rüte, in the Swiss canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden. It is located on the 1,000 mmmetre gauge Gossau–Wasserauen line of Appenzell Railways.

References

  1. 1 2 "Geschäftsbericht 2006" [Annual Report 2006](PDF) (in German). Appenzeller Bahnen . Retrieved 17 December 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 "Zahlen und Fakten[Numbers and facts]" (in German). Appenzeller bahnen. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  3. ↑ "Agglomerationsbahn ins Appenzellerland" [Conurbation railway in Appenzell]. Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in German). 3 July 2006. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 "Geschichte" [History] (in German). Appenzeller Bahnen. Archived from the original on 30 June 2014. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
  5. ↑ "Die verschwundene Bahnlinie[The lost railway line]" (in German). Tagblatt. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  6. ↑ "Frauenfeld-Wil-Bahn fusioniert mit den Appenzeller Bahnen". St. Galler Tagblatt (in German). 17 June 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  7. 1 2 3 "Unterwegs" [Route network] (in German). Appenzeller Bahnen. Archived from the original on 26 December 2013. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
  8. 1 2 Eisenbahnatlas Schweiz. Verlag Schweers + Wall GmbH. 2012. pp. 14–15. ISBN   978-3-89494-130-7.
  9. ↑ Thomas Baumgartner, Lukas Regli: Die Bedeutung der Durchmesserlinie Appenzell – St. Gallen – Trogen für die Appenzeller Bahnen (in German). In: Schweizer Eisenbahn-Revue . No. 11/2013. Minirex, ISSN   1022-7113, pp. 604–606.
  10. ↑ "Appenzeller Bahnen's Durchmesserlinie project completed". Railway Gazette. 11 October 2018. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  11. ↑ "Teufen - Speicher - Speicherschwendi - St. Gallen" (PDF). Bundesamt für Verkehr. 23 November 2023. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.