Aargau Southern Railway

Aargau Southern Railway (Aargauische Südbahn) is a former railway company in Switzerland. Between 1873 and 1882, the Schweizerische Centralbahn (SCB) and the Schweizerische Nordostbahn (NOB) jointly built a connecting line to the Gotthardbahn. The line was operated by the SCB and ran from Rupperswil to Immensee. Branch lines ran from Wohlen to Bremgarten and from Hendschiken to Brugg.

Aargau Southern Railway
NPZ as S26 S-Bahn service between Sins and Mühlau
Overview
Native nameAargauische Südbahn
LocaleSwitzerland
TerminiRupperswil/Brugg AG
Immensee
Line number652, 653
Technical
Line length51.96 km (32.29 mi)
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8 12 in)
Electrification15 kV/16.7 Hz AC overhead catenary
Maximum incline1.3%
Route map

km
elev
35.6
Rupperswil
374 m
0.0
Brugg AG
from Basel
35.9
Villnachern
0.0
from Olten
4.2
Lupfig
5.3
Birr
31.9
31.9
Lenzburg
406 m
31.9
8.7
Othmarsingen
419 m
30.0
64.1
Gexi junction, to Olten
65.2
Hendschiken
67.9
Dottikon-Dintikon
69.5
substation siding
69.5
Dottikon substation
71.8
WM from Villmergen
71.8
Wohlen
423 m
standard gauge connection
to Bremgarten West
metre gauge line to Dietikon
77.8
Boswil-Bünzen
81.5
Muri AG
85.4
Benzenschwil
88.5
Mühlau
92.7
Sins
95.2
Oberrüti
Reuss
from Lucerne
99.4
Rotkreuz
429 m
Rotkreuz freight yard
to Zürich
102.2
Brüglen
454 m
Meierskappel-Risch
106.9
0.0
Immensee
460 m
Gotthard Railway to Arth-Goldau
Source: Swiss railway atlas[1]

The routes were opened in this order:

  • 23 June 1874: Rupperswil - Lenzburg - Hendschiken - Wohlen
  • 1 June 1875: Wohlen - Muri
  • 1 September 1876: Wohlen - Bremgarten West
  • 1 December 1881: Muri - Immensee
  • 1 June 1882: Hendschiken - Brugg

In 1902, the Aargauische Südbahn (together with the SCB) became part of the Swiss Federal Railways. In 1912, the line between Wohlen and Bremgarten West was permanently leased to the Bremgarten-Dietikon-Bahn and was equipped with a third rail for 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 38 in) metre gauge trains. A planned line between Brugg and the German town of Waldshut was never built.

On 26 May 1969 a line was opened near Brugg to directly connect with the Bözberg line. Previously all trains operating between the Gotthard and the Bözberg lines had to reverse in Brugg. During the construction of the Heitersberg Line (opened in 1975), the RupperswilLenzburgOthmarsingen section was significantly upgraded so that it could be used by most east-west trains between Zurich and Bern.

The line is 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 12 in) standard gauge and electrified at 15 kV 16.7 Hz and has two tracks throughout. The line from Brugg to Rotkreuz is the main route for freight trains between the Basel freight yard and the St Gotthard and Italy and is therefore an important rail freight route.

Between Rotkreuz and Hendschiken S26 S-Bahn services operate every half-hour. Due to lack of capacity between Gexi junction (north of Hendschiken) and Lenzburg, currently only one train per hour continues to (or starts from) Aarau via Lenzburg. The other half-hourly S-Bahn service starts or ends at Othmarsingen, where it connects to the S3 service to Lenzburg and Aarau. The S23 S-Bahn service operates on the Aarau–Lenzburg–Brugg route hourly.

References

  1. Eisenbahnatlas Schweiz [Swiss railway atlas]. Schweers + Wall. 2012. pp. 11–12, 22. ISBN 978-3-89494-130-7.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.