Lake Line

The Lake Line[4] (German: Seelinie), as it is referred to by the SBB in English, is the Swiss railway line running from Rorschach via Romanshorn, Kreuzlingen, Steckborn and Stein am Rhein to Schaffhausen and forms the Swiss section of the ring railway around Lake Constance.

Lake Line
Two GTW 2/4 sets of Thurbo on the Rhine Bridge at Feuerthalen near Schaffhausen; the Munot in the background
Overview
Native name	Seelinie
Locale	Switzerland
Termini	Schaffhausen Rorschach
Line number	820 (Schaffhausen–Romanshorn) 830 (Konstanz–Kreuzlingen–Weinfelden) 845 (Romanshorn–Rorschach)
Technical
Line length	82.4 km (51.2 mi)
Number of tracks	mostly 2
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in)
Electrification	15 kV/16.7 Hz AC overhead catenary
Maximum incline	1.2%
Route map km elev DB from Basel SBB from Winterthur 48.76 Schaffhausen terminus of S8 403.8 m DB to Konstanz Emmersberg Tunnel (761 m) 47.21 Rhine Bridge (262 m) Schaffhausen Zürich 46.93 Feuerthalen 408.7 m 45.33 Langwiesen 408.7 m 44.77 Zürich Thurgau 404.2 m 43.28 Schlatt 404.2 m 39.75 St. Katharinental (since 2002) 413.0 m Geisslibach bridge (94 m) 38.18 Diessenhofen 412.9 m 35.57 Schlattingen 426.5 m SBB from Winterthur S29 31.81 31.81 Etzwilen 438.2 m SEHR to Singen 34.55 Thurgau Schaffhausen 34.86 Stein am Rhein terminus of S29 413.1 m 35.40 Schaffhausen Thurgau 36.93 Eschenz 417.2 m 39.84 Mammern~ 411.7 m 45.59 Steckborn 403.7 m 48.91 Berlingen 402.6 m 51.33 Mannenbach-Salenstein 399.4 m 54.01 Ermatingen 402.1 m 56.00 Triboltingen (since 1998) 403.0 m 57.86 Tägerwilen-Gottlieben (Tägerwilen SBB until 1996) 403.5 m Thurbo from Wil S14 59.15 Tägermoos 401.7 m MThB from Wil (1911–2001) 60.69 Kreuzlingen 403.3 m 61.43 414.76 Switzerland / SBB Germany / DB 399.4 m DB from Basel 414.34 Konstanz terminus of S14 398.0 m 414.74 100.88 Germany / DB Switzerland / SBB 61.80 100.17 Kreuzlingen Hafen 402.1 m 98.83 Kurzrickenbach Seepark (since 1998) 405.0 m 97.50 Bottighofen (1946–1998) 405.0 m 97.98 Bottighofen (since 1998) 405.1 m 96.17 Münsterlingen-Scherzingen (since 1998) 404.8 m 95.40 Münsterlingen Spital (since 1998) 404.9 m 94.56 Landschlacht (since 2002) 408.0 m 92.92 Altnau 409.0 m 90.49 Güttingen 409.7 m 88.09 Kesswil 405.0 m 86.11 Uttwil 405.8 m 82.15 Romanshorn reversal of S7 398.5 m SBB from Winterthur reversal of S7 80.97 Romanshorn West 403.8 m 81.78[1] 83.32[2] Romanshorn Süd 399.2 m SOB to St. Gallen S8 84.72 Egnach 400.9 m 88.75 Arbon Seemoosriet (since 2007) 399.9 m 90.29 Arbon 398.7 m 90.80 Thurgau St. Gallen 91.64 Steinach (since 2007) 402.0 m 92.19 St. Gallen Thurgau 93.47 Horn 402.5 m 94.40 Thurgau St. Gallen 96.32 Rorschach Hafen terminus of S25 397.9 m SBB from St. Gallen 97.27 Rorschach terminus of S7 399.0 m AB to Heiden S25 to Chur Source: Swiss railway atlas[3]

History

On 15 October 1869 the section of line from Romanshorn to Rorschach was opened. Not quite two years later, on 1 July 1871, it was followed by the Romanshorn–Konstanz line. During its early years the railway belonged to the Swiss Northeastern Railway, the NOB, which was transferred in 1902 into the SBB.

In 1996, the line was taken over by Mittelthurgaubahn following a competition. They introduced half-hourly fixed-interval services and modernised both track and rolling stock. When Mittelthurgaubahn went bankrupt in 2003 the line went into the SBB subsidiary, Thurbo, which had been intended as a joint venture between the SBB and Mittelthurgaubahn.

References

1. from Romanshorn West
2. from Romanshorn
3. Eisenbahnatlas Schweiz (Swiss railway atlas). Schweers + Wall. 2012. pp. 3–7. ISBN 978-3-89494-130-7.
4. The Lake Line rail experience at www.sbb.ch. Accessed on 13 Jan 2013.