The Weinberg Tunnel (german: Weinbergtunnel) is a

railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a p ...

tunnel A tunnel is an underground passageway, dug through surrounding soil, earth or rock, and enclosed except for the entrance and exit, commonly at each end. A pipeline is not a tunnel, though some recent tunnels have used immersed tube cons ...

in the

Swiss Swiss may refer to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland *Swiss people Places * Swiss, Missouri *Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia *Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports * Swiss Internation ...

city of Zürich. The tunnel runs from the western approaches to Zürich Hauptbahnhof railway station, east under the station and city centre before turning north and surfacing on the southern approach to Zürich Oerlikon railway station, and allows trains running between east and west to pass through Zürich without reversal. It includes a new set of underground platforms at Zürich Hauptbahnhof, and carries twin

standard gauge A standard-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge of . The standard gauge is also called Stephenson gauge (after George Stephenson), International gauge, UIC gauge, uniform gauge, normal gauge and European gauge in Europe, and SGR in E ...

() tracks electrified at 15 k V AC 16 2/3 Hz using

overhead catenary An overhead line or overhead wire is an electrical cable that is used to transmit electrical energy to electric locomotives, trolleybuses or trams. It is known variously as: * Overhead catenary * Overhead contact system (OCS) * Overhead equipm ...

. The tunnel was opened on 14 June 2014, and forms part of the Altstetten–Zürich–Oerlikon cross-city line, also known as the ''Durchmesserlinie Zürich'', which also includes new elevated approach tracks from Altstetten to Zürich Hauptbahnhof, and the rebuilding of Oerlikon station with two additional tracks and platforms. At Zürich Hauptbahnhof, the tunnel serves a pair of underground island platforms, with four platform tracks, numbered as Hauptbahnhof tracks 31 to 34 but sometimes referred to as Löwenstrasse station. These platforms are linked to the station's other platforms and facilities, both underground and surface, by a complex of subways and shopping malls. The Weinberg Tunnel is one of three different routes from Oerlikon to Hauptbahnhof, each of which tunnels through the intermediate ridge. Unlike the Weinberg Tunnel, the other two, the

Wipkingen Tunnel The Wipkingen Tunnel (german: Wipkingertunnel) is a railway tunnel in the Swiss city of Zürich. The tunnel runs from the northern end of Wipkingen station to a portal to the south of Oerlikon station. It carries twin standard gauge () tracks ...

and the Käferberg Tunnel, both connect to the Hauptbahnhof's western approaches. All three tunnels emerge from adjacent portals to the south of Oerlikon station. The tunnel is used by both long-distance passenger trains and by suburban trains on

Zürich S-Bahn The Zürich S-Bahn (german: S-Bahn Zürich) system is a network of rail lines that has been incrementally expanded to cover the ZVV area, which comprises the entire canton of Zürich and portions of neighbouring cantons (Aargau, Glarus, ...

lines S2, S8 and S14. From December 2015, when the full Altstetten–Zürich–Oerlikon cross-city line is planned to open, it is expected that the line will be served by 460 trains per day, comprising 320 S-Bahn services and 140 long-distance services. Along its route, the Weinberg tunnel passes under several other tunnels, including the Hirschengraben rail tunnel that links Zürich Hauptbahnhof and Zürich Stadelhofen stations, the now disused Letten rail tunnel, and the Milchbuck road tunnel.

Gallery

References

External links

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SBB pages on the ''Durchmesserlinie Zürich''

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Transport in Zürich Railway tunnels in Switzerland Tunnels completed in 2014 {{Switzerland-struct-stub