ZÜRICH

VIDEO

PHOTO

MAPS

INSET: CENTRAL ZÜRICH

ABBREVIATION ON THE MAP

I created the above maps by overlaying OpenStreetMap (OSM) maps with my own data. Copyright on the OSM maps is © OpenStreetMap contributors, licensed under a CC-BY-SA (Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 licence).

Please note that the OSM maps used as templates for these maps correspond to the situation at the time the maps were downloaded and may show features that did not exist at the time the GS Tram Site is supposed to show. In particular, they may show bridges and highways that were built later.

ROUTES

URBAN TRAM ROUTES

Operator: Städtische Strassenbahn Zürich (StStZ)

PRIVATE TRAM ROUTES

Operator: Albisgütlibahn

Operator: Limmattal Strassenbahn

Operator: Elektrische Strassenbahn Zürich–Oerlikon–Seebach

SUBURBAN TRAM ROUTES

Operator: Sihltal-Zürich-Uetliberg-Bahn (SZU)

Operator: Forchbahn (FB)

FUNICULARS AND RACK RAILWAYS

Operator: Dolderbahn-Betriebs-AG

Operator: Zürichbergbahn

Operator: Seilbahn Rigiviertel (SR)

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SYSTEM

NETWORK LENGTH

• Tramway: ? km.
• FB: 13 km. (+ 3 km. shared with the city tramway)
• Albisgütlibahn: 1.2 km.
• Limmattal Strassenbahn: 12 km.
• Elektrische Strassenbahn Zürich–Oerlikon–Seebach: ? km.
• SiTB: 17 km.
• UeB: 9 km.
• Dolderbahn: 1.3 km.
• Polybahn: 176 m.
• Seilbahn Rigiblick: 385 m.

HISTORY

• Urban tramways: (horse-drawn): 1882 - 1896; (electric): 1894 - today.
• Forchbahn: (electric): 27 Nov. 1912 - today.
• Limmattal tramway: 1900 - 1955
• Limmattalbahn (electric): 11 Dec. 2022 - today.
• Wohlen - Dietikon line (steam, Wohlen - Bremgarten only) 1 Sept. 1876 - 30 April 1912; (electric): 30 Apr. 1912 - today.
• Sihltalbahn: (steam) 1892 - 1924; (electric) 1924 - today.
• Uetlibergbahn: (steam) 1875 - 1923; (electric) 1923 - today.
• Dolderbahn: (funicular) 1895 - 1973; (rack-railway): 1973 - today.
• Polybahn (funicular): (water-driven) 1889-1897; (electric) 1897 - today.
• Seilbahn Rigiblick (funicular): 1901 - today.

GAUGE

• Urban tramways: 1000 mm.
• Forchbahn / Limmatbahn / Limmat tramway / Wohlen - Dietikon line: 1000 mm.
• Sihltalbahn / Uetlibergbahn: 1435 mm.
• Dolderbahn: 1000 mm.
• Polybahn: 1000 mm.
• Seilbahn Rigiblick: 1000 mm.

TRAM PRESERVATION

The Zürich Tram Museum has a large number of preserved trams. One of these historic trams is run through city streets, April to October, as Museum Tram Line 21.

SOURCES

PRINT

• Bædeker, K. La Suisse et les parties limitrophes de la Savoie et de l'Italie: Manuel du voyageur Leipzig: Bædeker, 1909.
• Brosteaux, M., Ulmann M. & Wiseman, R. "The trams return to Schwamendingen" Modern Tramway & Light Rail Transit., July 1986 (49:583), p.227-241.
• Buckley, R.J. Tramways and Light Railways of Switzerland and Austria. Milton Keynes (England): Light Rail Transit Association, 1st ed., 1984.
• Buckley, R.J. Tramways and Light Railways of Switzerland and Austria. Milton Keynes (England): Light Rail Transit Association, 2nd ed., 2000.
• Eisenbahnatlas Schweiz / Railatlas Suisse. Köln (Germany): Schweers + Wall, 2004.
• Moglestue, A. "The Cobra rules, all above ground" Tramways & Urban Transit, May 2005 (68:809), p.180-184.
• Moglestue, A. "Glattalbahn: Trams for a new city" Tramways & Urban Transit, Apr. 2009 (72:856), p.142-143.
• Moglestue, A. "Tram Zürich West unlocks regeneration" Tramways & Urban Transit, Aug. 2012 (75:896), p.300-301.
• Moglestue, A. "Zürich: Top city - thanks to light rail" Tramways & Urban Transit, April 2005 (68:808), p.130-134.
• Pulling, N. "Systems Fact File No.133: Zürich, Switzerland" Tramways & Urban Transit, Nov. 2018 (81:971), p.422-428.
• "Systems Fact File No.17: Zürich, Switzerland" Tramways & Urban Transit, Feb. 2009 (72:854), p.59-61.
• Taplin, M. "The Zürich way". In: Light Rail Review 3. London: Light Rail Transit Association, 2001 [p.5-11].
• Thompson, A. "Linking up in Zurich", Tramways & Urban Transit, Aug 2024 (87:1040), p.295-298.
• Thompson, A. "Riding the Limmatbahn" Tramways & Urban Transit, March 2022 (86:1023), p.94-97.
• Trüb, W. Die Zürcher Strassenbahnen. Zürich: Eisenbahn-Amateur (Separatdruck), 1961/1978.
• Wansbeek, C.J. "Zürich plays the tram card again" Light Rail & Modern Tramway, July 1997 (60:715), p.253-255.
• Wyse, W.J. "Tram subways for Zurich" The Modern Tramway, Apr. 1961 (24:280), p.92-96.

WIKIS

• Albisgütlibahn
• Dolderbahn
• Forchbahn
• Glattalbahn
• Limmattal light rail line
• Limmattal tramway
• Polybahn
• S-Bahn Zürich
• Seilbahn Rigiblick
• Sihltal-Zürich-Uetliberg-Bahn
• Sihltalbahn
• Tram Zürich West
• Trams in Zürich
• Uetlibergbahn
• Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich
• Zürcher Verkehrsverbund

WEB SITES

• Die Forchbahn (FB)
• Limmattahlbahn
• Sihltal-Zürich-Uetliberg-Bahn (SZU)
• Üetliberg-Verein
• Verkehrsbetriebe Glattal (VBG)
• Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich (VBZ)
• Zürcher Verkehrsverbund
• Zurich Tram Museum

Copyright Gabor Sandi 1998-2025

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