Since 2006, SOB also owns
Wattwil station and the railway from Wattwil to
Ebnat-Kappel, which until then belonged to
SBB CFF FFS. The railway stations of
Romanshorn,
St. Gallen, and
PfäffikonSZ, and the railway tracks between St. Gallen St. Fiden–St. Gallen, Wattwil (except railway station)–
Rapperswil, and Arth-Goldau–
Luzern are owned by Swiss Federal Railways, but are
used by SOB for its services.
In total, the SOB network measures 128.9 kilometres (80.1 miles), and comprises the following lines:
The
adhesion railway network spreads over mountainous terrain, with a maximum
slope of 50
‰ (5
%) between Wädenswil/Pfäffikon SZ and Biberbrugg, and between Rothenthurm and Arth-Goldau. The lowest altitude on the SOB network is found at
Romanshorn (399 metres (1,309 ft)
a.s.l.), and the highest at
Biberegg (933 metres (3,061 ft) a.s.l.), between Rothenthurm and Sattel-Aegeri. The highest elevation on the section between Nesslau-Neu St. Johann and St. Gallen is reached near Degersheim (798.7 metres (2,620 ft) a.s.l.).
The direct connection from
Bodensee via
Zürichsee towards
Vierwaldstättersee, which follows the Alpine foothills, was achieved by numerous civil engineering works. These consist of a series of
viaducts and tunnels. Engineering structures account for one eighth of the total SOB rail network.[2] They comprise:
177 bridges spanning a total of 4.2 kilometres (2.6 miles), and
19 tunnels through 8.5 kilometres (5.3 miles) of mountains.
One of the viaducts, the 99 metres (325 ft) high and 365 metres (1,198 ft) long
Sitter Viaduct (SOB) near
St. Gallen Haggen, is the highest railway bridge in Switzerland. It is also the longest bridge on the SOB network and was built between 1908 and 1910. Other notable viaducts are the
Glatttal Viaduct (296 metres (971 ft) long, 34 metres (112 ft) high) near
Herisau station, and the
Wissbach Viaduct (289.5 metres (950 ft) long, 63 metres (207 ft) high) between
Degersheim and
Schachen. Many
bridges of the SOB network were constructed by BT.
In the 1990s, the former Südostbahn (SOB) ordered four two-piece NPZ (Neuer Pendelzug;
English: "new commuter train") sets
(RBDe 566 + ABt), which were delivered from the first production series in 1995, bearing numbers RBDe 566 400-403. Initially, the SOB opted not to convert any intermediate cars for use with these trainsets. Thus, the SOB
DVTs differed from those of the SBB CFF FFS by the addition of a
first class compartment. The
motor coaches of the NPZ sets, however, were identical to those of SBB CFF FFS. The SOB later converted several intermediate cars to elongate their trainsets (three-/four-car sets).
The NPZ first class
control cars (ABt) existed for the two types of RBDe 566 that SOB owned at that time (RBDe 566 071-076 ex
BT and RBDe 566 077-080 ex
original SOB of the type also used by SBB CFF FFS). Until 2019, nine
second class control cars (BDt) were used for the Voralpen-Express sets with
Re 456,
Re 446 or
Re 420 (the latter occasionally
leased from SBB-CFF-FFS)
locomotives. After the merger of the original SOB with BT, the four NPZ sets were repainted in 2003 in the
livery of the new SOB, with the sides of the vehicles painted light and dark gray, and the nose and border between side and roof painted red. They operated throughout the SOB network as RBDe 566 077-080.
The NPZ sets were later replaced by
StadlerFLIRTEMUs (four-car-sets), delivered between 2007 and 2013 (RABe 526 041-526 063). The latter were painted in the most recent SOB livery: silver, with red window band, and light gray doors. Additional FLIRT-III four-car-sets were delivered between 2019 and 2021 (RABe 526 001-526 006). The FLIRT/FLIRT-III sets operate as
S-Bahn service, but also as extension units during peak-hours on
InterRegio lines, i.e., for the
named trainsVoralpen-Express/Treno Gottardo/Aare Linth, for which new
copper-red painted Traverso eight-car EMU sets (RABe 526 101/201-526 117/217) started operations between 2019 and 2021. Some of the FLIRT/FLIRT-III sets are named after mountain peaks along SOB operated lines. The names are indicated near the ends of the trainsets.
Old generation rolling stock (until 2010): BDe 4/4 with a push-pull train, between Altmatt and
Rothenthurm
SOB NPZ set (RBDe 566 motor coach, coach, and driving trailer) with former SOB livery
Südostbahn (SOB) operates
InterRegio (IR) services as
named trainsVoralpen-Express, Treno Gottardo, and Aare Linth. Due to the
clock-face scheduling, the
Swiss rail network offers passengers timely connections at most railway stations. Since 2018, most InterRegio lines in Switzerland are numbered and color-coded for more clarity.
From 1992 to 2013, Voralpen-Express (
English: "
Prealps Express") was jointly operated with the
Swiss Federal Railways (SBB CFF FFS), and it continued as a
regional train between
St. Gallen and
Romanshorn. It is since operated solely by SOB, and the trains turn around in St. Gallen. Between 2013 and 2019, Voralpen-Express ran under its own
train category (VAE). It is now again classified as InterRegio (unnumbered) after it was briefly categorized as
Panorama Express (PE). The name Voralpen-Express is still indicated on
platform displays and mentioned during train departure announcements at the
platform.
Voralpen-Express runs mainly on tracks of the SOB network but
uses tracks owned by Swiss Federal Railways between Lucerne and Arth-Goldau, and between Rapperswil and Wattwil (including the 8.6 kilometres (5.3 mi) long
Ricken Tunnel on the
Uznach–Wattwil line).
Treno Gottardo
Treno Gottardo (
Italian for "
Gotthard train") is jointly operated by SOB and
SBB CFF FFS and runs entirely on the network owned by the latter. It connects the city of
Locarno, in the
Italian speaking part of Switzerland, alternately with the cities of
Basel and
Zurich, both located in the
German speaking part of the country. Trains to/from Basel reverse direction at Lucerne (dead-end station). It was launched in December 2020, but trains turned around at Bellinzona until spring 2021 due to construction work between Bellinzona and Locarno at that time.[3]
Treno Gottardo follows the scenic route of the
Gotthard Railway. This "old route" crosses the
Alps through the ca. 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) long
Gotthard Tunnel between
Göschenen (1,106 metres (3,629 ft)
a.s.l.) and
Airolo (1,142 metres (3,747 ft) a.s.l.). It uses a series of
spiral loops and
horseshoe curves (partly in tunnels) to quickly gain
altitude, or to lose altitude on the other side of the tunnel, respectively. All
InterCity and
EuroCity trains instead use the 57.09 kilometres (35.47 mi) long
Gotthard Base Tunnel since its opening in 2016.
Aare Linth
The named train Aare Linth was launched in December 2021.[4] It connects
Chur, the capital of
CantonGrisons, with the Swiss capital of
Bern. The trains reverse direction at
Zurichmainstation (Zürich HB), which is a
cul-de-sac. The train is named after the
Aare and
Linth rivers, which it follows/crosses on its journey. Aare Linth is operated by SOB in cooperation with
SBB CFF FFS; it runs entirely on the Swiss Federal Railways network.
Stadler "Traverso" trainsets operate on this InterRegio line except during
rush hour, when higher-capacity
rolling stock of SBB CFF FFS is used.
Since 2006, SOB also owns
Wattwil station and the railway from Wattwil to
Ebnat-Kappel, which until then belonged to
SBB CFF FFS. The railway stations of
Romanshorn,
St. Gallen, and
PfäffikonSZ, and the railway tracks between St. Gallen St. Fiden–St. Gallen, Wattwil (except railway station)–
Rapperswil, and Arth-Goldau–
Luzern are owned by Swiss Federal Railways, but are
used by SOB for its services.
In total, the SOB network measures 128.9 kilometres (80.1 miles), and comprises the following lines:
The
adhesion railway network spreads over mountainous terrain, with a maximum
slope of 50
‰ (5
%) between Wädenswil/Pfäffikon SZ and Biberbrugg, and between Rothenthurm and Arth-Goldau. The lowest altitude on the SOB network is found at
Romanshorn (399 metres (1,309 ft)
a.s.l.), and the highest at
Biberegg (933 metres (3,061 ft) a.s.l.), between Rothenthurm and Sattel-Aegeri. The highest elevation on the section between Nesslau-Neu St. Johann and St. Gallen is reached near Degersheim (798.7 metres (2,620 ft) a.s.l.).
The direct connection from
Bodensee via
Zürichsee towards
Vierwaldstättersee, which follows the Alpine foothills, was achieved by numerous civil engineering works. These consist of a series of
viaducts and tunnels. Engineering structures account for one eighth of the total SOB rail network.[2] They comprise:
177 bridges spanning a total of 4.2 kilometres (2.6 miles), and
19 tunnels through 8.5 kilometres (5.3 miles) of mountains.
One of the viaducts, the 99 metres (325 ft) high and 365 metres (1,198 ft) long
Sitter Viaduct (SOB) near
St. Gallen Haggen, is the highest railway bridge in Switzerland. It is also the longest bridge on the SOB network and was built between 1908 and 1910. Other notable viaducts are the
Glatttal Viaduct (296 metres (971 ft) long, 34 metres (112 ft) high) near
Herisau station, and the
Wissbach Viaduct (289.5 metres (950 ft) long, 63 metres (207 ft) high) between
Degersheim and
Schachen. Many
bridges of the SOB network were constructed by BT.
In the 1990s, the former Südostbahn (SOB) ordered four two-piece NPZ (Neuer Pendelzug;
English: "new commuter train") sets
(RBDe 566 + ABt), which were delivered from the first production series in 1995, bearing numbers RBDe 566 400-403. Initially, the SOB opted not to convert any intermediate cars for use with these trainsets. Thus, the SOB
DVTs differed from those of the SBB CFF FFS by the addition of a
first class compartment. The
motor coaches of the NPZ sets, however, were identical to those of SBB CFF FFS. The SOB later converted several intermediate cars to elongate their trainsets (three-/four-car sets).
The NPZ first class
control cars (ABt) existed for the two types of RBDe 566 that SOB owned at that time (RBDe 566 071-076 ex
BT and RBDe 566 077-080 ex
original SOB of the type also used by SBB CFF FFS). Until 2019, nine
second class control cars (BDt) were used for the Voralpen-Express sets with
Re 456,
Re 446 or
Re 420 (the latter occasionally
leased from SBB-CFF-FFS)
locomotives. After the merger of the original SOB with BT, the four NPZ sets were repainted in 2003 in the
livery of the new SOB, with the sides of the vehicles painted light and dark gray, and the nose and border between side and roof painted red. They operated throughout the SOB network as RBDe 566 077-080.
The NPZ sets were later replaced by
StadlerFLIRTEMUs (four-car-sets), delivered between 2007 and 2013 (RABe 526 041-526 063). The latter were painted in the most recent SOB livery: silver, with red window band, and light gray doors. Additional FLIRT-III four-car-sets were delivered between 2019 and 2021 (RABe 526 001-526 006). The FLIRT/FLIRT-III sets operate as
S-Bahn service, but also as extension units during peak-hours on
InterRegio lines, i.e., for the
named trainsVoralpen-Express/Treno Gottardo/Aare Linth, for which new
copper-red painted Traverso eight-car EMU sets (RABe 526 101/201-526 117/217) started operations between 2019 and 2021. Some of the FLIRT/FLIRT-III sets are named after mountain peaks along SOB operated lines. The names are indicated near the ends of the trainsets.
Old generation rolling stock (until 2010): BDe 4/4 with a push-pull train, between Altmatt and
Rothenthurm
SOB NPZ set (RBDe 566 motor coach, coach, and driving trailer) with former SOB livery
Südostbahn (SOB) operates
InterRegio (IR) services as
named trainsVoralpen-Express, Treno Gottardo, and Aare Linth. Due to the
clock-face scheduling, the
Swiss rail network offers passengers timely connections at most railway stations. Since 2018, most InterRegio lines in Switzerland are numbered and color-coded for more clarity.
From 1992 to 2013, Voralpen-Express (
English: "
Prealps Express") was jointly operated with the
Swiss Federal Railways (SBB CFF FFS), and it continued as a
regional train between
St. Gallen and
Romanshorn. It is since operated solely by SOB, and the trains turn around in St. Gallen. Between 2013 and 2019, Voralpen-Express ran under its own
train category (VAE). It is now again classified as InterRegio (unnumbered) after it was briefly categorized as
Panorama Express (PE). The name Voralpen-Express is still indicated on
platform displays and mentioned during train departure announcements at the
platform.
Voralpen-Express runs mainly on tracks of the SOB network but
uses tracks owned by Swiss Federal Railways between Lucerne and Arth-Goldau, and between Rapperswil and Wattwil (including the 8.6 kilometres (5.3 mi) long
Ricken Tunnel on the
Uznach–Wattwil line).
Treno Gottardo
Treno Gottardo (
Italian for "
Gotthard train") is jointly operated by SOB and
SBB CFF FFS and runs entirely on the network owned by the latter. It connects the city of
Locarno, in the
Italian speaking part of Switzerland, alternately with the cities of
Basel and
Zurich, both located in the
German speaking part of the country. Trains to/from Basel reverse direction at Lucerne (dead-end station). It was launched in December 2020, but trains turned around at Bellinzona until spring 2021 due to construction work between Bellinzona and Locarno at that time.[3]
Treno Gottardo follows the scenic route of the
Gotthard Railway. This "old route" crosses the
Alps through the ca. 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) long
Gotthard Tunnel between
Göschenen (1,106 metres (3,629 ft)
a.s.l.) and
Airolo (1,142 metres (3,747 ft) a.s.l.). It uses a series of
spiral loops and
horseshoe curves (partly in tunnels) to quickly gain
altitude, or to lose altitude on the other side of the tunnel, respectively. All
InterCity and
EuroCity trains instead use the 57.09 kilometres (35.47 mi) long
Gotthard Base Tunnel since its opening in 2016.
Aare Linth
The named train Aare Linth was launched in December 2021.[4] It connects
Chur, the capital of
CantonGrisons, with the Swiss capital of
Bern. The trains reverse direction at
Zurichmainstation (Zürich HB), which is a
cul-de-sac. The train is named after the
Aare and
Linth rivers, which it follows/crosses on its journey. Aare Linth is operated by SOB in cooperation with
SBB CFF FFS; it runs entirely on the Swiss Federal Railways network.
Stadler "Traverso" trainsets operate on this InterRegio line except during
rush hour, when higher-capacity
rolling stock of SBB CFF FFS is used.