The SBB now relies on “silence technology”. This with the Eurocity connections between Munich and Zurich. Because instead of the planned three hours between major cities, the train often takes four hours – or is canceled altogether.
Because the trains are so unreliable, the railway is taking an unusual step, writes the “Aargauer Zeitung”. You simply remove the Eurocity trains from the timetable of certain routes. According to the article from Zurich, those looking for a connection to the airport or to Winterthur will no longer find it – nor will they find it in the opposite direction. The timetable states “Only stop to get off”.
«silent technique»
A spokeswoman for the SBB tells the newspaper that it is a “control measure” due to the high demand and the delays. Instead of the “tilting technique” that is used on the trains, one could speak of “silent technique” here. The SBB simply hides the connection.
The Swiss Federal Railways also cite construction sites, infrastructure restrictions in Germany and isolated failures of vehicle tilting technology as reasons for the delays. The long single-track line and train crossings in the Allgäu made the operation “very demanding”.
Delay adds up
If the trains arrive in Switzerland with some delay, they are slowed down by an Interregio. And for Zurich there is no time to overtake anyway due to the heavy traffic. According to the article, this means that the delay to the destination station in Zurich is often up to half an hour. (pt)