Rigi Bahnen — Wikipedia

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Rigi railways
Rigi lanes
Image illustrative de l’article Rigi Bahnen
A runner of the Rigi Bahnen in the upstream section of the route where the two ARB and VRB lines meet. The motor circulates on the ARB line. The other way is that of VRB, serving Vitznau. The two lanes separate a little lower.
Pays Drapeau de la Suisse Suisse
Historical
Commissioning 1871 – 1875
Electrification 1907 – 1937
Technical characteristics
Official number 602-603
Spacing standard (1,435 m )
Electrification 1500f
Maximum slope 250 ‰
Rack De type Riggenbach
Traffic
Owner Rigi Bahnen AG
Operator Rigi Bahnen AG
Traffic sightseeing
modifier Consultez la documentation du modèle

THE Rigi lanes (RB) (in German Rigi railways ) are a Swiss rail company connecting on the one hand Vitznau in the canton of Lucerne and on the other hand Arth in the canton of Schwytz in Rigi, an important tourist destination in Switzerland. The network has a total length of 15.52 km (6.97 km for the Vitznau-Rigi line and 8.55 km for the Arth-Rigi line), is on normal (1435 mm) and rack.

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In 2020, the Federal Transport Office extended the operating concession granted in 1992, until 2045 [ 2 ] .

The current company was born from the merger in 1992 of the old Vitznau-Rigi Bahn (VRB) and Arth-Rigi Bahn (ARB) [ 3 ] . At XIX It is Century, the Rigi mountain range, located between Lake of the Four Cantons, Lake Zug and Lake Lauerz, is universally known, in particular by tourists because of its panorama. Its access remains difficult and the slopes are only crossed, in a carrier or mule back chair. The solution to join hotels or inns by another means of transport is due to the Swiss Niklaus Riggenbach (1817-1899) which filed in Paris in 1863, a patent for its rack system.

Vitznau –rigi Bahn (VRB) [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

Vertical boiler for VRB

The , the Grand Council of the canton of Lucerne attributes to engineers Niklaus Riggenbach, Adolf Naeff and Olivier Zschokke a concession for the construction and operation of a railway with Vitznau railings by the lake of the Four Cantons to Rigi. The inauguration of the new line is a big event because it is the first mountain line in Europe [ 3 ] . Because of its importance, the president of the Confederation as well as three ministers representing the Swiss government attend its inauguration [ 4 ] .

However, the concessions for railways were, at the time, the spring of the cantons. The line therefore stops after 5.1 km , on the Cantonal border of Luceroise in Staffelhöhe above Rigi-Kaltbad [ 5 ] . For the next section of 1.8 km Until Kulm, it was not until the construction of the other Arth-Goldau-Rigi line in 1873. For many years this piece of track was the subject of numerous disputes between the two companies, by calling for Federal Court once [ 4 ] .

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In 1874, the company put into service the double path between Freibergen and Rigi Kaltbad and, that same year, opened the exploitation the grip line (metric track) on 6.7 km From Rigi-Kaltbad to the Scheidegg, but its exploitation was abandoned in 1931 [ 6 ] . However, the line remains in service until 1942 for the goods department. For a quarter of a century, the VRB railroad did not work until summer. It was from winter 1906-1907 that the exploitation became regular all year round.

DC electrification of 1,500 volts is effective in 1937. The construction of a cable car between Weggis and Rigi Kaltbad was carried out in 1968.

Arth -Rigi Bahn (Arb) [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

Action de l’rher rigibahn-geesellschaft (arb), en date du 28 mars 1873

Boiler lying for ARB

ARB is a big rival for the VRB. For the northeast side of Rigi, the concession is granted by the canton of Zug and the work began three years later. The opening of its exploitation takes place on . This company benefits for its development from the opening of the Gothard line and the link to Zurich by the Südostbahn. The electrification of its line was carried out in 1907. From the winter of 1928-1929, the line was operated by the ARB all year round. THE , Arth’s plain line in Goldau is replaced by a bus service [ 4 ] .

Unlike the VRB steam locomotives, those of the ARB had boilers not vertical but lying.

Actuellement la compagnie possessède 4 bhe 2/4, 4 bdhe 2/4, 3 bhe 4/4, 1 bdhe 4/4, 1 bdhe 2/4, 1 cfhe 2/3.

In 2019, the company Rigi Bahnen, ordered six electricity -type electric motorhomes of BHE 4/6 to the Swiss company Stadler Rail [ 2 ] .

The , inauguration of the commissioning of the six new BHE 4/6 articulated car. Two of the devices are baptized: Queen Victoria for n ° 45 and Mark Twain For n ° 44 [ 7 ] . The new equipment allows greater speed and access to people with reduced mobility. Energy recovery braking allows a reduction in energy expenditure. The possibility of ordering in ONE (Multiple unit), allows the reduction of the number of old compositions which were to circulate “in sight” [ 8 ] .

Stations [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

The upper terminus station, located near the summit and municipality in both lines, is Rigi Kulm station.
In the plain, one of the terminus stations is located in Arth-Goldau (519 meters) and the other in Vitznau (435 meters).

Delivered trains [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

A curious little detail that deserves to be underlined: the VRB starts from the Lucerian slope of Rigi, however the cars are red and white while the coat of arms of the canton of Lucerne are blue and white. But it is the opposite for the ARB who walks the Schwytzois slope of the mountain: the train is blue and white, while the coat of arms of the canton of Schwytz are red with a white crossed.

  • Livrée rouge et blanche pour le VRB Lucernois.

    Delivered red and white for the Lucernois VRB.

  • Armoiries de Lucerne.
  • Armoiries de Schwytz.
  • La descente depuis la gare supérieure du Rigi Kulm, en direction de Vitznau et Arth. Au fond, le lac des 4 cantons. La voie au premier plan est celle du VRB, celle de gauche est la voie de l'ARB. On peut voir la crémaillère.

    The descent from the Rigi Kulm upper station, towards Vitznau and Arth. Basically, the lake of the 4 cantons. The path to the foreground is that of VRB, that of the left is the way of the ARB. You can see the rack.

  1. ↑ The life of the rail, July-August 2022, page 44-45
  2. ↑ a et b Railpassion, magazine N°271, avril 2020
  3. ↑ a et b Swissmintinfo Mai 2008
  4. ↑ A B and C Swiss private railways, Avanti Editions, Fritz Bandi, 1979
  5. ↑ Historical Dictionary of Switzerland, 1935
  6. ↑ Swiss lexicon, 1999
  7. ↑ (of) Bahnonline, Le 8 Avril 2022
  8. ↑ Rail Passion, n ° 297, July 2022, pages 70 to 74

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