Welcome to the SBB EMUs section of the 4rail.net Railway Pictures Archive

Local commuter train traffic in Switzerland is active and frequent. There are so called S-Bahn networks around several major cities, for example Zürich, Bern, Basel and Geneve. Short distance commuter trains were still in the late 1960s mainly locomotive driven, but the tendency has ever since been towards electric multiple units without a separate locomotive. On this page we show some of SBB´s EMU trains, starting from the older ones of the 1960s and ending up at the highly modern ICN and FLIRT trains towards the bottom of the page.

The RABDe 12/12 or nowadays in the new notation RABDe 510 was the best and most beautiful commuter train of its time. It was built by a consortium of SWP, FFA, SAAS and BBC in 1965. The train is 73,3 metres long, weighs 170 tons and has a power rating of 2440 kW and a maximum speed of 125 km/h. All 12 axles are motorised. There is a possibility to build long combinations of theoretically up to 12 units together. In practise the 3 unit combination seen in this picture is the most common. The trains used to be painted dark red, but look pretty good even in the current blue-white-red livery. They were bought for the Zürich-Rapperswil commuter traffic along the so called "gold coast", the right hand side of the lake Zürich, a very exclusive area. Picture at Rapperswil station by Ilkka Siissalo 30.12.07
Uploaded 3.2.2008

A view from the inside of he RABDe 510 en route between the Zürich airport and Zürich city. This was the utmost comfort in commuter traffic in the mid sixties. It still works pretty well.
The lady in the picture is one of 4rail.net´s editors, Sanna Siissalo. Picture at Oerlikon by Ilkka Siissalo 31.12.07
Uploaded 3.2.2008

The RBe 540, or originally RBe 4/4 was first built in a 5 train prototype series in 1959 and then in series between 1963 and 1969. Altogether SBB had 76 of these trains. Originally painted dark green, they were first used in fast long haul train connections, as express trains between major cities, for example between Zürich and Bern and Geneve. They were the new, modern trains which took care of most of the visitor traffic at the "Landesausstellung 1964", the major national exhibition of the sixties. Later when traffic increased, these motor wagons were pushed to do low priority S-Bahn service, mainly as the workhorses in front of heavy and long short haul commuter S-trains on less important lines. In 1991 the trains were thoroughly refurbished, repainted and got their new numbering RBe 540. Today they are used only in some less than important S-Bahn services, like here between Bülach and Schaffhausen and as this text is written, being rapidly pushed out of use as more modern EMUs like the FLIRT emerge. Picture in September 2001 at Bülach station by Ilkka Siissalo, ilkka.siissalo(at-sign)iki.fi
Uploaded 24 June 2002

Closeup of the front of the RBe 540 no.38. This electric motor unit was built in 1963, it weighs 68 tonnes, has a maximum speed of 125 km/h and is 23,7 metres long. Picture in September 2001 at Bülach station by Ilkka Siissalo, ilkka.siissalo(at-sign)iki.fi
Uploaded 24 June 2002

What´s the difference in looks between the series 510 and series 540 ? Both are from the same time. The series 510 was built in 1965, series 540 between 1963-66. The 510 is a fixed 3 coach EMU, whereas the 540 is a one coach, locomotive-like train intended originally for long distance traffic. The 510 never had a door in the front and its looks are in all respects a bit more modern.
Picture at Rapperswil station 30.12.2007 by Ilkka Siissalo. Uploaded 3.2.2008.

A typical modern Swiss regional train of the 1980´s (so called NPZ or Neue Pendelzug, new pendeling train), an unidentified RBDe 560 1. series electric motor unit of the SBB on way from Basel to Laufen on the Juraline, stopping here at the Münchenstein station close to Basel. The first prototypes of these trains were ordered by SBB in 1984 based on the good experiences of similar trains of some private companies such as the BLS. Basically the same train, with some modifications, is in use within several private Swiss railroads and also in Germany in the Bodensee area, for example with companies such as BLS and RM (now part of BLS), SOB, MBS and others. Its maximum speed is 140 km/h (some variants 125 km/h). For the Basel area traffic the state SBB has six units designated RBDe 562 for the Regio-S-Bahn-Basel-Mulhouse service, which have dual electric systems, both for the German/Swiss 15 kV 16,7 Hz and for the French/Italian/Spanish/Hungarian etc. 25 kV 50 Hz. These trains run pendel routes via Basel, where the other end is in Mulhouse (Mühlhausen) in the French Alsace (Elsass) and the other end in Switzerland, for example in Laufen, where this train is going to.
Photo May 1999 by Ilkka Siissalo, ilkka.siissalo(at-sign)iki.fi Uploaded Jun 5, 1999

An unidentified SBB RBDe 560 1.series EMU (maybe RBDe 562) leading a long train from Basel to the Münchenstein station on its way to Laufen on the Juraline. Photo May 1999 by Ilkka Siissalo, ilkka.siissalo(at-sign)iki.fi
Uploaded Jun 5, 1999

A typical Swiss regional EMU train of the state SBB, a so called NPZ unit; here a fairly long one, with an RBDe 560 series electric motor unit pushing from the back and a matching coach with a cockpit in front. Photo 4th of June 1999 at Liestal station by Ilkka Siissalo, ilkka.siissalo(at-sign)iki.fi
Uploaded Jun 5, 1999

Closeup of a suburban SBB commuter train of the most common type NPZ or officially RBDe 560, this time with the yellow S-Bahn-Bern stripe on its side. Photo of SBB RBDe 560 on S-bahn line S3 on 15.10.2001 at Bern-Weissenbühl station, on its way from Thun via Bern to Biel by Ilkka Siissalo, ilkka.siissalo(at-sign)iki.fi. Even this picture is now history, since the Bern region S-Bahn routes have now for a couple of years been all served by trains of the company BLS.
Uploaded June 20, 2002

A typical Swiss regional NPZ train, powered by the RBDe 560 unit in a nice countryside setting close to Belp, on the Bern S-Bahn S3 line between Bern and Thun. Photo 14.10.2001 by Ilkka Siissalo, ilkka.siissalo(at-sign)iki.fi
Uploaded June 20, 2002

A typical "older" Zürich commuter S-Bahn of nowadays, an Re 450 (or 5. generation Re 4/4) with always 3 double decker coaches, the last one of which has a cockpit very similar to the one at the locomotive end. This train is shown here on the EMU page, although technically this is a fixed combination of a real locomotive and three coaches. The Re 450 is a modification actually of the Re 460 "Lok 2000", the pride of Switzerland, but intended only for the use of pulling double decker coaches at the Zürcher S-Bahn. The locomotive and its coaches are always a fixed combination. For this purpose it does not have to be as fast or as powerful as the original Lok 2000, but it still retains some of the design features. SBB has 115 of these locomotives (and 3 coach units attached to each one of them), built 1989-97. The locomotive itself is 18,4 metres long, weighs 74 tonnes and has a maximum speed of 130 km/h. Photo at Zürich Hauptbahnhof (main station) in 1999 by Ilkka Siissalo, ilkka.siissalo(at-sign)iki.fi
Uploaded 24 June 2002

Steering wagon of a typical Zürich S-Bahn train Re 450. Photo at Thalwil station 21.10.2001 by Ilkka Siissalo, ilkka.siissalo(at-sign)iki.fi
Uploaded 24 June 2002

The Re 450 with its train is always a fixed 3 coach plus locomotive unit. At peak traffic two units may be coupled together. SBB has 115 of these units, built between 1989 and 1997. The advertisement text on its side "Ich bin auch ein Bus" = I am also a bus, refers to the local Zürich area ZVV ticketing system, which is valid on trams, buses, trains and ships on the Zürichsee lake. Photo at Thalwil station 21.10.2001 by Ilkka Siissalo, ilkka.siissalo(at-sign)iki.fi
Uploaded 24 June 2002

As many other national railways, now also the Swiss state SBB has ordered modern electric motor units, so called "bullet trains". These trains, here called ICN (InterCity Neigezug) or "Weisse Pfeil" (white arrow), were first delivered by ADtranz in 2000 and are now most often seen on the line between Zürich and Geneve airport, but also between Zürich and Winterthur or Schaffhausen or St. Gallen and Lausanne. In contrast to the similar trains in other countries - like the ICE in Germany or TGV in France - the ICNs are not (yet) particularly fast. They could be, but the time tables are organised in such a way that the trains keep frequently stopping even at small and unimportant stations like here in Oensingen. In fact they are even used in low speed InterRegio services. Anyway, the trains are modern and comfortable. In November 2000 SBB had 13 units of the ICNs. They are always used as two unit combinations, giving a train 14 coaches long, with 940 sitting places. The ICN is based on the Italian Pendolino by Fiat, but built completely redesigned at ADtranz in Pratteln, close to Basel. One unit is 188,8 metres long, has 113 1. class, 12 business class and 326 2. class seats plus a restaurant with 23 seats. Each unit has 8 motors and 28 axles in 7 coaches. Maximum speed is a modest - for a modern "bullet train" - 200 km/h. Photo at Önsingen station 14.10.2001 by Ilkka Siissalo, ilkka.siissalo(at-sign)iki.fi
Uploaded 24 June 2002

Another view of the Swiss bullet train, the ICN or class RABDe 500. Most ICN trains run on the Zürich-Geneve route.
Photo at the Zürich main station (Hauptbahnhof) 31.12.2007 by Ilkka Siissalo. Uploaded 6.1.2008

This one is a rarity: The so called Seetalbahn-FLIRT of the SBB class RABe 520, a GTW 2/8 train built by Stadler Rail.. The Seetalbahn local train line between Lenzburg and Luzern is in many places much more like a tram line than a railroad, running amongst cars and through villages, sometimes with very little space around the train. This Stadler built EMU looks like the FLIRT trains of for example Basel, but it is narrower. Current FLIRT trains also have their engines located under the floor, but as you can see, this one still has the typical short engine unit part in the middle of the train, like a middle coach. Stadler developed their modern FLIRT trains from a concept which they called GTW 2/6 (Gelenktriebwagen). That one had a short middle engine unit and two steering coaches attached to it on both sides. This one is actually a longer version of the original concept. The class 520 train has a power rating of 760 kW, a maximum speed of 115 km/h and is 53,434 metres long. They were built in 2002. SBB has a total of 17 of these trains and they can be seen in addition to the Seetalbahn route also on other S-Bahn routes around Luzern.
Photo at Lenzburg station 9.1.2003 by Ilkka Siissalo. Uploaded 6.1.2008

This is the Basel S-Bahn network´s newest train, the 4 coach Stadler FLIRT of the SBB class RABe 521. If you compare this with the Seetalbahn class 520 shown in the previous picture, you will notice the absence of a special engine unit. The machinery is located under the floors and transformers are on the roofs. SBB has different variants of the FLIRT, classified as classes RABe 521, 522, 523 and 524. The first ones of the classes 521 and 523 were delivered 2004 and the other classes will be delivered starting 2007. Class 521 is fitted with equipment for operation in Germany and 522 will be the two electric systems variant that will be able to run also into the French Alsace using their 25kV system. 523 is the "basic" variant, used in the city of Zug S-Bahn network. SBB takes care of some of the regional S-Bahn routes also in the neighbouring countries, for example this Regio Basel S5 line between Weil and Steinen. This class 521 FLIRT is 74 metres long, has a maximum speed of 160 km/h, has a power rating of 2000 kW and weighs 121 tons.
Photo at the Weil am Rhein station in Germany, near Basel 17.7.2007 by Ilkka Siissalo. Uploaded 6.1.2008