In future, commuters on the eastern bank of Lake Zurich will benefit from a constant 15-minute train service between Zurich and Rapperswil. Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) has decided to move forward with expanding the line running through the so-called Gold Coast of Canton Zurich.
As part of its massive expansion plans for the next 10 years, SBB is planning to make 15-minute S-Bahn services the norm across Canton Zurich. To do this, the company plans to massively expand some of its major arteries in and around the city.
One of the problem areas in this regard is on the eastern bank or Gold Coast of Lake Zurich. While a 15-minute service does run between Zurich HB and Herrliberg-Feldmeilen, and during peak times between Männedorf and Zurich, it is impossible to run services at 15-minute intervals the full distance between Zurich and Rapperswil at the end of the lake.
Now, SBB announced that work is underway to expand the line so that a 15-minute service is possible. "Depending on the length of the approval process, we are currently assuming that construction will start in the course of 2026," they confirmed. The first section of the expanded line should be completed by 2028.
Specifically, the work will add an additional track to the line near Männedorf, allowing S-Bahn and freight trains to pass through and overtake other services. An additional track will also be added between Herrliberg-Feldmeilen and Meilen, which should be completed by 2032 at the earliest.
Once completed, the company hopes to run the S16 to Meilen, in addition to the S6. By 2032, all towns between Meilen and Zurich will see a train service to and from HB every 15 minutes.
Sadly for residents of Männedorf, Stäfa, Uerikon, Feldbach and Kempraten, several other projects will have to be completed before more frequent trains can take to the tracks. The addition of a fourth platform at Zurich Stadelhofen and the construction of the second Riesbach Tunnel between Stadelhofen and Tiefenbrunnen will have to be completed before the whole of the Gold Coast will receive 15-minute services. This should be possible by 2037.
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