Zürichsee-Schifffahrtsgesellschaft (ZSG), the public transport provider on the lakes and rivers of Canton Zurich, has confirmed that the whirring sound of diesel engines will soon be replaced with the hum of electricity on the Limmat. The old boats that used to serve the river will be replaced with new electric ones from April 9.
While the start of spring sparks the beginning of the riverboat season in Zurich, journeys across the lake and along the river will no longer be served by Felix, Regula and Turicum. The three “Limmat Boats” have served the route from Zürichhorn to the Landesmuseum for 30 years, and have become a thing to do in Zurich in their own right by offering unique views of the city’s historical sites.
From April 9, the three old vessels will be replaced with the new eLimmat boats, named Fluvius, Navalis and Pontus. By replacing the diesel turbines with new electric motors, ZSG told Blick that they will be saving around 100 tons of CO2 a year.
Along with a larger capacity - accommodating 60 people instead of 51 - the new e-boats are fully equipped with air conditioning. Much to the dismay of many a summer tourist, while the old boats were a pleasant way of getting around the city, the lack of air conditioning and “greenhouse-like” roof and window design made for quite a sweaty experience during the hot weather - during the heatwaves of 2022, for example, ZSG were forced to suspend boat services because it was just too hot.
With the new heat pump system, Blick argued it was possible that this would allow the boats to operate in the winter season as well, although this is yet to be confirmed by ZSG. You can check out the timetable for the service on the official website.