Photo: SBB
Swiss Railways celebrated the 175th anniversary of the country's passenger train services on Tuesday.
On August 9, 1847, the first train service ran from Zurich to Baden, 23 kilometres northwest of Zurich. This first journey with a steam engine took 33 minutes.
So the Swiss railway service completed 175 years on Tuesday.
Transport Minister Simonetta Sommaruga and around 150 guests arrived in Zurich on a special train to celebrate the anniversary, featuring historic carriages and a steam locomotive.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister Sommaruga said, “Rail is part of our basic service. It brings people together and strengthens unity in our country,” he said.
The line between Zurich and Baden was built in 16 months. One of the original bridges is still in use.
The journey now takes 15 minutes on this route and trains run every quarter of an hour.
The Swiss rail network has many impressive engineering feats, including tunnels under the Alps.
