IC 2000
Encyclopedia
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and is run by Swiss Federal Railways (SBB)
SBB-CFF-FFS
Swiss Federal Railways and SFR are not in official use) is the national railway company of Switzerland headquartered in Bern. Formerly a government institution, it is since 1999 a special stock corporation with all shares held by the Swiss Confederation or the Swiss cantons...
as part of its InterCity service. Top speed is 200 km/h. The train set can be composed of up to 10 coaches and provides close to 1,000 seats, according to SBB. In 1997-2004, the consortium, made up of Bombardier Transportation Switzerland and Alstom delivered 341 coaches to SBB, of which about 320 coaches are still in use as of December 2009.
IC 2000 was the first double-deck train in use on a nationwide scale and the first double-deck intercity train in Europe. Previously, most, if not all, double-deck trains, belonged to the Zürich S-Bahn
Zürich S-Bahn
The Zurich S-Bahn system is a network of rapid transit rail lines that has been incrementally expanded to cover the ZVV area, which comprises the entire canton of Zurich and portions of neighboring cantons The Zurich S-Bahn system is a network of rapid transit rail lines that has been...
network.
The IC 2000 typically has a dining or a bistro car, and a snacks trolley service on the upper level throughout the train set. Both the first and second class coaches feature luggage racks on both decks; in addition, small suitcases can be stored under the seats.
The driving trailer
Control car (rail)
A control car is a generic term for a non-powered railroad vehicle that can control operation of a train from the end opposite to the position of the locomotive...
at the beginning or at the end of the train is either a family coach with a special play area on the upper level or has a family zone, also on the upper level. In either case, there is space on the lower deck of the driving trailer for pushchairs, bicycles, and skis. Trains with family coaches are marked FA in the timetables.
75 first class coaches are equipped with power sockets for charging laptops etc. Trains with such business zones are marked BZ in the timetables and the coaches themselves can be identified by a laptop icon. On certain routes, passengers are able to use mobile broadband internet access for an additional fee. The business zone coaches can be typically found behind the locomotive.
The usage of the IC 2000 is now very commonplace in Switzerland. Its "cowlike" black-and-white design, and red doors, make it instantly recognizable. The train exterior was designed by Pininfarina
Pininfarina
Pininfarina S.p.A. is an Italian car design firm and coachbuilder in Cambiano, Italy.Founded as Società anonima Carrozzeria Pinin Farina in 1930 by automobile designer and builder Battista "Pinin" Farina, Pininfarina has been employed by a wide variety of high-end automobile manufacturers,...
, to match the style of the Re 460 locomotive used with the trainset.
Due to the frequent use of mobile phones, in December 2008, SBB introduced "quiet zones" in both classes, where "conversation and discussion, even if conducted quietly; listening to music or the radio, even using headphones; using audio and video applications on laptops; and using mobile phones" are prohibited. However, after one year quiet zones have been restricted to some first class coaches only.
Service run by IC 2000 (as of 2008):
- St. GallenSt. GallenSt. Gallen is the capital of the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. It evolved from the hermitage of Saint Gall, founded in the 7th century. Today, it is a large urban agglomeration and represents the center of eastern Switzerland. The town mainly relies on the service sector for its economic...
-Zurich-Bern-LausanneLausanneLausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
-GenevaGare de CornavinGenève-Cornavin is Geneva's main railway station, located in the centre of the city...
-Geneva Airport - RomanshornRomanshornRomanshorn is a municipality in the district of Arbon in the canton of Thurgau in Switzerland.-History:Romanshorn was probably settled in the 7th Century, and is first mentioned in 779 as Rumanishorn in a land grant from Waldrata to the Abbey of St. Gall. During the Late Middle Ages and until...
-Zurich-Bern-SpiezSpiezSpiez is a city in the Frutigen-Niedersimmental administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.-Geography:Spiez has an area of . Of this area, 38.5% is used for agricultural purposes, while 29.1% is forested...
-BrigBrig, SwitzerlandBrig, officially Brig-Glis is a municipality in the district of Brig in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.The current municipality was formed in 1972 through the merger of Brig , Brigerbad and Glis.-History:... - BaselBasel SBB railway stationBasel SBB is the central railway station in the city of Basel in Switzerland. Trains run by the Swiss Federal Railways to destinations within Switzerland use this station, as well as Deutsche Bahn Intercity-Express trains to Germany as well as Zürich and Interlaken...
-OltenOltenOlten is a town in the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland and capital of the district of the same name.Olten's railway station is within 30 minutes of Zurich, Bern, Basel, and Lucerne by train, and is a rail hub of Switzerland.-History:...
-Bern-Spiez-InterlakenInterlaken OstInterlaken Ost is the main station in the town of Interlaken in the region of Bern, Switzerland. The town has one other station, Interlaken West....
/Brig - Biel/BienneBiel/BienneBiel/Bienne is a city in the district of the Biel/Bienne administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.It is located on the language boundary and is throughout bilingual. Biel is the German name for the town, Bienne its French counterpart. The town is often referred to in both...
-Bern - LucerneLucerne railway stationLucerne railway station is a major hub of the Swiss rail network. It is a terminal station serving domestic and international traffic on several rail lines...
-Zurich(-Zurich Airport) - Bern-Burgdorf-Olten
- Basel-Zurich Airport
- Basel-Zurich-ChurChurChur or Coire is the capital of the Swiss canton of Graubünden and lies in the northern part of the canton.-History:The name "chur" derives perhaps from the Celtic kora or koria, meaning "tribe", or from the Latin curia....
(Both InterCityInterCityInterCity is the classification applied to certain long-distance passenger train services in Europe...
and InterRegioInterRegioThe InterRegio is a train service seen in some European countries. Mostly they are trains that run "from region to region", as best described by Swiss Federal Railways.-Switzerland:...
)
External links
- SBB: Trains - Long-distance traffic - InterCity double-deck trains – sbb.ch
- ALSTOM Transport - Three bogie orders in Switzerland - For the SBB Intercity fleet - alstom.com
- Bombardier Transportation AG - IC 2000 Double-deck train - bombardier-transportation.ch