Lucerne railway station
Encyclopedia
Lucerne 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. The lines from the east (Zürich–Lucerne and the Gotthard lines
) pass to the north of Lucerne
and then join the lines from the north (Olten–Lucerne line) and the west (Bern–Wolhusen–Lucerne line) and pass to the west of Lucerne before turning to approach the station from the south. The metre-gauge Brünig railway
from the south and Interlaken
also terminates at the station.
in 1856 at the end of the Schweizerische Centralbahn main line from Olten
and Basle where it connected with the French and German railways. The route of the railway—now the course of Pilatusstrasse (Pilatus
Street)—was still undeveloped. The terminal station led directly to the pier for boat services on the lake and to the gates of the city of Lucerne. As a result, the area at the lake shore developed into an important railway junction. In the 19th century it rapidly developed into a hub with the introduction of steam navigation on the lake and the construction of several railway lines: the Gotthard railway, the line to Bern via Wolhusen
, the line to Zug
and Zürich
and the metre-gauge Brünig railway. The first station was made of wood.
A new station was opened in 1896 with a large new building with a distinctive cupola
. It was turned at almost 90° to the original station with its end to the north towards the bridge to central Lucerne, requiring a significantly changed approach line. The new approach had no level crossings of streets unlike the original route, but instead ran on embankments or in cuttings. The Brünig railway was also integrated into the new station. The tracks were electrified in 1922 along with the line from Olten. By 1910 the new station was nearing its capacity limits and an expansion plan was developed. However, the start of World War I
prevented any work being carried out.
On 5 February 1971 the station was almost completely destroyed by fire, although no one was killed. The service was restored with temporary buildings allowing operations to be recommenced. In 1980 a partnership of the Swiss Federal Railways
, Swiss Post
, the city
and canton of Lucerne
launched an architecture competition for a comprehensive redevelopment of the station. This also considered the future development of the rail approaches to Lucerne. However a through station with a tunnel under Lake Lucerne was ruled out.
The new railway station was designed by Santiago Calatrava
. Its platforms are longer than those of the old station and the underground shopping arcade is much larger.
In 1998 an underground connection to the neighboring Culture and Convention Center
was opened. In 1999, the entrance was rebuilt to allow new double decker rolling stock to operate.
Gotthardbahn
Gotthardbahn was the name of a private Swiss railway company which operated the railway line from Immensee to Chiasso . Nowadays this term usually does not refer to that company, but to the railway line itself...
) pass to the north of Lucerne
Lucerne
Lucerne is a city in north-central Switzerland, in the German-speaking portion of that country. Lucerne is the capital of the Canton of Lucerne and the capital of the district of the same name. With a population of about 76,200 people, Lucerne is the most populous city in Central Switzerland, and...
and then join the lines from the north (Olten–Lucerne line) and the west (Bern–Wolhusen–Lucerne line) and pass to the west of Lucerne before turning to approach the station from the south. The metre-gauge Brünig railway
Brünigbahn
The Brünigbahn was, until 31 December 2004, the only narrow gauge railway of the Swiss Federal Railways . On 30 June 2004, the Swiss Federal Council empowered the SBB to sell the Brünigbahn to Luzern–Stans–Engelberg-Bahn , and this company was renamed to Zentralbahn.The Brünigbahn encompasses the...
from the south and Interlaken
Interlaken Ost
Interlaken Ost is the main station in the town of Interlaken in the region of Bern, Switzerland. The town has one other station, Interlaken West....
also terminates at the station.
History
The first station was opened on edge of Lake LucerneLake Lucerne
Lake Lucerne is a lake in central Switzerland and the fourth largest in the country.The lake has a complicated shape, with bends and arms reaching from the city of Lucerne into the mountains. It has a total area of 114 km² , an elevation of 434 m , and a maximum depth of 214 m . Its volume is 11.8...
in 1856 at the end of the Schweizerische Centralbahn main line from Olten
Olten
Olten 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:...
and Basle where it connected with the French and German railways. The route of the railway—now the course of Pilatusstrasse (Pilatus
Pilatus (mountain)
Pilatus is a mountain near Lucerne, Switzerland. Jurisdiction over the mountain is divided between the cantons of Obwalden, Nidwalden, and Lucerne...
Street)—was still undeveloped. The terminal station led directly to the pier for boat services on the lake and to the gates of the city of Lucerne. As a result, the area at the lake shore developed into an important railway junction. In the 19th century it rapidly developed into a hub with the introduction of steam navigation on the lake and the construction of several railway lines: the Gotthard railway, the line to Bern via Wolhusen
Wolhusen
Wolhusen is a municipality in the district of Sursee in the canton of Lucerne in Switzerland.-Geography:Wolhusen has an area of . Of this area, 58.1% is used for agricultural purposes, while 32.6% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 8.6% is settled and the remainder is non-productive...
, the line to Zug
Zug
Zug , is a German-speaking city in Switzerland. The name ‘Zug’ originates from fishing vocabulary; in the Middle Ages it referred to the right to ‘pull up’ fishing nets and hence to the right to fish.The city of Zug is located in the Canton of Zug and is its capital...
and Zürich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
and the metre-gauge Brünig railway. The first station was made of wood.
A new station was opened in 1896 with a large new building with a distinctive cupola
Cupola
In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
. It was turned at almost 90° to the original station with its end to the north towards the bridge to central Lucerne, requiring a significantly changed approach line. The new approach had no level crossings of streets unlike the original route, but instead ran on embankments or in cuttings. The Brünig railway was also integrated into the new station. The tracks were electrified in 1922 along with the line from Olten. By 1910 the new station was nearing its capacity limits and an expansion plan was developed. However, the start of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
prevented any work being carried out.
On 5 February 1971 the station was almost completely destroyed by fire, although no one was killed. The service was restored with temporary buildings allowing operations to be recommenced. In 1980 a partnership of the Swiss Federal Railways
SBB
This article is about the Polish band. For the Michigan band, see Small Brown BikeSBB is a Polish progressive rock band formed in 1971 in Siemianowice, Upper Silesia by multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Józef Skrzek...
, Swiss Post
Swiss Post
Swiss Post is the postal service of Switzerland. A public company owned by the Swiss Confederation, it is the country's second largest employer...
, the city
Lucerne
Lucerne is a city in north-central Switzerland, in the German-speaking portion of that country. Lucerne is the capital of the Canton of Lucerne and the capital of the district of the same name. With a population of about 76,200 people, Lucerne is the most populous city in Central Switzerland, and...
and canton of Lucerne
Canton of Lucerne
Lucerne is a canton of Switzerland. It is located in the centre of Switzerland. The population of the canton is . , the population included 57,268 foreigners, or about 15.8% of the total population. The cantonal capital is Lucerne.-History:...
launched an architecture competition for a comprehensive redevelopment of the station. This also considered the future development of the rail approaches to Lucerne. However a through station with a tunnel under Lake Lucerne was ruled out.
The new railway station was designed by Santiago Calatrava
Santiago Calatrava
Santiago Calatrava Valls is a Spanish architect, sculptor and structural engineer whose principal office is in Zürich, Switzerland. Classed now among the elite designers of the world, he has offices in Zürich, Paris, Valencia, and New York City....
. Its platforms are longer than those of the old station and the underground shopping arcade is much larger.
In 1998 an underground connection to the neighboring Culture and Convention Center
Culture and Convention Center
The Culture and Congress Centre in Lucerne is a multi-functional building with a concert hall that is esteemed for its high-profile acoustics...
was opened. In 1999, the entrance was rebuilt to allow new double decker rolling stock to operate.