The IC 4 and its predecessors part 2

The IC 4 Zurich – Singen – Stuttgart and its predecessors
Part 2: 1998 to 2009 Cisalpino and the use of multiple units

In 1993, SBB and the Italian state railway FS founded the joint subsidiary Cisalpino. This started with the cramped and failure-prone ETR 470 tilting trains and suffered from a rather poor reputation until its dissolution at the end of 2009. For additional connections, some SBB and FS EC coaches were also painted in the company colours. The ETR 610 was added later, but never appeared between Zurich and Stuttgart except for test runs.
From 1998, attempts were made to revitalise traffic with direct connections from Stuttgart. The ETR 470 tilting trains were intended to shorten journey times on the winding route…
Deutsche Bahn DB supplemented the service with its own tilting trains from the ICE 2 family. Their travelling and seating comfort has not been available on this route since these trains were withdrawn! Some of the ICE connections started in Frankfurt, others in Stuttgart and all ended in Zurich. Some connections ran as scheduled via Winterthur.

The unpopular Cisalpino ETR 470 trains were assigned to the connection to Stuttgart for a while. They were active in the same years as the DB ICE 2 and took over the trains that continued in Zurich towards Italy, while the DB ICE 2 only ran between Stuttgart (partly Frankfurt) and Zurich. Here, train 1 as CIS 155 Stuttgart – Milan passes through Glattfelden station in June 2006. The station’s wooden building dates back to 1876 and was built by the NOB (Winterthur – Koblenz line). It will undergo renovation at the end of 2024 and, despite the name ‘Glattfelden’, is located on Bülach soil. Photo Edi Meier, Bülach
A second photo with a CIS ETR 470 shows train 6 as CIS 158 Zurich – Stuttgart crossing the famous viaduct over the Rhine at Eglisau in May 2004.
Only two of three connections with ETR 470s ran over the entire Stuttgart – Milan route. The morning train CIS 158 started in Zurich at 07:14 and reached Stuttgart 09:56. With a short turnaround time of 8 minutes! it restarted in Stuttgart at 10:04 as CIS 155 towards Milan (arrival 16:45).
CIS 154 departing Milan on 11:10 arriving in Stuttgart at 15:52 travelled via Winterthur. After a 12-minute turnaround, this train departed again at 16:04 as CIS 157 towards Milan (arrival 22:45).
With such long distances and minimal turnaround times at the terminus, the vehicle doesn’t always have to be blamed for delays…
The third connection from Milan ended in Schaffhausen. May 2004 Photo Edi Meier, Bülach
The Re 4/4 II 11212 is hauling the EC 175 Cisalpino ‘Cinque Terre’ Schaffhausen – Zurich – Milan – Livorno with SBB and FS coaches in Cisalpino livery. The photo was taken in September 2007 near Glattfelden. I once used this train for a holiday in the Cinque Terre: boarding at Bülach, alighting in Monte Rosso (yes, the EC stopped on schedule in the 1700-soul nest!) without changing trains once. Lunch in the dining car on the journey over the Gotthard. That was travelling comfort! September 2009 Photo Edi Meier, Bülach
The EC 175 Cisalpino ‘Cinque Terre’ Schaffhausen – Zurich – Milan – Livorno was already very long by nature. Despite this, it sometimes featured reinforcement coaches, such as the two unified cars type II at the train’s head. Interestingly, they were already added in Schaffhausen, although the train to Zurich was certainly not full. The train was led by Re 4/4 II 11139 and the photo was taken near Bülach in April 2008. Photo Edi Meier, Bülach
The IC connection Stuttgart – Zurich (at that time still without number 4) was already operated for a few years with Deutsche Bahn DB multiple units. The tilting trains from the ICE 2 family were probably the most comfortable vehicle on this route. The photo with train 1184 ‘Kaiserslautern’ as ICE 281 was taken in September 2009 in the last sunlight on the approach to Jestetten station. September 2009 Photo Edi Meier, Bülach
Sprayers stop at nothing and even the latest trains are ‘decorated’. The line from Rafz to Hüntwangen was still single track on 29 June 2008 as the ICE 181 Frankfurt – Zurich passes the photographer. Photo Edi Meier, Bülach
Some of the connections were routed via Winterthur as planned. However, intercity trains were also occasionally diverted via the Weinland in the event of a disruption or due to construction work. Here on 21 April 2006, ICE 2 1180 ‘Darmstadt’ approaches Winterthur station as ICE 181 Frankfurt – Stuttgart – Zurich via Winterthur. 21 April 2006 Photo Edi Meier, Bülach
After an interruption of around 15 years, EMU’s have been running on the IC 4 between Stuttgart and Zurich again since 2023. These are double-decker KISS trains from Deutsche Bahn DB, which were taken over from Westbahn. However, this episode will only be brief and is due to end in mid-2025 with the replacement by push-pull trains with E 145s. Train 4107 crosses the S9 as IC 380 near Jestetten on schedule with a first-generation double-decker train. 29 August 2024 Photo Edi Meier, Bülach

For comments and additions to this railway history, please contact our Vice President Edi Meier. Thank you for your help.

 

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