Zürich Altstetten railway station

Zürich Altstetten
The station at sunset
Location	Altstetten, City of Zürich, Canton of Zürich, Switzerland
Coordinates
Owned by	Swiss Federal Railways
Operated by	Swiss Federal Railways
Line(s)	Zürich–Olten Zürich–Affoltern am Albis–Zug
Platforms	5
Connections	Zürich trams (route 4) Zürich trolleybuses (route 31) Zürich buses (routes 78, 80, 89, 95, 304, 307 & 308)
Services
Preceding station   Swiss rail network   Following station Zürich Oerlikon   InterRegio Zurich Airport to Basle   Dietikon Zürich Hardbrücke   Zürich S-Bahn S3 service   Schlieren Zürich Hardbrücke   Zürich S-Bahn S9 service   Urdorf Zürich Hardbrücke   Zürich S-Bahn S12 service   Schlieren Zürich Hardbrücke   Zürich S-Bahn S15 service   Urdorf
Location
Zürich Altstetten railway station (Switzerland)

Zürich Altstetten railway station (German: Bahnhof Zürich Altstetten) is a railway station in the Altstetten quarter of the Swiss city of Zürich. The station is located on the Zürich to Olten main line and is the junction for the Zürich to Zug via Affoltern am Albis line.

The station is served by lines S3, S9, S12 and S15 of the Zürich S-Bahn. It is also a calling point for the hourly InterRegio service that links Basle and Zurich Airport whilst by-passing Zürich Hauptbahnhof.

History

The first station on the site was built by the Swiss Northern Railway in 1847, as part of their pioneering line from Zurich to Baden, and hence was one of the first railway stations in Switzerland. Over time, this line became today's Zürich to Olten main line and the principal rail route between Zürich and northern and western Switzerland. The Zürich to Zug via Affoltern am Albis line opened in 1864, making Altstetten into a junction station. In 1907, the Swiss Federal Railway, who had taken over both lines, opened a workshop near the station.

Operation

The station has one side platform and two island platforms, served by five tracks, and has station buildings and entrances on both the north and south sides of the station. The platforms and entrances are connected by a pair of pedestrian subways.

For most of the day, line S3 provides 2 train per hour (tph) to Zürich Hauptbahnhof and Wetzikon and 2 tph to Dietikon with 1 tph continuing to Lenzburg and Aarau. Line S9 provides 2 tph to Zürich Hauptbahnhof and Uster and 2 tph to Affoltern am Albis and Zug. Line S12 provides 2 tph to Zürich Hauptbahnhof and Winterthur and 2 tph to Dietikon, Baden and Brugg. Line S15 provides 2 tph to Zürich Hauptbahnhof and Rapperswil and 2 tph to Affoltern am Albis. Additionally there is a single InterRegio train per hour between Zurich Airport and Basel SBB that bypasses Zürich Hauptbahnhof but calls at Altstetten in both directions.

Route 4 of the Zürich tram system serves a terminus on the northern side of the station, whilst route 31 of the Zürich trolleybus system passes the south side of the station. Zürich bus routes 78, 80, 89 and 95 also serve the south side of the station, whilst routes 304, 307 and 308 terminate at the north side.

Future development

Future plans involve the construction of the Limmattalbahn, a new metre gauge light rail line that will link Altstetten station with communities further west in the valley of the Limmat river. It is planned that the line will be partially opened by 2020 and will connect to the city tram system at Altstetten station, with the possibility of extending city tram service over the Limmattalbahn as far as Schlieren.

Gallery

The station from above, looking to the south and west The station from above, looking to the south and west  The south-side station building from the street The south-side station building from the street  The north-side station entrance The north-side station entrance

External links

• Media related to at Wikimedia Commons
• Station data from SBB web page
• Station plan from SBB web page