Etzwilen–Singen railway

The Etzwilen–Singen railway line was built by the Schweizerische Nationalbahn (SNB) and opened on 17 July 1875, on the same day as the Lake Line sections between {{rws|Etzwilen}} and {{stn|Konstanz}} and between {{rws|Kreuzlingen}} and {{rws|Kreuzlingen Hafen}} and the Winterthur–Etzwilen railway line between Etzwilen and {{rws|Winterthur}}. The SNB went bankrupt in 1878, and the Etzwilen–Singen railway was subsequently operated by the Schweizerische Nordostbahn (NOB). In 1902, the NOB was subsumed into the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB CFF FFS), which continued passenger train services on the line until 31 May 1969. The line was used for the rolling highway between Lugano and Singen. In 1996, these operations were shortened to Rielasingen and on 12 December 2004, freight train services ceased on the entire Etzwilen–Singen railway line.{{cite web |title=SBB Strecke 821 Winterthur - Etzwilen - Singen [historic photographs] |url=https://bahnbilder-von-max.ch/sbb/strecke-winterthur-etzwilen-singen/index.html |publisher=Bahnbilder von Max |lang=de |access-date=2024-02-11}} Some of the reasons for the termination were the limited strength of the Hemishofen railway bridge and the fact that the line had never been electrified. In fact, when it closed in 2004, it was the only railway line of Swiss Federal Railways that was not electrified.

The route section between Singen and Rielasingen was for several years inoperable because part of the railway track had been removed during the construction of a roundabout in Singen. The missing section was rebuilt in 2019{{cite web |url=http://www.etzwilen-singen.ch/inhalt/Linie/Singen.htm | archive-url=https://archive.today/20120919112834/http://www.etzwilen-singen.ch/inhalt/Linie/Singen.htm |archive-date=2012-09-19 | title=Verkehrskreisel und Museumsbahnhof in Singen |lang=de}}{{cite web |url=https://www.suedkurier.de/region/kreis-konstanz/rielasingen-worblingen/Breite-Unterstuetzung-fuer-Museumsbahnprojekt-Singen-Etzwilen;art372457,10116985 |title=Breite Unterstützung für Museumsbahnprojekt Singen/Etzwilen |publisher=Südkurier |date=2019-04-14 |lang=de}}{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScESVma883M |publisher=Regio-Report |title=Neues Gleis für die Museumsbahn Etzwilen-Singen |lang=de}} and the railway line reopened to heritage train services on 16 August 2020.{{cite web|url=http://www.zrt.ch/uploads/media/ZRT_Dampf_Etzwilen-Singen.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200709105740/http://www.zrt.ch/uploads/media/ZRT_Dampf_Etzwilen-Singen.pdf |title=ZRT Bahnreisen: Wiedereröffnung der Strecke Etzwilen - Singen |lang=de |archive-date=2020-07-09}}

{{Stack|File:Unit 4501 for the Arrow service testing in Ramsen, Switzerland (cropped).jpg}}

Since 1 August 2007, the section between {{rws|Etzwilen}} and Ramsen is a heritage railway. On 28 May 2011, operations were extended northwards to Rielasingen, and since 16 August 2020 the entire line is operable again.{{cite web |url=https://www.suedkurier.de/region/kreis-konstanz/singen/mit-volldampf-nach-etzwilen-die-museumsbahn-zwischen-singen-und-etzwilen-faehrt-wieder;art372458,10906292 |title=Mit Volldampf nach Etzwilen: Die Museumsbahn zwischen Singen und Etzwilen fährt wieder |publisher=Südkurier |date=2020-09-06 |access-date=2022-03-23}} Heritage trains are operated by the foundation Museumsbahn SEHR & RS{{Anchor|Museumsbahn SEHR & RS}} (short for Stein am Rhein – Etzwilen – Hemishofen – Ramsen & Rielasingen – Singen), which was founded on 27 January 2006. One of the co-founders is Giorgio Behr. Heritage trains pulled by steam locomotives operate on specific dates{{cite web |title=Sonderfahrten [Extra tours] |url=https://www.etzwilen-singen.ch/sonderfahrten/ |publisher=www.etzwilen-singen.ch |lang=de |access-date=2024-02-11}} or otherwise on request.

Except for the dates on which heritage trains operate, the route section between Etzwilen and Ramsen is open to the use of draisines on Sundays and Swiss holidays from April to October. Each draisine carries two to five people.{{cite web |url=https://www.etzwilen-singen.ch/schienenvelo/ |title=Schienenvelo [Draisines] |publisher=etzwilen-singen.ch |access-date=2022-02-23 |lang=de}}

Between December 2022 and June 2023, Stadler Rail tested hydrogen trains for Arrow on the Etzwilen–Singen railway line.

There are currently no concrete plans to use the Etzwilen–Singen railway for scheduled passenger trains in the near future.{{cite web |url=https://www.toponline.ch/news/thurgau/detail/news/thurgau-und-schaffhausen-vereint-gegen-zugverbindung-nach-singen-de-00179736/ |title=Thurgau und Schaffhausen vereint gegen Zugverbindung nach Singen DE [Thurgau and Schaffhausen are against the reactivation of the railway line to Singen, Germany] |publisher=Toponline |lang=Swiss German |date=2022-03-30 |access-date=2024-02-08}} Service to the towns along the line was replaced by bus route {{RouteBox|33|Südbadenbus|#2a9348|#ffffff}} / {{RouteBox|7349|Südbadenbus|#000000|#ffffff}} of {{ill|Südbadenbus|de|Südbadenbus}}{{cite web |url=https://www.öv-info.ch/sites/default/files/fap/2024/pdf/71.033.pdf |title=Stein am Rhein Südbadenbus line 33 timetable |access-date=2023-12-23}}{{cite web |url=https://www.vhb-info.de/fileadmin/pdf/fahrplaene/SBG%20RegioBus/7349_HR.pdf |title=Stein am Rhein Südbadenbus line 7349 timetable |access-date=2023-12-23}}

The Etzwilen–Singen railway is {{cvt|13.29|km}} long and connects five railway stations: {{rws|Etzwilen}}, {{rws|Hemishofen}}, {{rws|Ramsen}}, {{rws|Arlen-Rielasingen}} and {{stn|Singen (Hohentwiel)}}. Hemishofen, Ramsen and Rielasingen stations are served by heritage trains only. Etzwilen station is served by the S1 of St. Gallen S-Bahn and the S29 of Zürich S-Bahn, and Singen station by the Seehas (S6) and Rhyhas (S62) named trains and InterCity (IC) and InterRegio-Express (IRE) services.

The route runs from Etzwilen in the canton of Thurgau, Switzerland, to Singen in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, passing through the eastern part of the canton of Schaffhausen. Between Ramsen and Rielasingen-Worblingen, it crosses the border between Switzerland and Germany. The line includes nine bridges, the most notable one being the Hemishofen bridge over the Rhine. During the cold season, members of Museumsbahn SEHR & RS perform maintenance work on the railway infrastructure and the rolling stock.

File:Hemishofen Rheinbrücke der Nationalbahn.jpg|Heritage train on the Hemishofen railway bridge over the River Rhine

File:Bruecke-hemishofen.JPG|Heritage train on the Hemishofen railway bridge over the River Rhine

File:Bahnhof Hemishofen I.jpg|Hemishofen railway station

File:2013-10-13 13-59-47 Switzerland Kanton Schaffhausen Hemishofen Hemishofen.JPG|Route section near Hemishofen in 2013

File:2013-10-13 14-01-21 Switzerland Kanton Schaffhausen Hemishofen Hemishofen.JPG|Route between Hemishofen and Ramsen, view over extinct Hegau volcanoes

File:Bahnhof Ramsen SH I.jpg|Ramsen railway station

File:2013-10-13 12-40-30 Switzerland Kanton Schaffhausen Ramsen Moskau.JPG|Heritage train at Ramsen station

File:2013-10-13 12-19-34 Germany Baden-Württemberg Rielasingen-Worblingen Rielasingen-Worblingen.JPG|Interior of heritage coach

File:Bahnhof Arlen-Rielasingen I.jpg|Arlen-Rielasingen railway station

File:Hohenz Leverkusen (4268 D W).jpg|RBW 327 locomotive in Rielasingen

File:Bahnuebergang Singen Georg-Fischer-Strasse III.jpg|Restored tracks at the roundabout in Singen

• List of heritage railways in Switzerland
• List of heritage railways in Germany

{{Portal|Germany|Switzerland|Trains}}

{{reflist}}

• {{commons category-inline|Etzwilen - Singen (Germany) railway line}}
• [http://www.etzwilen-singen.ch] page in German about the Etzwilen–Singen heritage railway and draisines

Category:Railway lines in Switzerland

Category:Railway lines opened in 1875

Category:1875 establishments in Switzerland

Category:Swiss Federal Railways lines

Category:Heritage railways in Germany

Category:Heritage railways in Switzerland

Category:Closed railway lines in Switzerland

Category:Cross-border railway lines in Germany

Category:Cross-border railway lines in Switzerland