Lake Line
{{Short description|Railway line in Switzerland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox rail line
| box_width =
| name = Lake Line (Schaffhausen–Rorschach)
| native_name = Seelinie
| native_name_lang = de
| image = THURBO GTW 2-6 Schaffhausen - Feuerthalen.jpg
| image_width =
| caption = Two GTW 2/4 sets of Thurbo on the Rhine Bridge at Feuerthalen near Schaffhausen; the Munot in the background
| type =
| system =
| locale = Switzerland and Germany
| start = Schaffhausen
| end = Rorschach
| linenumber = *820 (Schaffhausen–Romanshorn)
- 830 (Konstanz–Kreuzlingen–Weinfelden)
- 845 (Romanshorn–Rorschach)
| linelength_km = 82.4
| tracklength =
| tracks = mostly single track
| gauge = {{RailGauge|sg|lk=on}}
| minradius =
| electrification = 15 kV/16.7 Hz AC overhead catenary
| maxincline = 1.2%
| speed_km/h =
| elevation =
| map =
{{Routemap|inline=1|title=no|footnote=Source: Swiss railway atlas{{cite book|title=Eisenbahnatlas Schweiz |trans-title=Swiss railway atlas |publisher= Schweers + Wall | year= 2012 |isbn= 978-3-89494-130-7|pages=3–7}}|map=
~~km~~ ~~ ~~elev
CONTg\\\d~~ ~~ ~~DB from Basel
dCONTg\dSTR\\\~~ ~~ ~~SBB from Winterthur
SPLel\BHFq\ABZr+2f\STRc3~~48.76~~{{rws|Schaffhausen}}~~↓{{ric|St. Gallen S-Bahn|1}}~~403.8 m
\\STR+c1\CONT4~~ ~~ ~~DB to Konstanz
dWSTRc1\WASSER2+4\dWSTRc3\TUNNEL1\~~ ~~ ~~Emmersberg Tunnel (761 m)
WSTRc1!~SHI4c2\WASSER2+4!~MSTR3+1!~lhSTR3+1ae!~STR3h+1h!~GRZ2+4\WSTRc3!~SHI4c4~~47.21~~Rhine Bridge (262 m)~~{{BSsplit|Schaffhausen|Zürich|line=y|align=center}}
d\BHF\dWSTRc1\WASSER+4~~46.93~~{{rws|Feuerthalen}}~~ ~~408.7 m
d\HST\d\LWASSER~~45.33~~{{rws|Langwiesen}}~~ ~~408.7 m
STR+GRZq\~~44.77~~{{BSsplit|Zürich|Thurgau|line=y|align=center}}~~ ~~404.2 m
HST\~~43.28~~{{rws|Schlatt}}~~ ~~404.2 m
d\HST\d\LWASSER~~39.75~~{{rws|St. Katharinental}}~~(since 2002)~~413.0 m
WCONTfaq\hKRZWae\dWASSERq\WABZgr\d~~ ~~ ~~Geisslibach bridge (94 m)
d\BHF\d\WCONTge~~38.18~~{{rws|Diessenhofen}}~~ ~~412.9 m
\HST\\~~35.57~~{{rws|Schlattingen}}~~ ~~426.5 m
CONTgq\ABZg+r\\~~ ~~ ~~SBB from Winterthur {{S-Bahn-Zürich|S29|x||}}
BHF\~~{{BSsplit|31.81|31.81|line=y}}~~{{rws|Etzwilen}}~~ ~~438.2 m
\eABZgl\exSTRq!~lDAMPF\exCONTfq~~ ~~ ~~Museumsbahn SEHR & RS to {{stn|Singen (Hohentwiel)}}
\STR+GRZq\\~~34.55~~{{BSsplit|Thurgau|Schaffhausen|line=y|align=center}}
\BHF\\~~34.86~~{{rws|Stein am Rhein}}~~↑{{S-Bahn-Zürich|S29|x||}}~~413.1 m
\STR+GRZq\\~~35.40~~{{BSsplit|Schaffhausen|Thurgau|line=y|align=center}}
\BHF\\~~36.93~~{{rws|Eschenz}}~~ ~~417.2 m
\BHF\\~~39.84~~{{rws|Mammern}}~~ ~~411.7 m
\BHF\\~~45.59~~{{rws|Steckborn}}~~ ~~403.7 m
\BHF\\~~48.91~~{{rws|Berlingen}}~~ ~~402.6 m
\HST\\~~51.33~~{{rws|Mannenbach-Salenstein}}~~ ~~399.4 m
\BHF\\~~54.01~~{{rws|Ermatingen}}~~ ~~402.1 m
\HST\\~~56.00~~{{rws|Triboltingen}}~~(since 1998)~~403.0 m
\BHF\\~~57.86~~{{rws|Tägerwilen-Gottlieben}} (Tägerwilen SBB until 1996)~~ ~~403.5 m
CONTgq\ABZg+r\\~~ ~~ ~~Thurbo from Wil {{ric|St. Gallen S-Bahn|14}} {{ric|St. Gallen S-Bahn|44}}
\DST\\~~59.15~~Tägermoos~~ ~~401.7 m
exCONTgq\eKRZu\exSTR+r\~~ ~~ ~~MThB from Wil (1911–2001)
\eABZg+l\exSTRr\
\BHF\\~~60.69~~{{rws|Kreuzlingen}}~~ ~~403.3 m
STRc2\ABZg3\\CONTg~~DB from Basel
STR+1\STRc4!~GRZq+ZOLL\\STR~~{{BSsplit|61.43|414.76|line=y}}~~Germany–Switzerland border~~ ~~399.4 m
STR\ABZl+l\BHFq\STRr~~414.34~~{{stn|Konstanz}}~~↑{{ric|St. Gallen S-Bahn|14}} {{ric|St. Gallen S-Bahn|44}} ↓{{ric|THURBO|RE1}}~~398.0 m
STR2\STRc3!~GRZq+ZOLL\\~~{{BSsplit|414.74|100.88|line=y}}~~Germany–Switzerland border
STRc1\ABZg+4\\
\BHF\\~~{{BSsplit|61.80|100.17|line=y}}~~{{rws|Kreuzlingen Hafen}}~~ ~~402.1 m
\HST\\~~98.83~~{{rws|Kurzrickenbach Seepark}} (since 1998)~~ ~~405.0 m
\eHST\\~~97.5{{0}}~~Bottighofen~~(1946–1998)~~405.0 m
\HST\\~~97.98~~{{rws|Bottighofen}}~~(since 1998)~~405.1 m
\BHF\\~~96.17~~{{rws|Münsterlingen-Scherzingen}} (since 1998)~~ ~~404.8 m
\HST\\~~95.40~~{{rws|Münsterlingen Spital}} (since 1998)~~ ~~404.9 m
\HST\\~~94.56~~{{rws|Landschlacht}}~~(since 2002)~~408.0 m
\BHF\\~~92.92~~{{rws|Altnau}}~~ ~~409.0 m
\BHF\\~~90.49~~{{rws|Güttingen}}~~ ~~409.7 m
\HST\\~~88.09~~{{rws|Kesswil}}~~ ~~405.0 m
\BHF\\~~86.11~~{{rws|Uttwil}}~~ ~~405.8 m
\BHF\\~~82.15~~{{rws|Romanshorn}}~~↓{{ric|St. Gallen S-Bahn|7}} (reverse of direction)~~398.5 m
CONTg\STR\\~~ ~~ ~~SBB from Winterthur {{ric|St. Gallen S-Bahn|7}}
DST\STR\\~~80.97~~Romanshorn West~~ ~~403.8 m
STRl\ABZgr+r\\
\DST\\~~{{BSsplit|81.78from Romanshorn West|83.32from Romanshorn|line=y}}~~Romanshorn Süd~~ ~~399.2 m
CONTgq\ABZgr\\~~ ~~ ~~SOB to St. Gallen {{ric|St. Gallen S-Bahn|1}} {{ric|THURBO|RE1}}
\BHF\\~~84.72~~{{rws|Egnach}}~~ ~~400.9 m
\HST\\~~88.75~~{{rws|Arbon Seemoosriet}}~~(since 2007)~~399.9 m
\BHF\\~~90.29~~{{rws|Arbon}}~~ ~~398.7 m
\STR+GRZq\\~~90.80~~{{BSsplit|Thurgau|St. Gallen|line=y|align=center}}
\HST\\~~91.64~~{{rws|Steinach}}~~(since 2007)~~402.0 m
\STR+GRZq\\~~92.19~~{{BSsplit|St. Gallen|Thurgau|line=y|align=center}}
\BHF\\~~93.47~~{{rws|Horn}}~~ ~~402.5 m
\STR+GRZq\\~~94.40~~{{BSsplit|Thurgau|St. Gallen|line=y|align=center}}
\BHF\\~~96.32~~{{rws|Rorschach Hafen}} ↓{{ric|St. Gallen S-Bahn|25}}~~ ~~397.9 m
CONTgq\ABZ2+gr\STRc3\~~ ~~ ~~SBB from St. Gallen
\STRc1\BHF2+4\STRc3~~97.27~~{{rws|Rorschach}}~~↑{{ric|St. Gallen S-Bahn|7}}~~399.0 m
\\STRc12\CONT2+4!~STR3+4~~ ~~ ~~{{BSsplit||to Chur}}
\\dCONT1-\dSTRc4~~ ~~ ~~AB to Heiden {{ric|St. Gallen S-Bahn|25}}
}}
}}
The Lake Line[http://www.sbb.ch/en/leisure-holidays/day-trips/enjoyment.angebotdetail.tagesausfluege-plausch-seenfluesse-bahnerlebnis_seelinie.html The Lake Line rail experience] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304065015/http://www.sbb.ch/en/leisure-holidays/day-trips/enjoyment.angebotdetail.tagesausfluege-plausch-seenfluesse-bahnerlebnis_seelinie.html |date=2016-03-04}} at www.sbb.ch. Accessed on 13 Jan 2013. ({{langx|de|Seelinie}}), as it is referred to by the SBB in English, is the Swiss railway line running from Rorschach via Romanshorn, Konstanz (Germany), Kreuzlingen, Steckborn, Stein am Rhein and Diessenhofen to Schaffhausen. The scenic route follows the southern border of Lake Constance ({{lang|de|Bodensee}}) and the High Rhine ({{lang|de|Hochrhein}}). It forms the Swiss section of the ring railway around Lake Constance.
History
The Lake Line was built in four sections (see below) between 1869 and 1895. The loop via Konstanz crosses the border between Switzerland and Germany twice. The sections of the Lake Line were built by two railway companies, the Swiss Northeastern Railway (NOB) and the Swiss National Railway (SNB). The SNB were taken over by the NOB in 1878, and in 1902 the latter was transferred into the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB). In 1996, the line was taken over by the Mittelthurgaubahn following a competition. They introduced half-hourly fixed-interval services and modernised both track and rolling stock. When Mittelthurgaubahn went bankrupt in 2003 the line went into the possession of SBB's subsidiary THURBO, which had been intended as a joint venture between the SBB and Mittelthurgaubahn.{{cite web |title=150 Jahre Seelinie Rorschach-Konstanz: Wie die Bahn am See ins Rollen kam [150 years Lake Line Rorschach–Konstanz] |url=https://www.tagblatt.ch/ostschweiz/nebenlinie-wird-zum-pionierprojekt-ld.1114893 |publisher=tagblatt.ch |lang=de |date=2019-05-01 |access-date=2024-02-11}}
=Rorschach–Romanshorn=
{{Stack|File:Rorschach Hafen 1860.jpg}}
On 15 October 1869, the section from {{rws|Romanshorn}} to {{rws|Rorschach}} was opened by the NOB. It connected to the already existing railway between Rorschach and {{rws|Rorschach Hafen}} of the United Swiss Railways (VSB), which opened in 1856. Between Rorschach and Rorschach Hafen, the NOB built its own track next to the VSB track and this section is still double-tracked today while the rest of the line is single-tracked (except for stations where trains cross regularly).
In 1893, the line was connected to the Thur Valley Railway so that trains could operate between {{rws|Winterthur}} and Rorschach without reversing direction in Romanshorn. The NOB line competed with the Rorschach–St. Gallen railway and St. Gallen–Winterthur railway lines of VSB.
Between 1869 and 1976, train ferries operated from Romanshorn to other ports of Lake Constance.
=Romanshorn–Kreuzlingen Hafen–Konstanz=
On 1 July 1871, not quite two years after the Rorschach–Romanshorn section started operations, the Romanshorn–{{stn|Konstanz}} line opened by the NOB. It connects to the High Rhine Railway (between Basel and Konstanz), which opened in 1863. With the incorporation of Emmishofen into the municipality of Kreuzlingen in 1928, the former Emmishofen railway station changed its name to {{rws|Kreuzlingen}}, and the former Kreuzlingen railway station became {{rws|Kreuzlingen Hafen}}.
=Etzwilen–Kreuzlingen–Konstanz=
{{Stack|File:Thurbo GTW zwischen Triboltingen und Ermatingen.jpg trainset passing by Untersee]]}}
The section along the lower Lake Constance (Untersee) was bult by the SNB, whose goal was to build an independent railway line between Lake Constance and Lake Geneva (Lac Leman). The section between {{rws|Etzwilen}} and Konstanz/Kreuzlingen Hafen opened on 17 July 1875, on the same day as SNB's Winterthur–Etzwilen railway and Etzwilen–Singen railway lines. The SNB went bankrupt in 1878 and its railway lines were taken over by the NOB.
=Schaffhausen–Etzwilen=
The westernmost section between the city of Schaffhausen and Etzwilen was built by the NOB in order to connect the village of Stein am Rhein, located in the eastern part of the canton of Schaffhausen, with the capital of said canton. The section between Etzwilen and {{rws|Feuerthalen}} opened on 1 November 1894. The final section between Feuerthalen and {{rws|Schaffhausen}}, which features a steel bridge over the High Rhine and the Emmersberg tunnel, opened on 2 April 1895 due to delays in construction of the tunnel.
Electrification
The sections of the Lake line are electrified since the following dates:
| class="wikitable"
!|Date !Section |
| 15 Mai 1928
|(Winterthur–) Romanshorn–Rorschach |
| 16 Dezember 1945
|Schaffhausen–Etzwilen |
| 6 Mai 1946
|Kreuzlingen–Kreuzlingen Hafen–Romanshorn |
| 7 Oktober 1946
|(Winterthur–) Etzwilen–Stein am Rhein |
| 5 Oktober 1947
|Stein am Rhein–Kreuzlingen |
| 27 Mai 1962
|Kreuzlingen–Konstanz |
| 1 Juni 1969
|Konstanz–Kreuzlingen Hafen |
Services
There is currently no service operating on the entire line. {{As of|alt=As of the December 2023 timetable change|2023|12|post=,}} sections of the Lake Line are operated by the following regional train services, of which most belong to the Bodensee S-Bahn:
- {{ric|St. Gallen S-Bahn|1}} of St. Gallen S-Bahn between Romanshorn and Schaffhausen (operated by Thurbo)
- {{ric|St. Gallen S-Bahn|7}} of St. Gallen S-Bahn between Romanshorn and Rorschach (operated by Thurbo)
- {{ric|St. Gallen S-Bahn|14}} and {{ric|St. Gallen S-Bahn|44}} of St. Gallen S-Bahn between Kreuzlingen and Konstanz (operated by Thurbo)
- {{ric|St. Gallen S-Bahn|25}} of St. Gallen S-Bahn between Rorschach Hafen and Rorschach (operated by Appenzell Railways)
- {{ric|Zürich S-Bahn|29}} of Zürich S-Bahn between Etzwilen and Stein am Rhein (operated by Thurbo)
- {{ric|THURBO|RE1}} between Konstanz and Romanshorn (operated by Thurbo)
The section between Kreuzlingen and Konstanz is also used by InterRegio service {{ric|Swiss Federal Railways|IR 75}} of Swiss Federal Railways (SBB).