The eight new cars, built by Stadler, will replace the previous ones dating from the 1930s and 1960s, the Pilatus Railway company said on Tuesday. The company plans to have them in service in time for the 2023 summer season (the rail line up to the 2,132 metre-high Pilatus summit runs from May to November each year).
While the new cars are no bigger than the old ones – due to the narrowness of the tunnels on the 4.6-kilometre stretch – they operate according to the same cog-wheel system, which has been in operation since the line was opened in 1889. However, they will be able to climb the mountain around 10 minutes faster than their predecessors.
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They also use around 30% energy than the current cars, largely thanks to a technology which can convert braking energy on the descent into electric energy to power the ascent.
The whole renewal of the fleet – as well as renovation work on the tracks – cost the company some CHF55 million ($55.7 million).
The Pilatus rail is the steepest cog-wheel line in the world, with some sections ramping up to a gradient of 48%.
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Swiss Federal Railways expands night-train service
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The latest Swiss train timetable, which came into effect on Sunday, provides new long-distance and regional connections.
Swiss football boss wants crackdown on individual hooligans
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The head of the Swiss Football League says he prefers a harsher approach to individual hooligans rather than collective punishment measures affecting all fans.
Amherd: Council of Europe is ‘as urgently needed as ever’
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The Swiss government emphasised on Sunday the vital role of the Strasbourg-based Council of Europe, 75 years after it was founded.
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Bern can count on the backing of Italy as it re-enters talks with the European Union on future relations, Viola Amherd says.
Student protestors at University of Lausanne continue pro-Palestine sit-in
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Since Thursday, a hall on campus has been occupied by students calling for a boycott of Israeli academic institutions and a ceasefire in Gaza.
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Swiss public broadcasters RTS and SRF are drastically reducing their communications via the social network X (formerly Twitter).
Israel: president of Swiss universities rejects academic boycott
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Luciana Vaccaro, president of Swissuniversities, the umbrella group of Swiss universities, is not in favour of an academic boycott of Israeli universities.
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Swiss panoramic train to debut in December
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The GoldenPass Express (GPX) panoramic train, which will link Montreux to Interlaken without any station changes, will make its debut on December 11.
Swiss railways celebrate anniversary with historic trains
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Celebrations have been launched to commemorate the 175th anniversary of the first time-table railway route in Switzerland.
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Swiss mechanical and electrical engineering sectors boosted by a significant rebound in export sales and new orders in the first half of 2021.
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