Swiss perspectives in 10 languages

Swiss trains win global design prize

Man photographing a train
(Train)spot the two-time Red Dot winner, and note the coat of arms featuring an ibex. Keystone / Gian Ehrenzeller

The new Rhaetian Railway (RhB) trains have won two Red Dot Awards for product design.

Designed by studio NOSE in Zurich, the “Capricorn” trains were created according to the specifications of the narrow-gauge railway in Graubünden in eastern Switzerland. The name Capricorn is the Romansh word for the ibex that live in the region.

The design is intended to represent the RhB as a “high-performance, modern and comfortable mountain railway with Graubünden charm and character”. The Capricorn’s Red Dot Awards, announced on Wednesday, are for its exterior appearance as well as interior design.

External Content

The Red Dot Design Award is one of the largest design competitions in the world. The award has been presented by the Design Zentrum Nordrhein-Westfalen in Essen, Germany, since 1955. Other winners over the years include famous names like Google, Maserati and Sony.

The RhB has ordered 56 Capricorns from Swiss train manufacturer Stadler. It is the largest purchase of rolling stock in the history of the railway. So far it has received 16 of the trains, 13 of which are now in service. The 56th vehicle is expected to be delivered in mid-2024.

More
angry people on train

More

How to behave on a Swiss train

This content was published on Jump on, ride to your stop, hop off — without offending anybody. Sounds easy, but it’s not, warns a guru of Swiss transport etiquette.

Read more: How to behave on a Swiss train


News

Two Rothornbahn gondolas cross each other on Lenzerheide on Friday, April 3, 2009.

More

Swiss cable car activity rose in winter 2023-2024

This content was published on In the winter season up to April 2024, railway and cable car operators ferried 3% more visitors compared to the previous winter, and 5% more than the five-year average.

Read more: Swiss cable car activity rose in winter 2023-2024
flooding Rhine

More

Rhine flooding: Swiss to invest CHF1 billion with Austria

This content was published on As part of an international agreement with Austria, the Swiss government wants to pump CHF1 billion ($1.1 billion) into flood protection measures along the Rhine over the next three decades.

Read more: Rhine flooding: Swiss to invest CHF1 billion with Austria

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!

If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR