Swiss Northeastern Railway
Encyclopedia
The Swiss Northeastern Railway (German
: Schweizerische Nordostbahn) or NOB was an early railway company in Switzerland
.
In 1853 the Swiss Northern Railway (German, Schweizerische Nordbahn, SNB) merged with the Lake Constance and Rheinfall Railways (German: Bodensee- und Rheinfallbahnen) under the name Swiss Northeastern Railway.
The main instigator was Alfred Escher
of Zürich. The NOB immediately began working on a direct link from Zürich to Lake Constance
over the heights of the Romanshorn
. This put them in direct competition with the efficient and successful United Swiss Railways
(German: Vereinigte Schweizerbahnen) or VSB with its head office in St. Gallen
.
The attractive village of Romanshorn grew, thanks to the NOB, into one of the most important transport hubs in eastern Switzerland. In 1855 the NOB took began operating ships on Lake Constance and in 1869 a railway ferry
between Romanshorn and Friedrichshafen
(Germany
) was started. This expansion led to an upgrade by the NOB of the railway station and the construction of the largest port on Lake Constance, in terms of area.
In 1858 the Northeastern Railway completed the line from Baden via Brugg to Aarau, where it connected with the Swiss Central Railway
(German: Schweizerische Centralbahn, SCB) network. At last, Zürich and Basel were linked. From 1870–1875 the NOB and SCB jointly built the Bözberg Railway (German: Bözbergbahn) with its 2,526 metre long Bözberg Tunnel, as well as the access route to the Gotthard Railway (German: Gotthardbahn) from Brugg to Immensee, the Aargau Southern Railway (German: Aargauische Südbahn) in 1882.
Former rivals were absorbed, so that the Zürich – Affoltern – Luzern and Singen – Zofingen lines (1879) joined the competition against the Swiss National Railway
(German: Schweizerische Nationalbahn, SNB). But ruinous projects to rival the SNB put the NOB into financial trouble.
Following Alfred Escher's death, Adolf Guyer-Zeller
ran the NOB. Demands for better pay and work conditions by the employees were not resolved until 1897 after a strike by the 5,000 railway workers and this industrial dispute paved the way for the nationalisation of the biggest private railways.
On 1 January 1902 the NOB, with its network of 853 km of track and the Swiss fleet on Lake Constance, went into the hands of the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB).
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
: Schweizerische Nordostbahn) or NOB was an early railway company in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
In 1853 the Swiss Northern Railway (German, Schweizerische Nordbahn, SNB) merged with the Lake Constance and Rheinfall Railways (German: Bodensee- und Rheinfallbahnen) under the name Swiss Northeastern Railway.
The main instigator was Alfred Escher
Alfred Escher
Alfred Escher was a Swiss politician and railway entrepreneur. A member of the Swiss National Council from 1848 to his death 1882, he presided over the council three times ....
of Zürich. The NOB immediately began working on a direct link from Zürich to Lake Constance
Lake Constance
Lake Constance is a lake on the Rhine at the northern foot of the Alps, and consists of three bodies of water: the Obersee , the Untersee , and a connecting stretch of the Rhine, called the Seerhein.The lake is situated in Germany, Switzerland and Austria near the Alps...
over the heights of the Romanshorn
Romanshorn
Romanshorn is a municipality in the district of Arbon in the canton of Thurgau in Switzerland.-History:Romanshorn was probably settled in the 7th Century, and is first mentioned in 779 as Rumanishorn in a land grant from Waldrata to the Abbey of St. Gall. During the Late Middle Ages and until...
. This put them in direct competition with the efficient and successful United Swiss Railways
United Swiss Railways
The United Swiss Railways is a former railway company in Switzerland.The United Swiss railways was created on 1 May 1857 through the merger of the Glatt Valley Railway , the original Southeastern Railway and the St...
(German: Vereinigte Schweizerbahnen) or VSB with its head office in St. Gallen
St. Gallen
St. Gallen is the capital of the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. It evolved from the hermitage of Saint Gall, founded in the 7th century. Today, it is a large urban agglomeration and represents the center of eastern Switzerland. The town mainly relies on the service sector for its economic...
.
The attractive village of Romanshorn grew, thanks to the NOB, into one of the most important transport hubs in eastern Switzerland. In 1855 the NOB took began operating ships on Lake Constance and in 1869 a railway ferry
Train ferry
A train ferry is a ship designed to carry railway vehicles. Typically, one level of the ship is fitted with railway tracks, and the vessel has a door at the front and/or rear to give access to the wharves. In the United States, train ferries are sometimes referred to as "car ferries", as...
between Romanshorn and Friedrichshafen
Friedrichshafen
This article is about a German town. For the Danish town, see Frederikshavn, and for the Finnish town, see Fredrikshamn .Friedrichshafen is a university city on the northern side of Lake Constance in Southern Germany, near the borders with Switzerland and Austria.It is the district capital of the...
(Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
) was started. This expansion led to an upgrade by the NOB of the railway station and the construction of the largest port on Lake Constance, in terms of area.
In 1858 the Northeastern Railway completed the line from Baden via Brugg to Aarau, where it connected with the Swiss Central Railway
Swiss Central Railway
The Swiss Central Railway was a Swiss railway company from 1853 to 1902.In 2005 the name Centralbahn was revived for new railway company created by the merger of the Luzern-Stans-Engelberg-Bahn and the Brünigbahn...
(German: Schweizerische Centralbahn, SCB) network. At last, Zürich and Basel were linked. From 1870–1875 the NOB and SCB jointly built the Bözberg Railway (German: Bözbergbahn) with its 2,526 metre long Bözberg Tunnel, as well as the access route to the Gotthard Railway (German: Gotthardbahn) from Brugg to Immensee, the Aargau Southern Railway (German: Aargauische Südbahn) in 1882.
Former rivals were absorbed, so that the Zürich – Affoltern – Luzern and Singen – Zofingen lines (1879) joined the competition against the Swiss National Railway
Swiss National Railway
The Swiss National Railway was a railway company in Switzerland.The Swiss National Railway was created in 1875 from the merger of the two companies, the Winterthur–Zofingen Railway and the Zofingen–Singen–Kreuzlingen Railway...
(German: Schweizerische Nationalbahn, SNB). But ruinous projects to rival the SNB put the NOB into financial trouble.
Following Alfred Escher's death, Adolf Guyer-Zeller
Adolf Guyer-Zeller
Adolf Guyer-Zeller was a Swiss entrepreneur.He was the son of an owner of spinning mill and creator of a textile export trade in Zürich. After the death of his father, he led the company...
ran the NOB. Demands for better pay and work conditions by the employees were not resolved until 1897 after a strike by the 5,000 railway workers and this industrial dispute paved the way for the nationalisation of the biggest private railways.
On 1 January 1902 the NOB, with its network of 853 km of track and the Swiss fleet on Lake Constance, went into the hands of the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB).
Predecessors
- SNB: Swiss Northern Railway (Schweizerische Nordbahn, 9 August 1847–30 June 1853)
- Lake Constance and Rheinfall Railways (Bodensee- und Rheinfallbahnen)
- BR: Bülach-Regensberg Railway (1 May 1865–31 December 1876)
- SG: Bischofszeller Railway (1 February 1876–31 July 1885)
- EH: Effretikon-Wetzikon-Hinwil Railway (17 August 1876–31 December 1885)
- ZZL: Zürich-Zug-Luzern Railway (1 June 1864–31 December 1891)