The
Swiss Express service is introduced on May
22nd, 1975.
The service is provided using dedicated rolling stock in an unique
orange livery:
- 8x
Re 4/4II electric
locomotives;
- 6x
AD 81-34 000 - 005 1st class
passenger coaches with luggage compartment;
- 25x
A 18-34 000 - 024 1st class passenger
coaches;
- 6x
WR 88-34 000 - 005 restaurant
coaches;
- 35x
B 29-34 000 - 034 2nd class passenger
coaches.
NB: units Bt 29-34 990 - 996 are never used on
the Swiss Express service as they are converted
from B 29-34 passenger coaches in 1985,
after the end of the service. The lack of coaches with control
units ment there had to be a locomotive switch or a locomotive
change for the return trip and at every terminal station (like the
Zürich train station ).
5x fourteen coaches compositions are required for the
regular service, with a 6th composition and some additional coaches
serving as reserves.
The entire rolling stock is equipped with
AK69
automatic couplers and a special feature of the trains
is not only they have exactly the same composition every time but
the vehicles are always arranged in the same direction (for example
the unique pantograph of the
Re
4/4II and the pantograph of the restaurant
coaches always point towards Zürich train station).
Thus, the composition result was:
(Re 4/4II) - B - B - B - B - B - B - B - WR - A
- A - A - A - A - AD - (Re 4/4II) Zürich train station
As the flagship of the Swiss rails at the time, the attention to
details is everywhere. For example, the restaurant coaches are
orientated in such a way so that 1st class passengers never have to
use the narrow corridor next to the kitchen area.