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New York Times
22-07-2025
- Automotive
- New York Times
The Swiss Railways Clock That Still Keeps Travelers on Time
In the 1940s, Hans Hilfiker, a mechanic and engineer, created an electric clock that has become a symbol of Swiss rail reliability as well as a design icon still seen today in homes and on wrists around the world. As an employee of Swiss Federal Railways (SBB), Mr. Hilfiker was tasked with unifying station clock designs and synchronizing timekeeping across the rail network. He stripped the clock face of Roman numerals and other ornaments, keeping a plain, black marker for each minute on a white dial. Its most recognizable element was a slender, bright-red second hand with a disc at its tip, much like the dispatch baton that station officials were using at the time to signal a train to leave a station. That red second hand swept the dial continually, driven by an electric motor, while the minute hand relied on signals from a central control. 'That was truly a quantum leap in clock design,' said Isabelle Bitterli of SBB Historic, a foundation organized to preserve and showcase Swiss railroad history. 'This design, which is so simple and precise in its function, naturally symbolizes the entire SBB. It represents accuracy, precision, simplicity and a focus on the essentials.' Minimalist clocks, inspired by Bauhaus principles, are visible in many public places around the world. But experts say the Hilfiker clock's reliability and its presence in about 800 rail stations today has ensured its position as an icon of timekeeping. Time Differences Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
The Sun
15-07-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Europe's best railway station that's one of world's busiest is getting £1bn revamp – and could launch direct route to UK
EUROPE'S best railway station is set to receive a £1billion upgrade with the possibility of a direct route on the cards. Plans to expand one of Europe's busiest train stations have been revealed and include a new track and second tunnel, as the prospect of a direct link to London grows more likely. 6 6 Major station set for huge upgrade This expansion is estimated to cost over £1bn with construction likely to commence in the latter half of the 2020s. These upgrades will increase the station's current capacity by a staggering 50 per cent. Plans were publicly displayed on May 14 and have since been approved as Zürich Stadelhofen station braces for an upgrade. Commissioned by the Swiss Federal Government, the Swiss Federal Railways (SSB) aims to address a major bottleneck in the Zürich S-Bahn system, Railway Pro reports. SSB intends to achieve this through the station's expansion, as the current three-track layout already operates at full capacity. Plans for direct route to London This comes after SSB revealed hopes to create a direct line to London earlier this year. According to Swiss info, the prospect of a direct high-speed rail link is growing more likely, but Switzerland needs to make adaptations to its stations before this can happen. This new expansion could be a step in the right direction as the proposed upgrade of one of the world's busiest stations will enable more frequent services and improve connectivity. One Brit told Swiss Info: "We feel so disconnected after Brexit. This kind of direct connection would be incredible." Currently, Brits can travel to five places by direct train with Eurostar -Paris, Lille, Brussels, Rotterdam and Amsterdam. Picturesque English town is getting new £27m train line for first time in 60 years – & will cut journey times by an hour But new plans have suggested routes from the UK to seven other cities in Germany, Switzerland, France and Italy. Yann Leriche, the chief executive of Getlink, said: "We are keen to drive forward attractive opportunities for low-carbon [travel] with a range of new destinations in Germany, Switzerland and France. A spokesperson for London St Pancras Highspeed added: "Many European cities could be reached directly by train in under six hours which we believe is really competitive with short-haul air travel." However, the plans are rather ambitious, with no set time frame for when these could launch. Key upgrades to major Zürich station With approximately 80,000 daily passengers and 770 train movements, Zürich Stadelhofen is the third-busiest station in the city and the tenth-busiest in Switzerland. The proposed upgrade will enable more frequent services and support the implementation of a 15-minute base frequency across the network. According to Railway Pro, these are the key upgrades to the station : The construction of a fourth track on the hillside of the station, aligned with the current shopping level Connection of the new track to existing tunnels A new single-track Riesbach Tunnel towards Zürich Tiefenbrunnen Enhanced station access Sun Travel's favourite train journeys in the world Sun Travel's journalists have taken their fare share of train journeys on their travels and here they share their most memorable rail experiences. Davos to Geneva, Switzerland "After a ski holiday in Davos, I took the scenic train back to Geneva Airport. The snow-covered mountains and tiny alpine villages that we passed were so beautiful that it felt like a moving picture was playing beyond the glass." - Caroline McGuire Tokyo to Kyoto by Shinkansen "Nothing quite beats the Shinkansen bullet train, one of the fastest in the world. It hardly feels like you're whizzing along at speed until you look outside and see the trees a green blur. Make sure to book seat D or E too - as you'll have the best view of Mount Fuji along the way." Kara Godfrey London to Paris by Eurostar "Those who have never travelled on the Eurostar may wonder what's so special about a seemingly ordinary train that takes you across the channel. You won't have to waste a moment and can tick off all the top attractions from the Louvre to the Champs-Élysées which are both less than five kilometres from the Gare du Nord." - Sophie Swietochowski Glasgow to Fort William by Scotrail "From mountain landscapes and serene lochs to the wistful moors, I spent my three-hour journey from Glasgow to Fort William gazing out the window. Sit on the left-hand side of the train for the best views overlooking Loch Lomond." - Hope Brotherton Beijing to Ulaanbatar "The Trans-Mongolian Express is truly a train journey like no other. It starts amid the chaos of central Beijing before the city's high-rises give way to crumbling ancient villages and eventually the vast vacant plains of Mongolia, via the Gobi desert. The deep orange sunset seen in the middle of the desert is among the best I've witnessed anywhere." - Ryan Gray 6 6 6 6
