The VBZ and its numbers Why do streetcars 50 and 51 now run in Zurich? And where is the 1?
1895 - this is what the future looks like: Electric streetcars will overtake the horse-drawn streetcars.
Image: Baugeschichtliches Archiv Zürich
Streetcars on lines 4 and 6 at Sihlqaui in 1898.
Image: Baugeschichtliches Archiv Zürich
Streetcars in Stampfenbachenstrasse around 1900.
Image: Baugeschichtliches Archiv Zürich
The extinct line 1 in Hohlstrasse: its number is being kept free for a comeback.
Image: Archiv Tram-Museum
There's something going on here! The station bridge groans under the streetcar traffic in 1927. Lines 3 and 10 can be seen here.
Image: Baugeschichtliches Archiv Zürich
Line 5 travels along Badenerstrasse in this undated photo.
Image: Baugeschichtliches Archiv Zürich
A snapshot from 1930: two streetcars on line 4 and one on line 10 meet at Bellevue.
Image: Baugeschichtliches Archiv Zürich
View towards Kreuzplatz in 1933: Line 1 on the right, lines 2 and 12 on the left.
Image: Baugeschichtliches Archiv Zürich
Bellevue redesigned in 1938: Line 10 can be seen on the left, while line 8 is just stopping on the right.
Image: Baugeschichtliches Archiv Zürich
Line 5, here in Nüschelerstrasse, runs to the zoo in 1956 - this will come to an end after the timetable change in 2025. The 8 will now take over the route to Zurich Zoo.
Image: Baugeschichtliches Archiv Zürich
1895 - this is what the future looks like: Electric streetcars will overtake the horse-drawn streetcars.
Image: Baugeschichtliches Archiv Zürich
Streetcars on lines 4 and 6 at Sihlqaui in 1898.
Image: Baugeschichtliches Archiv Zürich
Streetcars in Stampfenbachenstrasse around 1900.
Image: Baugeschichtliches Archiv Zürich
The extinct line 1 in Hohlstrasse: its number is being kept free for a comeback.
Image: Archiv Tram-Museum
There's something going on here! The station bridge groans under the streetcar traffic in 1927. Lines 3 and 10 can be seen here.
Image: Baugeschichtliches Archiv Zürich
Line 5 travels along Badenerstrasse in this undated photo.
Image: Baugeschichtliches Archiv Zürich
A snapshot from 1930: two streetcars on line 4 and one on line 10 meet at Bellevue.
Image: Baugeschichtliches Archiv Zürich
View towards Kreuzplatz in 1933: Line 1 on the right, lines 2 and 12 on the left.
Image: Baugeschichtliches Archiv Zürich
Bellevue redesigned in 1938: Line 10 can be seen on the left, while line 8 is just stopping on the right.
Image: Baugeschichtliches Archiv Zürich
Line 5, here in Nüschelerstrasse, runs to the zoo in 1956 - this will come to an end after the timetable change in 2025. The 8 will now take over the route to Zurich Zoo.
Image: Baugeschichtliches Archiv Zürich
From December 14, streetcar lines 50 and 51 will be running in Zurich: How did VBZ actually come up with these numbers? What happened to line 1 - and why is there no line 16? You can find the answers to these riddles here.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- From December 14, there will be lines 50 and 51 in Zurich: this is how VBZ got their numbers.
- Line 1 has been scrapped, but this number will not be reassigned for a possible comeback.
The history of Zurich's public transport system begins in 1882: back then, the Zurich Tramway Company initially operated a network almost nine kilometers long, on which the carriages were pulled by horses. It connected three then still independent municipalities to the city: Aussersihl, Enge and Riesbach.
In 1893, twelve municipalities merge with the city of Zurich. Three years later, the city founds the Städtische Strassenbahn Zürich, which absorbs both the Zürcher Strassenbahn Gesellschaft with its Rössli streetcars and the newly established Elektrische Strassenbahn Zürich. Between 1903 and 1931, further private streetcar companies were added.
Those were the days: Traders offer their wares for sale on the Ratshausbrücke on April 4, 1885, while the Rösslitram chugs past in the background.
Image: Baugeschichtliches Archiv Zürich
This Rösslitram runs between Helmhaus and Aussersihl in 1890.
Image: Baugeschichtliches Archiv Zürich
The Paradeplatz with Rösslitrams in 1891.
Image: Baugeschichtliches Archiv Zürich
No comparison with today: the station square in 1893 looks unusually tidy.
Image: Baugeschichtliches Archiv Zürich
A Rösslitram on the Limmat in 1893.
Image: Baugeschichtliches Archiv Zürich
This photo with oncoming traffic also dates from 1893.
Image: Baugeschichtliches Archiv Zürich
August 1900: the last journey of the Rösslitram to Tiefenbrunnen station.
Image: Baugeschichtliches Archiv Zürich
Line 13 runs for the last time on August 15, 1900 on the Helmhaus-Paradeplatz-Talacker-Zentralfriedhof route.
Image: Baugeschichtliches Archiv Zürich
Another photo of line 13 from 1900.
Image: Baugeschichtliches Archiv Zürich
September 1900: the last journey of the Stockgasse-Bahnhof Rösslitram.
Image: Baugeschichtliches Archiv Zürich
Those were the days: Traders offer their wares for sale on the Ratshausbrücke on April 4, 1885, while the Rösslitram chugs past in the background.
Image: Baugeschichtliches Archiv Zürich
This Rösslitram runs between Helmhaus and Aussersihl in 1890.
Image: Baugeschichtliches Archiv Zürich
The Paradeplatz with Rösslitrams in 1891.
Image: Baugeschichtliches Archiv Zürich
No comparison with today: the station square in 1893 looks unusually tidy.
Image: Baugeschichtliches Archiv Zürich
A Rösslitram on the Limmat in 1893.
Image: Baugeschichtliches Archiv Zürich
This photo with oncoming traffic also dates from 1893.
Image: Baugeschichtliches Archiv Zürich
August 1900: the last journey of the Rösslitram to Tiefenbrunnen station.
Image: Baugeschichtliches Archiv Zürich
Line 13 runs for the last time on August 15, 1900 on the Helmhaus-Paradeplatz-Talacker-Zentralfriedhof route.
Image: Baugeschichtliches Archiv Zürich
Another photo of line 13 from 1900.
Image: Baugeschichtliches Archiv Zürich
September 1900: the last journey of the Stockgasse-Bahnhof Rösslitram.
Image: Baugeschichtliches Archiv Zürich
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Rössli streetcars and the electric streetcars were still running in parallel. Initially they had no numbers, but were distinguished by color. From 1906, numbers were added: the "white line" was given the number 1 and served the Brunau route via Enge and the main station in the direction of Brunau Tiefenbrunnen, which had previously been served by a Rösslitram.
From 1935, line 1 ran on the Burgwies-Kreuzplatz-Kunsthaus-Hauptbahnhof-Militärstrasse-Hardplatz route. From 1939, trolleybuses appeared in Zurich, competing with the streetcars. Electric buses have an advantage over rail vehicles, which hold up traffic, particularly on routes that are also used by many cars.
Where streetcar number 1 has remained
In 1954, the end finally came for the 1, whose number has not been reassigned since - in case the line is revived. This year also saw the introduction of a new system for the bus lines, which had previously been assigned a letter.
«Line 1, it's a horror, is still being killed off today. Nowadays they drive on rubber, whether that is better is the question.»
They were initially given numbers between 61 and 99, which was changed in the 70s to between 31 and 60. Today they are between 37 and 99. Buses that travel to the conurbation have three-digit numbers, except for line 91.
The Zurich municipal tramway has been called Verkehrsbetriebe der Stadt Zürich since 1949 and Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich since 1978. VBZ numbers its streetcars from 1 to 20. 1 is reserved as described, line 16 is being planned. Lines 18 and 19 are technical lines, while 21 is reserved for the museum line.
But why are lines 50 and 51 being introduced now? The VBZ were looking for numbers for the interim line that would not lead to confusion. Christian Böckmann from VBZ says that blocks of numbers have been allocated for this purpose - and the 50 and 51 are "not preloaded", explains the timetable change project manager.