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Does the Zurich Transport Authority VBZ now operate trains? And does the Swiss Rhaetian Railway now operate trams? Is this a late April fools joke? No its just a fun little visual trick, where both operators have swapped each others liveries out. Here’s what’s going on:
As part of this year’s Sechseläuten festival, where Graubünden is the guest canton, two Swiss public transport operators, the Zurich Transport Authority (VBZ) and the Rhaetian Railway (RhB), are celebrating their connection by swapping the liveries of their vehicles. An ABe 4/16 Capricorn train wrapped in the VBZ’s characteristic blue and white colors is running on the RhB network, modeled after a Be 5/6 “Cobra” tram from Zürich. This sure makes for an interesting sight, as vehicles in this livery are never seen in the mountains regularly.
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At the same time, a Cobra tram dressed in the RhB’s distinctive red is making its way through the streets of Zurich. The design is based on the iconic ‘Bernina Express’, with one part even referencing the Alpine Classic Pullman Express coaches. The initiative aims to bring a touch of urban Zurich into the mountains, while giving city dwellers a glimpse of Graubünden right in their own city.
