Engineering:ICN (Train Service)

The term ICN referred to a railway product offered by the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB-CFF-FFS); this is an InterCity connection provided by tilting trains (in German: InterCity Neigezug, hence the acronym ICN). These services were merged into the InterCity (IC) offer on 10 December 2017, date of entry into service of the 2018 timetable.

RABDe 500 assuring an ICN service between Twann and Tüscherz, on the Jura Foot Line

Today, it only designates the rolling stock used for these connections, the RABDe 500 self-propelled trainsets.

Rolling stock

ETR 470

All the ICN connections are ensured by the RABDe 500 trainsets (having taken the nickname ICN) which can be replaced in the event of failure by an ETR 470 or an ETR 610, which are also tilting trains. On the Pied-du-Jura line, the replacement is carried out by "available" Re460 + VU IV + Bt IV trainsets. In this case, the train no longer runs in category N but in category R.

Services

Jura and Jura foot line

The RABDe 500 trainsets, planned for ICN connections, were put into service at the schedule change of December 2000:

• They provide InterRegio (IR) services Geneva-Airport – Geneva – Nyon – Morges – Lausanne – Yverdon-les-Bains – Neuchâtel – Biel/Bienne – Solothurn – Olten – Aarau – Zürich HB – St. Gallen.

The ICN relations proper came into service in December 2001, in time to serve the sites of the Swiss national exhibition in 2002. The trains operated two routes, alternating every hour from Biel/Bienne:

• Lausanne – Yverdon-les-Bains – Neuchâtel – Biel/Bienne –
  • 

    ETR 610 (On the left)
    then Grenchen-Süd – Solothurn – Olten – Aarau – Lenzburg – Zürich HB – Zürich Flughafen – Winterthur – Wil SG – St. Gallen,
  • or Grenchen-Nord – Moutier – Delémont – Laufen – Basel SBB;
• Geneva-Airport – Geneva – Nyon – Morges – Yverdon-les-Bains – Neuchâtel – Biel/Bienne –
  • then Grenchen-Nord – Moutier – Delémont – Laufen – Basel SBB,
  • or Grenchen-Süd – Solothurn – Olten – Aarau – Lenzburg – Zürich HB – Zürich Flughafen – Winterthur – Wil SG – St. Gallen.

Biel – Constance

With the change of schedule on 12 December 2004, a new relationship was put in place:

• Biel / Bienne – Solothurn – Oensingen – Olten – Zürich HB – Zürich Flughafen – Winterthur – Frauenfeld – Weinfelden – Kreuzlingen – Konstanz.

The RABDe 500 ensure this relationship for the last time on 13 December 2008; the next day, it will be downgraded to InterRegio and provided by shuttle trains made up of Re 460s and unified IV coaches; RABDe 500 trainsets are requisitioned for the Gotthard line.

Gotthard line

Since 14 December 2008, the ICNs have been surveying the Gotthard line, and circulating alternately on Basel and Zurich, alternating with an IR including in its towed train a EuroCity panoramic car:

• Chiasso – Lugano – Bellinzona – Arth-Goldau –
• then Luzern – Olten – Basel SBB
• or Zug – Zürich HB

Services on board

ICN trains offer the following services:

• Air-conditioned cars;
• First-class and second-class seats (central corridor);
• Dining car;
• Minibar ;
• 1st class compartments;
• Silent zone in 1st class;
• "Business" spaces in 1st class;
• Family zone (without play area) in 2nd class;
• 2nd class bicycle spaces.