Zürich Oerlikon railway station

On 27 December 1855 the line from Oerlikon to Winterthur via Wallisellen station was established by the Schweizerische Nordostbahn (NOB), and a temporary wooden railway station was built by A. Beckh and Jakob Friedrich Wanner. The following year the line was extendend to Zürich Hauptbahnhof through the Wipkingen Tunnel. Lines from Wallisellen to Uster (1856) and Oerlikon to Bülach via Glattbrugg station (1865) followed. The opening of these lines triggered the industrialisation of Oerlikon, and a massive population growth. In particular the large works of Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon was established immediately to the west of the station.[4][5]

In 1865, the wooden railway station was replaced by a stone building. In 1877, the Schweizerische Nationalbahn (SNB) opened the Furttal railway line from Wettingen to Effretikon, via Seebach and Opfikon stations. This line was conceived as a freight bypass for Zürich and whilst it passed close to Oerlikon station, it did not serve it. In 1878 the SNB became insolvent, and was taken over by the NOB. In 1881, a link between the Oerlikon to Bülach line and the Furttal line was constructed to allow trains to run from Oerlikon to Opfikon, and in 1909 a curve was added to also allow trains to run from Oerlikon to Seebach. In 1912, the current station building replaced that of 1865.[5]

In June 1969 the Käferberg Tunnel was opened, providing a second route to Hauptbahnhof. In October 1979 the line from Oerlikon under Zurich Airport and on to rejoin the main line to Winterthur at Bassersdorf (the Flughafenlinie) opened, including a new station directly under the airport terminal. In June 2014, the Weinberg Tunnel opened, providing a third route to Hauptbahnhof.[6]

To complement the opening of the Weinberg tunnel, the station's infrastructure was renewed, with the provision of two additional platform tracks and the rebuilding of the station's bus and tram stops. The additional platforms and tracks were constructed on the north-western side of the station, partially on land occupied by the former office building of Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon, dating from the late 19th century and now a restaurant complex known as Gleis 9. Because of its cultural importance to the region, plans to demolish the building were rejected, and instead the 6,200-tonne (6,800-ton) building was moved 60 metres (200 ft) to the west on specially laid tracks. The move took place in May 2012 and took 19 hours.[7][8][9]

The station is aligned on a south-west to north-east axis, and, following its expansion, has eight through platform tracks serving two side platforms and three island platforms. At the centre of the station the platforms are at or about street level, but the slope of the land means they are significantly above street level at the north-eastern end of the station, whilst the south-western approaches descend into a cutting and, eventually, tunnels. There are station entrances on both sides of the station, but the main station buildings are on the south-eastern side of the station, the same side as the centre of the suburb of Oerlikon. Pedestrian subways link both sides of the station and all platforms.[10]

To the south-west of Oerlikon station, the line through the station divides into three lines, with fly-overs and dive-unders providing non-conflicting access routes to and from the different lines. The three lines all link to Zürich Hauptbahnhof by different tunnels through the intermediate ridge, these being the Wipkingen Tunnel, the Käferberg Tunnel and the Weinberg Tunnel. The first two of these approach the Hauptbahnhof from the west, giving access to both its upper level terminal platforms and its low level through platforms, whilst the Weinberg Tunnel enters the low level through platforms from the east.[10][11]

To the north-east of Oerlikon station, the line divides into two within the station limits (keilbahnhof). The south-easternmost two platform tracks serve the line to Wallisellen station and beyond. The remaining platform tracks run together for further, but eventually divide to serve the routes to Seebach, Glattbrugg, Opfikon and Zurich Airport stations respectively.[10][11]

The renovation of the station underpasses, completed in 2016, added more than 20 store fronts to the Bahnhof Oerlikon complex mostly below ground level.[12] Prior to 2016, only two food vendors and one store were located on the station grounds itself. In Switzerland, the law requires that most stores close on Sundays; however, stores located in airports and railways are exempt, allowing the stores in Bahnhof Oerlikon to remain open year-round.

• 
  Oerlikon and its train station on an aerial photograph by Walter Mittelholzer (~1920)
• 
  The platforms looking south-west, before two extra tracks were added (2010)
• 
  View to the north-east of the station, with Wallisellen line diverging to right (2011)
• 
  View to the north-east of the station, showing changes since previous image (2016)
• 
  Gleis 9 moving to its new location alongside the station approach (2012)
• 
  Platforms (2019)

• History of rail transport in Switzerland
• Rail transport in Switzerland

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Zürich Oerlikon railway station.

• Zürich Oerlikon railway station – SBB
• Interactive station plan (Zürich Oerlikon)
• Station plan from SBB web site