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Swiss intercity trains in for a makeover

An intercity double-decker train of the Swiss Federal Railways
The Swiss railway system ranks as the best in Europe. The intercity IC2000 trains feature double-storeyed coaches. Keystone

The Swiss Federal Railways is revamping its intercity IC2000 fleet at a cost of approximately CHF300 million ($302 million). The first completely renovated trains will be put back into operation in early 2019. The 341 coaches should be fit for another 20 years on the rails after their makeover.

The Swiss Federal Railways announced its renovation plans for the IC2000 fleet on Monday, saying it will be the biggest vehicle modernization in its history of long-distance traffic.

  + What makes the Swiss the rail champions of Europe?

The 35 trains of the IC2000 fleet have a total of 341 wagons and cover 345,000 kilometres (314,00 miles) daily in all weathers. As intercity trains they connect centres such as Geneva, Bern, Brig, Zurich, St. Gallen, Lucerne and Chur. The oldest vehicles have been running on Swiss railways for around 20 years.

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