# Zurich Hardbrücke railway station

Zürich Hardbrücke railway station (German: Bahnhof Zürich Hardbrücke) is a railway station in the central part of the Swiss city of Zürich. It is situated below Hardbrücke, a road bridge that lends its name to the station. Hardbrücke station is only 1.9 kilometres (1.2 miles) away from Zürich HB (main station) and situated near the business and entertainment district Zürich West, next to the Prime Tower.

## History

The station was opened in 1982, with the provision of platforms on the line to Zürich Oerlikon (via Käferberg Tunnel). In 1990, in line with the introduction of the S-Bahn scheme, it was expanded to include platforms on the line to Zürich Altstetten. In conjunction with the extension of tram route 8 from Hardplatz over Hardbrücke to Hardturm in 2017, the station was partly rebuilt and platforms 2 and 3 were renewed.

## Layout and facilities

The station sits in the approach to Zürich Hauptbahnhof (Zürich HB), Zürich's main station, on the Zürich–Baden line near its junction with the Käferberg Tunnel variant of the Zürich–Winterthur line, and to the north of the through tracks that carry long-distance passenger and occasional freight trains. It lies below the Hardbrücke, a road bridge that crosses the rail tracks and forms an important north–south connection within the city. The station has two side platforms and a central island platform served by four tracks, with the two inner tracks on the line to Zürich Oerlikon via the Käferberg Tunnel, and the two outer tracks on the line to Zürich Altstetten. The line to Oerlikon is sloped and at a higher level, and thus the platforms are not all at the same level.
Access to the station's platforms is either from the Hardbrücke bridge or an underpass. The bridge has station entrances and exits on either side, with separate access to and from all platforms. The entrance to the underpass is to the north of the station, below the bridge and adjacent to the bicycle and car parking. Access to all platforms from both the bridge and the underpass is through stairs and elevators. The station's underpass has a kiosk and a small supermarket.
The station is connected to the municipal tram and bus network. Zürich trolleybus routes 33, 72 and Zürich bus route 83, and since December 2017 tram route 8 serve the adjacent stop above on the bridge, called Bahnhof Hardbrücke. All routes are operated by VBZ.

## Operation

The station is a major node in the Zürich S-Bahn system. It is served by eleven regional railway lines of this S-Bahn system: S3, S5, S6, S7, S9, S11, S12, S15, S16, S20, and S21. Eastward, all trains from Hardbrücke station operate via low-level platforms 41–44 at Hauptbahnhof, continuing to Stadelhofen station through the Hirschengraben Tunnel. They provide, for most of the day, 16 trains per hour (tph) to or from both of these two inner-city stations. In westward direction, trains continue to Zürich Oerlikon and Zürich Altstetten, respectively.
Other stations served include:
* Aarau (S11; 2 tph)
* Affoltern am Albis (S5; 2 tph)
* Altstetten (S5 / S11 / S12; 6 tph)
* Baden (S6 / S12; 4 tph)
* Brugg AG (S12; 2 tph)
* Bülach (S9; 2 tph; rush hour: S3 +2 tph)
* Dietikon (S11 / S12; 4 tph)
* Effretikon (S3 / S7; 4 tph)
* Herrliberg-Feldmeilen (S6 / S16; 4 tph)
* Meilen (S6 / S7; 4 tph; rush hour: S20 +1 tph)
* Niederweningen (S15; 2 tph)
* Oerlikon (S6 / S7 / S9 / S15 / S16; 10 tph; rush hour: S21 +1 tph)
* Rafz (S9; 2 tph)
* Rapperswil (S5 / S7 / S15; 6 tph)
* Schaffhausen and Rhine Falls (S9 / S12; 2 tph)
* Uster (S5 / S9 / S15, 6 tph)
* Wetzikon (S3 / S5 / S15; 6 tph)
* Winterthur (S7 / S11 / S12, 6 tph)
* Zug (S5; 2 tph)
* Zürich Airport (S16; 2 tph)

### Services

Summary of all regional train services by Zürich S-Bahn at Zürich Hardbrücke:
* S3 (Bülach–) Hardbrücke–Zürich HB–Effretikon–Wetzikon Extended from Hardbrücke to Bülach during rush hour, operating non-stop from Glattbrugg.
* S5 Zug–Affoltern am Albis–Zürich HB–Uster–Wetzikon–Rapperswil–Pfäffikon SZ Stops between Stadelhofen and Wetzikon only in Uster.
* S6 Baden AG–Regensdorf-Watt–Hardbrücke–Zürich HB–Uetikon
* S7 Winterthur–Kloten–Hardbrücke–Zürich HB–Meilen–Rapperswil Operates non stop between Stadelhofen and Meilen, Winterthur and Effretikon, stops in Kemptthal as of 9:20 PM.
* S9 (Schaffhausen–) Rafz–Hardbrücke–Zürich HB–Uster Operates every 30 minutes between Schaffhausen and Rafz only during rush hour, otherwise every hours.
* S11 Aarau–Lenzburg–Dietikon–Zürich HB–Zürich Stettbach–Winterthur–Seuzach/Sennhof-Kyburg (–Wila) Operates non stop between Stettbach and Winterthur; the lines to Seuzach and Sennhof-Kyburg are operated alternately at hourly intervals; supplementary trains to Wila.
* S12 Brugg AG–Zürich HB–Zürich Stettbach– Winterthur–Schaffhausen/Wil SG Operates non stop between Stettbach and Winterthur; the lines to Schaffhausen and Wil SG are operated alternately at hourly intervals.
* S15 Niederweningen–Hardbrücke–Zürich HB–Uster–Wetzikon–Rapperswil Stops between Stadelhofen and Wetzikon only in Uster.
* S16 Zürich Flughafen –Hardbrücke–Zürich HB–Herrliberg-Feldmeilen (–Meilen) Extended in the evening to Meilen.
* S20 Uerikon–Zürich HB–Hardbrücke Operates only during rush hour; stops between Männedorf and Stadelhofen only in Meilen and Küsnacht ZH.
* S21 Regensdorf-Watt–Hardbrücke–Zürich HB Operates only during rush hour; non-stop between Oerlikon and Regensdorf-Watt; morning services to Zürich HB and evening services to Regensdorf-Wall also stop in Zürich Affoltern.
During weekends, there are five nighttime S-Bahn services (SN1, SN5, SN6, SN7, SN9) calling at Hardbrücke station, offered by ZVV:
* SN1: hourly service between Aarau and Winterthur via Zürich HB.
* SN5: hourly service between Knonau and Pfäffikon SZ via Zürich HB.
* SN6: hourly service between Würenlos and Winterthur via Zürich HB.
* SN7: hourly service between Bassersdorf and Stäfa via Zürich HB.
* SN9: hourly service between Bülach and Uster via Zürich HB.