Key takeaways
- The association maintains not just vehicles but the infrastructure – track, bridges and signalling are part of the job.
- The line is standard gauge and has no overhead line; services run with diesel and occasionally steam traction.
- It crosses a national border – heritage services between Switzerland and Germany on one line.
- The Rhine bridge at Hemishofen is the defining structure and the reason the line holds together at all.
- Operating days and vehicles change every season. Without checking the current programme you'll travel for nothing.
Contents
Fact file
| Organisational form | Association that also maintains the line itself |
|---|---|
| Gauge | 1435 mm standard gauge, not electrified |
| Route | Etzwilen (TG) – Ramsen – Hemishofen (SH) – Rielasingen – Singen (Hohentwiel) |
| Line length | under twenty kilometres, including a Rhine crossing |
| Specialism | cross-border heritage line between Switzerland and Germany |
| Structure | railway bridge at Hemishofen over the Rhine |
| Type of operation | diesel and steam traction on special and heritage services |
| Season | summer half-year, services run to a programme |
| Official website | www.etzwilen-singen.ch |
Business areas
History at a glance
How to recognise Verein zur Erhaltung der Bahnlinie Etzwilen–Singen
Does the train really belong to Verein zur Erhaltung der Bahnlinie Etzwilen–Singen?
- Standard gauge without overhead line – a sight that has become rare in the Swiss lowlands
- Steel truss bridge over the Rhine at Hemishofen as an unmistakable landmark
- The border runs right across the line: the same trip starts in Switzerland and ends in Germany
- Branch-line character with simple stations, semaphore signals and little technology
- Diesel traction as the rule, steam only on advertised services
- Connections to two networks: regular Thurgau services in the south, the German hub of Singen in the north
Strengths and weaknesses
What the company stands for
- Cross-border heritage services are a rarity across Europe
- The Rhine bridge provides a subject that no other heritage railway can offer
- Standard gauge without overhead wire – an unobstructed view of vehicle and train
- Regular services connect at both ends, so you can travel there by train
- The line is also used by outside special trains, which widens the range of vehicles
Where it falls short
- Services run on only a few days during the summer half-year
- Which vehicles are used is hard to predict and changes depending on the organiser
- An association maintaining an entire line is permanently working at the edge of its capacity
- Cross-border operation brings extra regulatory effort and limits flexibility
- Few publicly accessible viewpoints along the most attractive stretches of line
Updated: August 2026 – Heritage railways usually end where their responsibility ends. The Verein zur Erhaltung der Bahnlinie Etzwilen–Singen chose the harder path: its line crosses a national border and, along the way, the Rhine on a steel truss bridge. It’s standard gauge, has no overhead line – and the association maintains it itself.
Document cross-border special trains
Vehicle, place and date logged straight away – especially useful for trains that only ever run once.
An association that owns a line
Most heritage railway associations collect vehicles and rent track access. Here the weighting is the other way round: the line itself is the centre of it all. When freight traffic ended, the link faced demolition – and an association took it over, structures included, precisely to prevent that.
That sounds like a formality, but it’s the core of the whole project. Whoever maintains a line is responsible for track alignment, sleepers, points, level crossings, signalling and bridges. That work has to be done whether trains run or not, and it has to be done every year. For the number of operating days, that means a hard limit: the association puts a substantial share of its capacity into maintenance rather than into running trains.
Route, border and bridge
The line runs from Etzwilen in the canton of Thurgau via Ramsen and Hemishofen in the canton of Schaffhausen to Rielasingen and on to Singen (Hohentwiel) in Baden-Württemberg. It measures under twenty kilometres, yet still has more operational quirks than many a main line.
The central structure is the steel truss bridge over the Rhine at Hemishofen. Without it the line would fall apart into two unconnected remnants – its restoration was therefore the precondition for everything else. For photographers it’s also the unique selling point: a heritage train on a Rhine bridge is an image no other heritage railway can deliver.
Then there’s the border. Two national rulebooks on one line mean different approval requirements for vehicles, different qualifications for staff and different operating rules. Heritage services crossing a national border exist only a handful of times in Europe – and always because someone deliberately takes on the extra effort.
At both ends the line connects to regular services. On the Swiss side, Thurbo serves the regional lines in Thurgau among others, while on the German side Singen is a hub with connections in several directions. For planning an outing, that means you can travel there by train and photograph both heritage and regular services on the same day – a combination that remote heritage railways can’t offer. Which special trains are actually running is best checked in advance via the routes described in the guide to special trains and charter services.
No overhead wire, a cleaner shot
In Switzerland, practically every track runs under an overhead line. Not here. That means no masts in the foreground, no catenary above the roofline, no shadow falling across the boiler. For vehicle photography, an unelectrified standard-gauge line in the lowlands is a rare luxury – make use of it for clean side-on shots.
Who runs here – and why that changes
This question is less fixed here than at a heritage railway with a closed, self-contained fleet – and that’s a feature, not a shortcoming. Because the line is standard gauge and connects to the network at both ends, outside special trains can run on it. What runs, then, also depends on who is organising a service at the time.
| Type of train | Traction | Frequency | Predictability |
|---|---|---|---|
| The association’s own heritage services | diesel, some steam | on the season’s operating days | good, via the programme |
| Special trains run by others | varies, steam included | scattered individually through the year | low, often short-notice |
| Engineering and works trains | diesel, road-rail vehicles | irregular | none |
| Regular services | none on this line | not applicable | not applicable |
| Connecting services at the ends | electric, standard vehicles | to a regular timetable | very good |
This page doesn’t name specific locomotive numbers. On a line open to outside organisers, any such list would be out of date after one season. What’s reliable is the class level: historic post-war railcars such as the Uerdingen railbus, diesel locomotives from branch-line service, and on steam services freight-train classes such as the Class 50. For heavy boiler work on such machines, the Dampflokwerk Meiningen is the main address in central Europe.
Don't miss the operating dates
Cross-border special services are rare – keep track of the ones you've already caught.
How to plan an outing at the line
Check the operating programme first
Nothing happens here without an operating day. The line is closed to regular traffic – only advertised services run.
Plan the bridge shot first
The Rhine crossing is the shot you're coming for. Everything else falls into place around it – check beforehand where it's actually visible from.
Check sun position against the direction of travel
The line runs predominantly in one direction. Whether your train arrives in backlight or side light depends on the time of day – method covered in planning sun position.
Think about the journey from both ends
Etzwilen sits on the Swiss regional network, Singen is a German hub. Depending on your shot plan, either side can be worth using as a base.
Bring identity documents
The line crosses a national border. Even with open borders, carry what you'd need for a check.
Is the trip worth it on this day?
A relative comparison value, not a guarantee – heritage services remain weather- and equipment-dependent.
Who the line suits
Go, if you …
- are after a structure shot that doesn't exist anywhere else
- want to photograph standard-gauge operation without overhead wire
- follow cross-border traffic as a subject
Check first, if you …
- want to see a particular type of traction – steam is the exception
- are travelling spontaneously: without an operating day, the line stands still
- are limited to a short stay
Better elsewhere, if you …
- collect daily operation and variety of vehicles
- focus on narrow-gauge and steam operation
- are in the region during the winter half-year
Anyone wanting to fill out the same day with regular services has it easy at both ends. Singen is a hub with several directions, and on the Swiss side lies the dense regional network. How to use border stations generally as a spotting destination is covered in the article on border stations.
The bridge isn't a viewpoint
A railway bridge is operational infrastructure, even if a train rarely runs across it. Walking onto it is forbidden and dangerous – the same goes for the track, level crossings outside the designated path, and operational areas. Photograph from public paths and riverbank areas. What generally applies at the trackside is covered in the article on keeping a safe distance from the track.
Conclusion
This line still exists because an association chose to rescue not just vehicles, but infrastructure. That’s the harder path, and it explains every feature of today’s operation: few operating days, a lot of maintenance, high dependence on volunteer work.
For spotters the result is attractive all the same. A standard-gauge branch line without overhead wire, with a Rhine bridge and a national border along the way – there’s nothing else quite like it. You just have to be there at the right time.
Anyone wanting to get to know the Swiss heritage railway landscape more broadly should compare the three basic models: the collection with its own train service at the Museumsbahn Blonay–Chamby, the museum without its own trains alongside an active line at the Bahnmuseum Albula, and line preservation as the core task, as here. All three preserve railway history, but they do it with completely different means.
In short
Standard gauge, no overhead wire, two countries and a Rhine bridge. One association carries the line and the operation at once – check the operating programme, or the line stands still.
Catch every rare service
Cross-border heritage trains don't run often – document every single one.
Summary
- A discontinued branch line has become a heritage line because an association took over the infrastructure instead of just collecting vehicles.
- Cross-border operation makes the line technically and organisationally demanding – and precisely because of that, special.
- For photographers the Rhine bridge is the anchor; around it the line offers quiet branch-line character without overhead wire.
- Because outside special trains also use the line, the range of vehicles is wider than at a heritage railway with its own fleet.
Frequently asked questions
Where does the Etzwilen–Singen line run?
From Etzwilen in the canton of Thurgau via Ramsen and Hemishofen in the canton of Schaffhausen to Rielasingen and Singen (Hohentwiel) in Baden-Württemberg. That makes it one of the few heritage lines in Europe to cross a national border. Between Hemishofen and the border lies the Rhine crossing – the defining structure of the whole line.
Is the line electrified?
No. It is standard gauge, but without an overhead line. That's unusual in Switzerland, where practically the entire network runs under overhead wire, and it's an advantage for photographers: no masts, no catenary, an unobstructed view of vehicle and train. Services therefore run with diesel or steam traction.
Which vehicles run there?
That changes more than at most heritage railways. The association runs its own vehicles, but also makes the line available for special trains run by others. That brings vehicles that aren't part of the fleet – from historic railcars to steam trains. How to actually find such services is covered in the guide Finding special trains and charter services.
What is the Rhine bridge at Hemishofen?
A steel truss bridge that crosses the Rhine between Stein am Rhein and Ramsen. For the heritage railway it's essential: without the bridge the line would fall apart into two unconnected remnants. Its upkeep ties up a considerable part of the association's work – a structure of this size is no side task for a few weekends.
Who operates the line?
An association that has taken on the role of an infrastructure manager. That sets it apart from heritage railways that collect vehicles and rent track access: here, track, bridges, points and signalling are its own responsibility. The effort this requires explains why the number of operating days stays limited.
When do services run?
During the summer half-year, on individual days according to a programme. Specific dates and times are deliberately not given here, because they're set anew every season and short-notice changes are normal for a volunteer-run operation. Check the current operating programme before you travel.
How do I get there by train?
Both ends connect to regular services. On the Swiss side you reach Etzwilen via the regional lines in Thurgau, on which Thurbo runs among others. On the German side, Singen (Hohentwiel) is a larger hub with connections towards the Black Forest, the High Rhine and Stuttgart – and worth a stop in its own right.
Why is cross-border heritage traffic so rare?
Because two national rulebooks meet. Vehicle approval, staff qualifications, signalling and operating rules differ between countries. A heritage railway running across a border has to satisfy both. That's why there are only a handful of such lines in Europe – and why this one is remarkable.
Is the line worthwhile for photographers?
Yes, for two reasons: no overhead line and an exceptional structure. Without masts and catenary, every vehicle shot looks cleaner, and the Rhine bridge provides a subject no other heritage railway has. The viewpoints lie on public paths – the bridge, track and operational areas themselves are off-limits.
How does this differ from a narrow-gauge heritage railway?
Considerably. A metre-gauge railway such as the Museumsbahn Blonay–Chamby works with its own, historically self-contained fleet. A standard-gauge line without overhead wire, by contrast, can be used by any special train that can get there. That makes the range of vehicles more varied, but also less predictable.
Log vehicles from Verein zur Erhaltung der Bahnlinie Etzwilen–Singen
Company, vehicle, location and date logged in seconds – and visible to the community.
The operational level in the railway operator database
Who actually runs the trains, with keeper markings and identifying features on the vehicle.
Thurbo AG
Thurbo AG runs regional passenger rail services. Its made-up name is a textbook case of how regional companies present themselves in rail operations – and why the data panel matters more than the lettering.
Long-distanceSchweizerische Bundesbahnen (SBB)
The Swiss Federal Railways are the state railway of Switzerland and present across the whole country. This page shows what that means for the network and how to recognise its vehicles.
FreightSBB Cargo AG
SBB Cargo AG operates rail freight transport in Switzerland. Anyone looking for its trains should understand how traffic bunches on the approach lines to the base tunnels.
Typical vehicles
Class VT 98 (Uerdinger Railbus)
The VT 98 is Germany's best-known railbus: two axles, tall build, running with trailers and driving trailers. Today it survives almost only in heritage service – here's how to spot it.
ClassSBB Am 843
The Am 843 is the SBB's four-axle diesel locomotive for shunting, engineering and main-line duty. This page explains the designation and the recognition features.
ClassClass 50
Class 50 is the most successful German freight steam locomotive: over 3,000 built, five coupled axles, low axle load. Today it only runs in heritage service.
Where you will find Verein zur Erhaltung der Bahnlinie Etzwilen–Singen
Spotting locations where you will regularly come across vehicles from this organisation – with viewpoints, the best light and coordinates.
Basel SBB
No other station in Europe brings three national rail systems together as tightly as Basel. Swiss long-distance trains, its own French station section, and just a few tram minutes away a station on Swiss soil operated by DB – plus the most important north-south freight hub on the Alpine route.
Junction stationZürich Hauptbahnhof
Zürich HB is Switzerland's busiest station and, at the same time, one of its most complicated: above-ground head-end tracks, two underground stations and its own suburban railway one level further down. Once you understand the hub principle, you'll see more here in twenty minutes than elsewhere in two hours.
More companies
Museumsbahn Blonay–Chamby
The Blonay–Chamby museum railway links two active metre-gauge networks over the slopes above Lake Geneva across just a few kilometres. The association runs steam and electric traction on its own line – and alongside that maintains one of the most extensive collections of historic narrow-gauge vehicles in Switzerland.
Heritage railwayBahnmuseum Albula
The Bahnmuseum Albula in Bergün is an exception among heritage railways: it owns no line of its own and runs no trains of its own. The attraction is outside – the metre-gauge Albula line of the Rhaetian Railway runs past the building to a regular timetable, UNESCO World Heritage status included.
State railwaySchweizerische Bundesbahnen (SBB)
SBB doesn't label its vehicles with a class number but with a combination of letters that codes speed, coach class and type of traction. Anyone who can read Re, RABe and Ee identifies a Swiss vehicle faster than any database lookup.
ManufacturerDampflokwerk Meiningen
In Meiningen stands the works that operational steam in Germany depends on. Here complete steam locomotive boilers are built from scratch, here major overhauls are carried out – and here it's decided which historic machine will still be under steam in the years ahead.
Related guides from the blog
- Finding Special Trains and Charter Runs: Never Miss One Again
- How Do You Photograph Steam Trains? The Ultimate Guide to Steam Train Photography (Equipment, Settings, Light, Spots)
- Spotting Border Stations: Where Foreign Trains Enter Germany
- Safety Distance at the Track: The Rules That Save Lives
- Planning Sun Position at a Photo Spot: Light Instead of Luck
