Red Arrow (Swiss train)

The Red Arrow (German: Roter Pfeil, French: Flèche rouge, Italian: Freccia rossa) were railcars built in the 1930s by the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB). They were intended for traffic on lines with a low volume of traffic, following the global economic crisis of 1928. With increasing demand, the railcars had to be replaced by light express trains. Capable of speeds up to 150km/h, the double Red Arrow Re 4/8 301 was presented at the 1939 Swiss National Exhibition to showcase Swiss workmanship.[1] In 1946 Swiss businessmen invited Winston Churchill into painting holidays at the shores of Lake Geneva for which the Red Arrow was provided for his use.[2] With the train Churchill visited several cities like Bern or Zurich where he held an inspiring speech.[2] Since the train was also known as the Churchill Arrow. It was strongly damaged in a fire in 1979 after which it was sold.[2] in 1996 the train was repaired and came into service of the Mittelthurgau railways until they went bankrupt.[2] In 2002 the train returned to the SBB.[2] A few Red Arrows are still occasionally operated by SBB Historic.

The SBB RAe 4/8 Red Arrow crossing the Feuerthalen Rhine bridge in April 2018

The only preserved two car Red Arrow at Zürich Hauptbahnhof in 2014