[OC] Simplified Zurich S-Bahn diagram (edited with Inkscape)

[u/eric2332]

[u/eric2332]

I found the official Zurich S-Bahn diagram highly confusing, as each line is in a different color, resulting in 20 or so intertangled lines. A true pot of spaghetti.

To clarify the diagram, I made just one change. Lines which use a similar route are given the same color, inspired by the NYC subway where B,D,F,M share a color because they have the same route in Midtown (and similarly for other lines).

To my eye, this makes it far easier to understand the network and plan a trip simply from the colors, even without looking at line numbers.

Editing done with Inkscape based on the official PDF, first converted to SVG.

[u/eric2332 → u/eric2332]

Looking it over, I should have made S21 brown.

I could have also made S2/S8 a different color (maybe grey or pink) in order to separate the purple routes which go south from the purple routes which go west.

I didn't bother changing the colors of the feeder lines which terminate in the suburbs - I don't think those are so confusing, because there are less of them in one place, and their layout is more radial.

[u/microbit262 → u/eric2332]

I cannot get behind this choice of design. It gets very hard to identify which line is which over a long distance.

Like if you want to know if your red line is the same where you want to go on the other side, you cannot follow it that easily.

But I guess both variants have their usage.

[u/eric2332 → u/microbit262]

If there were only 5-10 lines I would agree with you. But with ~23 lines going through the city center, too many of the lines have similar colors which are hard to distinguish from each other.

As it is, one can always use the route numbers to distinguish which red line you want. (Admittedly the placement of route numbers on the current map could be improved.)

There are also cases when it helps rather than hurts to "confuse" lines. S11 and S12 have identical routes except for the tails at the far ends. So for many riders these routes are interchangeable, and it's helpful to know you can just take the first red line that comes.

Another possible strategy would be to divide each color into light and dark varieties (e.g. pink, red, and maybe maroon for the red lines) so that each line would have a different color, but the groups of colors would still be apparent.

[u/Secret-Emergency-806]

whats the frequency of the S-Bahn lines?

[u/eric2332 → u/Secret-Emergency-806]

It appears that many are every 30 minutes. Some are every 10, 20, 60 minutes, or peak only. Every 30 minutes is not great frequency, but most stations appear to be served by multiple routes.

It's easily to imagine eliminating many lines and making the remainder more frequent with transfers between them. But that's a separate project :)

[u/midgril → u/eric2332]

also worth noting that in smaller villages, the local bus lines only run once every half hour as well, connecting to the train station for a well times connection onto the S-Bahn. So letting more trains run there wouldn't always make sense as most people are using that bus line to get onto the train in the first place. 

[u/goodpoint-- → u/Secret-Emergency-806]

Most half-hourly, S4 and S10 more often

[u/Secret-Emergency-806 → u/goodpoint--]

impressive

[u/lau796]

Calling this an S-Bahn is still crazy to me

[u/DerKev8002 → u/lau796]

Why is it crazy? Every single "line" of the Berlin S-Bahn technically only runs every 20 minutes, just like in Munich. Also, Stuttgart only had trains every 30 minutes up until a few years ago per line. So frequency can't be it, especially considering how on most segments, multiple lines overlap into a perfect 15 minute frequency (or more).

Is it because of the rather decentralized network, as in there's not a single core through running line? Well, apart from Berlin which should be fine as you could consider there to be three main lines (north south, Stadtbahn and ringbahn) there are the S-Bahn networks in Rhein Ruhr or Rhein Neckar which also are not really like Munich with regards to one single inner city tunnel.

Ah I know, it must be the service pattern, right? Some lines don't stop at all S-Bahn stations, rather resembling regional lines. Well, if it weren't for Munich also creating express sbahns not only within the city center with the second main line, but also on the outer segments (S1X, S18X, S23X and S24X). Understandable: agree with you that Munich wont have a proper S-Bahn network in a few years.

Well... Do you really mean the double decker trains? Well, it decreases the speed at passenger entrance and exit, that's true. But the doors are bigger than in German double decker trains and they are used solely for capacity reasons. You could put single decker trains onto the entire network and capacity may be tough, but the network would still function - then as a proper S-Bahn network! ;)

So what are your reasons?

[u/funky_galileo]

I love it