On the road with the Red Double Arrow Churchill

The Red Double Arrow "Churchill" on its four-bridge journey. Here on the Rhine Falls Bridge in Schaffhausen.It is reminiscent of a London bus. The same red, the windows, the contours - only it is not double-decker. It's called the Double Arrow because the nose is both front and rear, and for decades it was one of the fastest trains in the world. SBB belonged. It got its nickname Churchill from the British wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who needed the train for his stay in Switzerland in 1946. The vehicle was put into service in 1939 to promote itself as an example of Swiss workmanship and a prestige object at the Swiss National Exhibition of the time. For many years, the train served merely as an exhibit. In December 2002, the second maiden voyage of the Red Double Arrow "Churchill" took place. This year the vehicle celebrates its 75th birthday.As a supplement to the seminarSBB's oldest road-going railcar is still on the road today. Due to its historical value and its special ambience, the red double arrow is often booked for private and business events. "The train is particularly suitable for celebrations. This includes employee outings, incentive trips or travel to conferences," explains Daniel Furter, Market Manager Charter at RailAway AG. For seminars during the trip, he recommends the conference coaches "Le Salon de Luxe". Since their equipment is more diverse, he says.A journey of experienceThe "Churchill" is air-conditioned and seats 110 guests and a tour guide with 27 tables for four and one table for three. The seats are comfortably upholstered and the tables each have separate lighting. A speaker system with CD player can provide musical accompaniment to the ride. Other audio players can also be connected. A wireless handheld microphone for greetings and announcements is also available. "In the integrated kitchen and with the spacious bar, the railroad caterers elvetino and dine&shine fulfill culinary wishes of the guests," Furter said. As a special attraction, guests are allowed into the driver's cab during the ride.Route with panoramaFurter describes what an employee event might look like: "The 'Four Bridges' round trip starts in Zurich. Starting with the red carpet on the platform, through the special stops on the bridges, and ending with a fine meal." The scenic highlights of the trip are Laufen Castle, the Rhine Falls and the four bridges over the Rhine, including the one at the Rhine Falls. After Schaffhausen, once again crossing the Rhine, the train continues to Stein am Rhein, from where you can see Hohenklingen Castle. In Steckborn the train turns around and you have a wonderful view of Lake Constance. During the round trip, the train caterer serves a menu. The Red Double Arrow "Churchill" can operate on the entire standard gauge network of Switzerland. In addition, however, it can often use more scenic disused SBB track sections. But the route can also be customized. "All offers in the charter sector can be individualized according to the customer's wishes. The departure time, destination and final station as well as any intermediate stops can be customized. The journeys can be supplemented with intermediate stops for activities, social programs, conferences or overnight stays, depending on requirements.Especially for seminarsSince the Red Double Arrow "Churchill" is always in service as an extra train with an individual timetable, it cannot be combined with other cars. In this regard, SBB has charter cars that are especially suitable for seminars. "The two salon cars 'Le Salon de Luxe' are probably the two cars with the greatest surprise potential. They are not only used by federal councillors for extra trips with foreign state guests, but also meet a wide variety of needs thanks to their many options," says Daniel Furter. With comfortable armchairs, three-person sofas and side tables or tables and chairs, the cars can be individually furnished. The lighting can also be rearranged for different lighting situations. Author: Melanie Granados