Arbalète (train)

The Arbalète (alternatively written L'Arbalète)^[1] was an express train that linked Paris-Est in Paris, France, with Zürich HB in Zurich, Switzerland. Introduced in 1957, it was operated by the SNCF and the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB-CFF-FFS).

Arbalète

Overview
Service type	Trans Europ Express (TEE) (1957–1979) InterCity (IC) (1979–1987) EuroCity (EC) (1987–1997)
Status	Replaced by a TGV
Locale	France Switzerland
First service	2 June 1957 (1957-06-02)
Last service	28 September 1997 (1997-09-28)
Former operator(s)	SNCF SBB-CFF-FFS
Route
Termini	Paris-Est Zürich HB
Service frequency	Daily
Technical
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Electrification	15 kV AC, 16.7 Hz (Basel SBB–Zürich HB)
Route map

The train was named after the crossbow used by William Tell to hit the apple on his son's head.

Originally, and for 22 years, the Arbalète was a first-class-only Trans Europ Express (TEE). On 27 May 1979, it became a two-class InterCity (IC) train,^[2] and on 31 May 1987, it was included in the then-new EuroCity (EC) network.^[3] It was discontinued in September 1997, replaced by a TGV service that was routed via Pontarlier and Bern instead of Mulhouse and Basel.

See also

• History of rail transport in France
• History of rail transport in Switzerland
• List of named passenger trains of Europe