In order to implement the Schaffhausen commuter railway and give the people of Schaffhausen more trains, Deutsche Bahn AG is extending the line between Schaffhausen and Erzingen. At the same time, overhead lines are being built to allow electric operations in the future. Around six kilometres of this electrification of the stretch of the Upper Rhine Railway (Hochrheinbahn), most of which is on Swiss soil, is being handled by Kummler+Matter AG.
What made this job special: the masts were erected using helicopters – a method which pays off when a large number of masts need to be positioned within a short space of time. The Kummer+Matter AG fitters have the job under control: on 20 June 2013, 98 masts were erected within 4 hours! Precise preparations involving getting all the masts ready in the right order were absolutely crucial.
The fitting of the overhead lines is currently progressing at speed, the plan is to open the line and put it into service on 5 October 2013.