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Zürich Hauptbahnhof (Zürich HB)
	; Zürich Hauptbahnhof viewed from the east.
Station statistics
Coordinates	47°22′40″N 8°32′25″E / 47.37778°N 8.54028°E
Platforms	16 long distance (3-18); 10 Zürich S-Bahn (1-2, 21-24, 51-54)
Other information
Opened	1847-08-09
Traffic
Passengers (2004)	340,000 daily

Zürich Hauptbahnhof Statistics
Tracks "Long Distance"	16* tracks 3 to 18, Street Level *2 tracks permanently closed
Tracks "S-Bahn"	10 tracks 1+2, 21 to 24 underground tracks 51–54 Street level
Trains (daily number of arrivals and departures)	Long Distance: 884 (tracks 3–18) S-Bahn: 442 (tracks 51–54) 1281 (tracks 21–24) 308 (tracks 1+2, SZU) Total: 2915 trains
Shunting moves (daily)	about 5000 (incl. yards)
Switches and Signals	Switches: 799 dwarf Signals: 791 Main Signals: 177

Zürich Hauptbahnhof (often shortened to Zürich HB) or Zürich Main Station is the largest railway station in Zürich. Centrally situated within the city, it accommodates trains from all over Switzerland and neighboring European countries such as France, Italy, Austria and Germany.

The ground floor has 20 tracks (Tracks 3 - 18 and 51 - 54). Tracks 3 - 18 are for trains coming from major areas in Switzerland as well as most, if not all, international trains, such as the EuroCity, Cisalpino, TGV and InterCityExpress. Tracks 51 - 54 are used by Zürich S-Bahn trains and extra rush hour trains travelling via Zürich Enge and/or Zürich Wipkingen.

One floor below lie two tracks (Tracks 1 and 2), for the exclusive usage of SZU S-Bahn trains, which head west and south towards Üetliberg and the Sihl valley.

Another floor below there are four tracks catering mainly to regional trains in the canton. The S-Bahn trains that travel via Zürich Stadelhofen use the four tracks (Tracks 21 to 24). Zürich Hauptbahnhof is a nodal point where the S-Bahn Zürich lines S2, S3, S5, S6, S7, S8, S9, S12, S14, S15, S16, S21 and S24, the Sihltal Zürich Uetliberg Bahn (S4 and S10) and Zürich trams interconnect. Train connections to Zürich Stadelhofen, Zürich Hardbrücke, Zürich Oerlikon and Zürich Enge are very frequent, and the ride takes only few minutes.

Until 1991, this station was just a terminus station which did not permit traffic to go through the station. In 1991, an underground passage was opened to enable S-Bahn trains to proceed to Zurich Stadelhofen.

Zurich HB is served by more than 2,700 daily trains. The station is busy at all times, with trains running as early as 5 AM and as late as 1 AM during the week. From Friday night to Sunday morning, the trains run all day and all night as part of the ZVV Nachtnetz (night network).

The main station is accessible from four tram and bus stations:

Sihlquai to the north, tram lines 4 and 13;
Bahnhofquai to the east, tram lines 4, 11, 13 and 14 and bus 46;
Bahnhofplatz to the south, tram lines 3, 6, 10, 14 and bus 31;
Bahnhofstrasse just south of Bahnhofplatz, tram lines 6, 7, 11 and 13;
Sihlpost to the south-west, tram lines 3 and 14 and bus 31.

The station is home to a large underground shopping centre called "ShopVille" of over 200 shops or other businesses. It benefits from the Swiss employment law rule that while generally labor on Sundays is not allowed, it is allowed in "centres of public transport"^[2]. The huge underground "Rail City" is, therefore, usually bustling on Sundays even while the streets of Zurich are largely empty.

[edit] Gallery

Entrance/exit onto Bahnhofstrasse	Main hall (Haupthalle) at ground level	Main hall	Ground level platforms
Underground level (Halle Landesmuseum)	Underground