Almost everyone in Switzerland has already driven in it: the SBB standard car IV (EW IV). For decades, the wagons formed the backbone of long-distance transport in Switzerland. Actually, the recently modernized cars should have remained in use until the 2030s.
Now, however, the wagons are being scrapped by the SBB earlier than planned. This is reported by the “NZZ”. Around a hundred cars are to be replaced early. The Bundesbahnen used 60 additional double-decker trains from the Thurgau train builder Stadler as a replacement. With their delivery, the EW IV is to be gradually reduced until around 2027.
The car model last made headlines in 2019. At that time there was a fatal incident in Baden train station in which a train conductor was killed. The reason for this was a defect in the door's anti-trap protection. As a result, the SBB had to check 1,832 doors on the wagons. The technicians discovered other doors on which the anti-trap protection was defective.
The reason for the faster change of car is not the accident, but the Disability Equality Act. The guidelines of the Federal Office of Transport stipulate that by the end of 2023 there must be at least one train per hour and per direction on each long-distance route that has a level entry point. The EW IV cannot meet this requirement.