3 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. RAeTEEAirolo: Stéphane Gottraux , CH-2350 Saignelégier, Switzerland· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2. FFS RAe 1051 presso Lavorgo: maurizio messa· CC BY-SA 2.0
- 3. SBB RAe TEE II Silenen - Erstfeld: Kabelleger / David Gubler· CC BY-SA 4.0
what is it?
The RAe TEE II, later known as RABe EC, is a type of high-speed electric multiple unit trainset of the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB), which was used from the 1960s until the 1980s on several Trans Europ Express services. After conversion from first-class-only to two-class configuration, the trainsets continued in use on EuroCity or other services until 1999. It was designed to be compatible with four different railway electrification systems (different voltages in the overhead lines), used by various countries in Europe, allowing it to operate on long international routes.
who runs it
base stats
Bars compare against all trains: 600 km/h (maglev), 1,700 seats; power, weight and number built on a log scale up to 20 MW, 1,000 t and 20,000 built.
fun facts
- First built 65 years ago, in 1961.
- Top speed is 1.2× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
- At full speed it would cover Amsterdam–Utrecht (≈ 40 km) in 15 minutes.
- 125 m long: about 28 cars parked nose to tail.
- Seats 192: 4 full city buses (~50 seats each).
- Served for 38 years (1961–1999).
multiple unit: A self-propelled train: motors are spread under the passenger cars, so no separate locomotive.
spec sheet
- built
- 1961
- in service from
- 1961
- retired
- 1999
- status
- retired
- number built
- 5
- kind
- multiple unit
- traction
- electric
- origin
- 🇨🇭 Switzerland
- builders
- SIG Group, Oerlikon Works
- operators
- Swiss Federal Railways
- top speed
- 160 km/h
- power
- —
- formation
- as built: At-Re-WR-A-At, later: At-A-Re-WR-A-At
- length
- 125 m
- capacity
- 192 passengers
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q672609, Wikipedia: SBB RAe TEE II (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.