#3787· SBB Re 4/4 II

SBB Re 420

🇨🇭 Switzerland ·built by Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works· from 1964· class of 277 Swiss electric locomotives

10 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences

1. 20060731-204905.Re 420 in Zürich: Cacetudo· CC BY-SA 2.5
2. BLS Re 420.5: Titane8226· CC BY 3.0
3. SBB Re 421: Heitersberg· CC BY-SA 4.0
4. 05.06.2016 - SBB Re 420 Nr. 11122 in Kreuzlingen (2016): JoachimKohler-HB· CC BY-SA 4.0
5. 06.12.99 Zürich HB SBB Re4 4 11283 (42326990874): Phil Richards from London, UK· CC BY-SA 2.0
6. 07.07.93 Sonceboz-Sombeval SBB Re 4-4¹¹ 11343 (14479915573): Phil Richards from London, UK· CC BY-SA 2.0
7. 09.08.88 Zurich HB SBB Re 4-4¹¹ 11381 (12684810715): Phil Richards from London, UK· CC BY-SA 2.0
8. 10 02 91 Zürich HB SBB Re 4-4 II 11322: Phil Richards from London, UK, Plutowiki· CC BY-SA 2.0
9. 12.11.98 Brig Re4 4¹¹ 11349 (6298730471): Phil Richards from London, UK· CC BY-SA 2.0
10. 12 FFS Re 4-4 II 11141 Brig 150916: NAC· CC BY-SA 4.0

what is it?

The Re 420, originally and still widely called Re 4/4II, are a series of versatile standard gauge electric locomotives of Swiss Federal Railways (SBB CFF FFS), but are also used by BLS AG (BLS Re 420.5) and private companies (previously also by the Swiss Südostbahn, SOB). They were produced over a period of 21 years, from 1964 to 1985, and are currently used mainly for freight operations but still also for some push-pull passenger train services. It is the largest series of locomotives of Swiss Federal Railways, and they are the most common type of locomotive in Switzerland.

who runs it

Swiss Federal Railways BLS AG Südostbahn Regionalverkehr Mittelland Bière–Apples–Morges railway Wil–Kreuzlingen railway line Travys SBB Cargo

base stats

speed 140 km/htop speed
power 4.7 MWpower output
built 277made in total

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 62 years ago, in 1964.
Top speed is 1.1× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
4.7 MW is about 55 family cars (~85 kW each) flat out.
15.4 m long: about 3 cars parked nose to tail.

electric locomotive: Draws power from overhead wires or a third rail and pulls separate carriages.

spec sheet

built: 1964–1985
in service from: 1964
number built: 277
kind: Electric
traction: electric
origin: 🇨🇭 Switzerland
builders: Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works, Brown, Boveri & Cie, Oerlikon Works, Société Anonyme des Ateliers de Sécheron
operators: Swiss Federal Railways, BLS AG, Südostbahn, Regionalverkehr Mittelland, Bière–Apples–Morges railway, Wil–Kreuzlingen railway line, Travys, SBB Cargo
top speed: 140 km/h
power: 4.7 MW
gauge: 1,435 mm standard gauge
electric system: Catenary
wheel arrangement: Bo′Bo′
length: 15.4 m
nicknames: Bo'Bo'
Dutch name: SBB Re 4/4 II

From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.

Sources: Wikidata Q672390, Wikipedia: SBB Re 420 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.