Early years After two years of planning, the station was opened in 1855, together with the first stage of the Winterthur–Romanshorn railway, of which it was a terminus. Also in 1855, the
station building was erected, according to plans by
Johann Jakob Breitinger. In 1869, the
Swiss Northeastern Railway () put into service the
Seelinie between Romanshorn and
Rorschach. In the same year, the
Lake Constance train ferry was established, for cross-border goods traffic to and from Germany between Romanshorn and
Friedrichshafen, and between
Lindau and
Bregenz. In 1871, the railway connection with
Kreuzlingen Hafen and over the border to
Konstanz was handed over to traffic. On 1 October 1910, the
Bodensee-Toggenburg-Bahn opened the line to
Nesslau, via
St. Gallen and
Wattwil. The
train ferry to Lindau and Bregenz was suspended with the outbreak of World War II, and the link with Friedrichshafen was discontinued in 1976, after 107 years of operation.
Modernisation 2001–2003 After a major renovation at the beginning of the 20th century, almost no significant modifications were made to the passenger station for nearly 90 years. Around the turn of the millennium, the signals and points (switches) at the station were still controlled by
signal boxes equipped with mechanical
lever frames made by the
Braunschweig firm of Jüdel in 1912. The southern station throat was spanned by the last
signal gantry in Switzerland. Also, the public facilities were outdated, and access to tracks 5 and 6 was via a level crossing, which was secured by the legendary "
Chetteli", i.e. chains and a roller shutter. To enable interchange with the ferries, trains to and from Zürich had to be moved during their layovers, make the pathway to the ferry terminal accessible. The SBB-CFF-FFS therefore decided to make an investment of 50 million francs in the modernization of the station. The contribution to be made by the local community was approved in a referendum with an 86 percent "yes" vote. The modernisation work began in the summer of 2001, and lasted until the end of November 2003. Track 1, the
locomotive shed dating from 1900, various other buildings and the tracks of the former
goods depot were all taken out of service. The mechanical signal frames were replaced by a Siemens SIMIS C type electronic system, and therefore the signals and the manually operated barriers were also replaced. Comfort was also greatly improved in the public areas of the station. The "
Chetteli-Übergang" was replaced with a generous pedestrian underpass. New passenger information leaflet displays and screens were installed to replace the lever operated boards dating from 1920. The platforms were raised, and the roofs and speakers were renewed. The two kiosks were replaced by a new building. Thanks to an extension of Platform 2, express trains to Zürich can now use Track 3. As part of this modernisation work, the Bahnhofplatz was renovated. National publicity for the renovations was ensured by the sculpture of the mythical creature "
mocmoc", a creation of the artist duo
Com&Com. The local controversy about the sculpture resulted in a 2004 referendum.
Developments since 2003 The SBB-CFF-FFS locomotive shed and the signal boxes have been operated since 2003 by the
Verein Historische Mittel-Thurgau-Bahn, and since 2005 also by the
Stiftung Historisches Bahnhof-Ensemble Romanshorn, as
Locorama, a railway world of experience. The historic signal gantry, the
coaling stage and the
water crane are also part of
Locorama. As part of
Rail 2000, an
InterCity service, operating to an hourly
clock-face timetable using
IC2000 trains, was established between Romanshorn and
Brig. ETH-BIB_Com_FC18-8590-025_Romanshorn_xx0781.jpg|aerial view (1981) SBB Historic - F 122 00869 001 - Romanshorn Stellwerk I Bahnseite.jpg|signal box I (1997) SBB Historic - F 122 00869 002 - Romanshorn Stellwerk II Bahnseite.jpg|signal box II (ca. 1990) Signal Box Romanshorn II (4558105064).jpg|interior of signal box II (2010) SBB Historic - F 122 00869 008 - Romanshorn Stellwerk V Bahnseite.jpg|signal box V (2002) ==See also==