Zurich’s iconic Polybahn, a 176‑metre funicular that carries 8,000‑10,000 passengers daily between Central and the Polyterrasse, marked its 140th anniversary with a new artwork. UBS, the railway’s owner, commissioned local artist Fredinko to paint a large‑scale "Wimmelbild" on the ceilings of the two cars. The design was based on more than 1,000 public submissions answering the question “What is typical Zurich?” and features motifs such as the Cobra‑Tram, ETH, the Sechseläuten Böögg, the Urania observatory and Lake Zurich. The historic white ceiling was retained and blended with the traditional Polybahn red.
"The Polybahn is more than a transport link; it is part of Zurich’s cityscape like the Limmat or Grossmünster," said Patrick O. Müller, UBS Regional Director for Zurich. He added that the bank’s involvement aims to preserve this piece of local identity for future generations.
The funicular dates back to 1886 when the Zürichbergbahn‑Gesellschaft was founded with a share capital of CHF 250,000. It entered service in 1889, initially using water ballast. In 1950 the Löwenbräu brewery became the main shareholder. When the concession expired in 1976, the Swiss Bank Corporation—an ancestor of today’s UBS—acquired the deficit‑running line for CHF 80,000.
The timing of the artwork’s unveiling coincides with heightened regulatory scrutiny. Last week the Swiss Ständerat voted to require UBS to back 90 % of its foreign subsidiaries with hard equity, fueling speculation about a possible merger with a foreign bank, notably Morgan Stanley. No confirmation has been given. UBS paid roughly $1 billion in taxes in 2024, and about 18,000 of its employees reside in the canton of Zurich.
