Glacier Express

Coordinates: 46°35′42″N 9°45′36″E / 46.59500°N 9.76000°E / 46.59500; 9.76000
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

46°35′42″N 9°45′36″E / 46.59500°N 9.76000°E / 46.59500; 9.76000

Glacier Express
metre gauge
Electrification11 kV AC 1623 Hz
Track owner(s)RhB, MGB

The Glacier Express is a direct train connecting railway stations of the two major mountain resorts of Zermatt and St. Moritz via Andermatt in the central Swiss Alps. The train is not an "express" in the sense of being a high-speed train, but rather, in the sense that it provides a one-seat ride for an 8-hours-long end-to-end 291 km (181 mi) journey, and omits stops made by local trains. The Glacier Express has been called the 'slowest express train in the world'.[2] As St. Moritz and Zermatt are home to two well-known mountains, the Glacier Express is also said to travel from Matterhorn to Piz Bernina.[citation needed]

The journey from Zermatt starts at the dead end of an Alpine valley, the

Albula Range via a tunnel
at 1,800 metres (5,900 ft) to reach the resort St. Moritz in a valley to the south.

Since 2017, the train has been operated by the Glacier Express AG, a cooperation jointly owned by the former operators

Bernina
Landscapes".

The first Glacier Express started on 30 June 1930 at 07:30 in Zermatt. Initially, it was operated by three railway companies: the

(MGB), which arose from a merger between the BVZ and the FO.

The entire line is metre gauge (narrow gauge), with 23.9 kilometres (14.9 mi) using the rack-and-pinion system both for ascending steep grades and to control descent.

History

Early years

The completion of the final portion of the FO in 1926 opened up the

Graubünden to further tourist development. In particular, a pathway was laid for the introduction of Kurswagen (through coaches) between Brig and Chur, and between Brig and St. Moritz.[3]

In early June 1930, the then Visp–Zermatt Bahn was extended to Brig by the opening of a metre gauge line along the

Rhone Glacier, which is near Gletsch, on the Furka Pass.[2]

Until 1982, the Glacier Express operated only in the summer months, because the Furka Pass and the

passenger coaches, supplied by all three of the participating railway companies. Between Chur and Disentis/Mustér, passengers could enjoy a hot lunch in a Mitropa dining car. From 1933, the Glacier Express through coaches were attached to normal passenger trains between Brig and Zermatt.[3]

In the earliest years of the Glacier Express, electric locomotives were used to haul the Glacier Express on the BVZ and the RhB, but steam locomotives were used on the FO. That changed in 1941-1942, when overhead catenary was installed on the FO, enabling completely electric operation for the full length of the route. However, no through trains were operated between 1943 and 1946, due to World War II.[3]

Upon the resumption of daily through trains in 1948, the dining car service was extended from Disentis/Mustér to the top of the Oberalp Pass. Between the 1950s and the 1970s, both the BVZ and the RhB introduced new locomotive classes that, when attached to the Glacier Express, enabled reductions in schedule times. Meanwhile, the dining car service was extended further, to Andermatt.[3]

Year-round operations

In 1981, a Glacier Express era came to an end with the final closure for the winter of the FO line over the Furka Pass and through the Furka Summit Tunnel, between Oberwald, Gletsch and Realp. In June 1982, that FO line was replaced by the newly opened Furka Base Tunnel. As a consequence, the Glacier Express not only became disconnected from its namesake Rhone Glacier, but also could now, for the first time, be operated on a year-round basis.[2][3]

At that time, the BVZ, FO and RhB took the opportunity to relaunch the Glacier Express as a tourist attraction. Promotional material focused on the train's status as "the slowest express train in the world", covering 291 km or 181 mi, 91 tunnels, and over 291 bridges. A special promotional wine glass on a sloping base emphasised the steepness of some parts of the route. Passenger numbers rose from 20,000 in 1982 to over 53,000 in 1983, and to just over 80,000 in 1984.[2]

Recent developments

In 1985, the Glacier Express timetable was completely revised. Between 1986 and 1993, the BVZ and the FO invested nearly 40 million Swiss francs in constructing 18 new first class panorama cars for the train.[3] By 2005, more than 250,000 passengers were travelling on the Glacier Express each year.[2]

In 2006, a few scenes of the documentary film

Bernina Landscapes. Currently, the Glacier Express is especially popular with tourists from Germany, Japan, and, increasingly, India
.

In 2013, the direct service to Davos was discontinued because of decreasing passenger numbers and unfavourable economic circumstances.[4]

In 2018, two additional summer services were introduced. Each morning one service departs from Zermatt to Chur, and one service departs from St. Moritz to Brig. These services then travel back in the afternoon.[4]

2010 derailment

On 23 July 2010, a Glacier Express train derailed near Fiesch on the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn line. One passenger was killed and 42 other passengers were injured.[5] The accident was caused by the train traveling too fast as a result of human error.[6]

Itinerary

Glacier Express on the Landwasser Viaduct
Glacier Express in the Rhine Gorge
Glacier Express at the Oberalp Pass (highest point)

Albula line

Shortly after leaving

Bergün/Bravuogn. Between these two villages, the train has to go through many spirals
because of the high difference of altitude within a short distance (400 m or 1,300 ft for 5 km or 3.1 mi).

After another spiral, the train reaches

Thusis (720 m or 2,360 ft) where it reaches the Posterior Rhine and follows it to the city of Chur
(585 m or 1,919 ft).

Oberalp section

From Chur, the train follows back the course of the

Ilanz (698 m or 2,290 ft), Disentis/Mustér (1,142 m or 3,747 ft) and Sedrun (1,404 m or 4,606 ft). From Sedrun the line becomes steeper to finally reach its summit, the Oberalp Pass at 2,033 m (6,670 ft). From there the train enters the Canton of Uri in Central Switzerland and continues down to Andermatt
(1,447 m or 4,747 ft).

Furka section

From Andermatt, the train goes forward in the valley called

Rhone, and passes along the villages of Ulrichen (1,346 m or 4,416 ft), Münster-Geschinen (1,359 m or 4,459 ft) and Fiesch
(1,049 m or 3,442 ft), before going through another spiral.

Mattertal line

The Glacier Express's route through Switzerland

From Brig, (678 m or 2,224 ft) the train continues to

St. Niklaus (1,127 m or 3,698 ft) and Randa (1,408 m or 4,619 ft), where a spectacular debris avalanche completely disconnected the railway and road in 1991. Täsch (1,450 m or 4,760 ft) is an important station as it is the end of the open road, and therefore a terminal for motorists. After a steeper section the train finally arrives in Zermatt
at 1,616 m (5,302 ft), after nearly 8 hours of travel.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Glacier Express timetable 2020". Glacier Express. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d e Anja Jardine (2005). "Den Pyramiden nah" [Close to the Pyramids]. NZZ Folio (in German). Neue Zürcher Zeitung AG. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
  3. ^ ., page 102. (in German)
  4. ^ a b "Glacier Express AG History" (PDF). Glacier Express. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  5. ^ "One dead and 42 injured as Swiss train derails in Alps". BBC News Online. 23 July 2010. Retrieved 24 July 2010.
  6. ^ "Driver error to blame for Glacier Express crash - Accident : News, world | euronews". Archived from the original on 2010-08-05. Retrieved 2010-07-31.

Further reading

External links