Glacier Express
46°35′42″N 9°45′36″E / 46.59500°N 9.76000°E
Glacier Express | |
---|---|
metre gauge | |
Electrification | 11 kV AC 162⁄3 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
Since 2017, the train has been operated by the Glacier Express AG, a cooperation jointly owned by the former operators
The first Glacier Express started on 30 June 1930 at 07:30 in Zermatt. Initially, it was operated by three railway companies: the
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
In early June 1930, the then Visp–Zermatt Bahn was extended to Brig by the opening of a metre gauge line along the
Until 1982, the Glacier Express operated only in the summer months, because the Furka Pass and the
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 .
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
Albula line
Shortly after leaving
After another spiral, the train reaches
Oberalp section
From Chur, the train follows back the course of the
Furka section
From Andermatt, the train goes forward in the valley called
Mattertal line
From Brig, (678 m or 2,224 ft) the train continues to
See also
- Albula Railway
- Furka Oberalp Bahn
- Brig-Visp-Zermatt-Bahn
- Furka Cogwheel Steam Railway
- Bernina Express
- Swiss Alps
- List of narrow-gauge railways in Switzerland
References
- ^ a b c "Glacier Express timetable 2020". Glacier Express. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
- ^ 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.
- ^ ISBN 3-89610-057-2., page 102. (in German)
- ^ a b "Glacier Express AG History" (PDF). Glacier Express. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
- ^ "One dead and 42 injured as Swiss train derails in Alps". BBC News Online. 23 July 2010. Retrieved 24 July 2010.
- ^ "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
- Brunhouse, Jay (September 2005). "All Aboard » 75 years' Glacier Express". International Travel News. Retrieved 2 April 2013.
- Brunhouse, Jay (October 2007). "All Aboard! » New Premium Glacier Express". International Travel News. Retrieved 2 April 2013.
External links
- Glacier Express official website
- Winchester, Clarence, ed. (1936), "The Glacier Express", Railway Wonders of the World, pp. 493–499 illustrated description of the route of the Glacier Express