Bernina Railway
Encyclopedia
The Bernina Railway is a single track
metre gauge
railway line forming part of the Rhaetian Railway (RhB). It links the spa resort of St. Moritz
, in the Canton
of Graubünden
, Switzerland
, with the town of Tirano
, in the Province of Sondrio
, Italy
, via the Bernina Pass
. It also ranks as the highest adhesion railway in the Alps, and - with inclines of up to 7% - as one of the steepest adhesion railways in the world.
On 7 July 2008, the Bernina Railway and the Albula Railway
, which also forms part of the RhB, were recorded in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, under the name Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina
Landscapes. The whole site is regarded as a cross border joint Swiss-Italian heritage area.
The most famous trains operating on the Bernina Railway are known as the Bernina Express
.
in 1904, the Bernina-Bahngesellschaft (BB) was established, with the objective of opening a railway line between St Moritz and Tirano
, via the Bernina Pass. After obtaining a concession
for such a line in 1906, the BB opened it from 1908 onwards, in several sections: on 1 July 1908 between Pontresina
and Morteratasch
, and between Tirano
and Poschiavo
; on 18 August of the same year between Pontresina and Celerina
; and on 1 July 1909 between Celerina and St Moritz, and between Morteratsch and Bernina Suot
. It was only on 5 July 1910 that the whole line could be opened, upon completion of the most difficult section, between Bernina Suot and Poschiavo. From the beginning, the line was electrically operated with DC current, although in 1935 the voltage was increased from 750 V to 1000 V.
Originally, the Bernina Railway was intended for use only in summer, but in 1913/14 the BB commenced winter operations as well. This development was associated with major weather related problems, necessitating further erection of avalanche barriers.
In the first years of its existence, the BB was always on the verge of bankruptcy. The costs of construction expenditure on the line to 1915 amounted to around 15 million Swiss francs. Even the introduction of a restaurant car
in 1928, and packages for tourists, could not save the little railway from ruin. Due to its difficult financial situation, it was taken over by the Rhaetian Railway in the middle of World War II
in 1943.
The RhB modernised the line fundamentally, also for military reasons, and completely renewed the section at the top of the pass. Previously, the line formation on the north ramp of the Bernina Pass had been laid out in curves giving passengers spectacular views, but also lying in the path of avalanche
courses. The new parts of the line cut off those curves, the catenary
and the flat bottomed rails of the old formation were removed, but the substructure
is still visible in the high mountains.
Since the mid 1980s, the Rhaetian Railway has been marketing the natural and technical attractions of the Bernina Railway specifically to tourists. Thus, the section from Pontresina to Tirano forms part of the route of the Bernina Express
. In October 2011, Google photographed the Bernina Railway for Google Street View
.
and the Bernina Railway. As the two railways are powered by different electrification systems
, they meet at the same station, but operate on separate lines from separate platforms. The Bernina Railway leaves St Moritz station in an easterly direction, and crosses the Inn River
on a 64 m (210 ft) long viaduct
. It then passes through the 689 m (2,260.5 ft) long Charnadüra-Tunnel II, the longest tunnel on the entire route. The next station, Celerina Staz
, is, at 1716 m (5,629.9 ft) above sea level, the lowest point on the north side of the Bernina Pass
. From there until Ospizio Bernina
, the line will now climb almost continuously. After returning to the banks of the Inn, the line reaches the small station Punt Muragl Staz
. At this point is the valley station of the funicular
to Muottas Muragl
, opened in 1907.
The next station in Pontresina
represents, together with St Moritz station, a curiosity in the network of the RhB: two completely different electrification systems meet here. The 11 kV AC
powered trains, which enter the station on the line from Samedan
, use tracks 1 to 3, while the 1,000 V DC
powered Bernina trains use tracks 3 to 7. Track 3 has a catenary that can be switched from alternating current to direct current, and a special signal to display to train crews the type of current being used. By means of track 3, the trains using the core network (from Samedan) and the Bernina line trains can use the same line, despite their differing electrification systems. On track 3 is also the exchange of locomotives for the famous Bernina Express
, which operates between Chur or Davos Platz
and Tirano
.
The line now turns to the south east. After crossing the Rosegbach, passing through the Surovas
station (which was previously called "Sans Souci" (Carefree)), and crossing the Berninabach, it finally reaches Morteratsch
station, about 2 km (1.2 mi) below the Morteratsch Glacier
. Past the other end of the station is the world famous Montebello Curve, where the line meets the road over the pass. The line and the road will now accompany each other as far as Ospizio Bernina. At the recently modernised Bernina Suot
passing loop, the tree line has already been reached. The next stations are Diavolezza
and Bernina Lagalb
; both are departure points of cableways.
The next section is probably the most interesting on the north side of the pass. Here, the route is very winding, and moves from one side of the valley to the other. First, the Berninabach is crossed, using the 37 m (121.4 ft) long Lower Berninabach Bridge, and then the line crosses the Arlasbach, a tributory of the Berninabach. On the Upper Berninabach Bridge, the line moves back to the eastern side of the valley. Southwest of here, the Piz Bernina
and the Piz Palü
rise majestically. Next follows the 175 m (574.1 ft) long Arlas Gallery, which provides protection against snow drifts. On the southwestern side are the small lakes known as Lej Pitschen and Lej Nair. Directly behind them towers the 15 m (49.2 ft) high and 283 m (928.5 ft) long Lago Bianco
dam, which also marks the watershed
between the Danube
and the Po.
The railway now runs along the eastern bank of the lake, and, near Ospizio Bernina
, reaches its highest point, at 2253 m (7,391.7 ft) above sea level. The Bernina Railway is thereby (mountainside railways excluded) the highest railway line in the Alps, operating as a public railway with year round traffic. As the section from here to Poschiavo
is particularly badly affected by drifting snow, countless engineering structures have been erected from the southern dam wall onwards: the 140 m (459.3 ft) long Scala Gallery, the 192 m (629.9 ft) long Scala Tunnel, the Sassal Mason Gallery, even longer at 348 m (1,141.7 ft), and the 54 m (177.2 ft) long Drago Tunnel.
After the Grüm Gallery, the attractive Alp Grüm
station is reached. It not only is located at the tree line, but also marks the last station before the Italian linguistic border. From here onwards, the line clambers, with a gradient of up to 7%, and via multiple s-bends, downwards into the Poschiavo
valley. That this occurs without the assistance of a rack railway
system makes the Bernina Railway one of the steepest adhesion railways in the world.
Immediately behind the Alp Grüm station, the line winds in a tight 180° bend, and passes below Alp Grüm through the Upper Palü Gallery. In a further 180° bend, it heads through the Palü Tunnel and subsequently through the Lower Palü Gallery. A further four half circle loops follow, until the line reaches the Cavaglia
station. Since about 2000, there has also been a new automatic passing loop, Stablini, between Alp Grüm and Cavaglia. It bisects a portion of the line that was previously prone to traffic delays. In zigzag fashion, the line continues from Cavaglia further down into the valley via Cadera
to Privilasco
. From there, the line leaves the tight bends behind, and, still at its maximum gradient, reaches the Poschiavo Valley. In Poschiavo
it finally meets up once again with the Bernina Pass road.
At the request of the Poschiavo community, the station at Poschiavo was built just outside the village boundaries. It has a railway depot and workshop, in which a few historic railcars of the Bernina Railway are also stored. The remaining section of line of approximately 17 km (10.6 mi) to Tirano are laid partially still as a mountain railway, but also partially in the manner of a tramway system. After the stopping point Li Curt
, erected only in 1977, the line reaches the village of Le Prese
, the stopping point of which is located in the middle of the street. Between Le Prese and Miralago
the line passes along the banks of the Poschiavo Lake, thus remaining at the lake's altitude of 965 m (3,166 ft) above sea level.
Below Brusio
, the railway has, as its last highlight, the Brusio spiral viaduct
, which serves only to adjust the altitude of the line. The spiral viaduct is followed by the stopping point for the village of Campascio
, which still belongs to Brusio. Beyond the border station of Campocologno
, which is unusually large due to its customs facilities, the line finally reaches Italy, and, after crossing the main square of Tirano, its terminal station. Here, the Bernina Railway meets the standard gauge station
and line of the Italian state rail infrastructure company Rete Ferroviaria Italiana
(RFI), which links Tirano through Valtellina
to Milan
.
, nine ABe 4/4II
, six ABe 4/4III
und two Gem 4/4
.
This fleet, consisting predominantly of railcar
s, also carries freight traffic. Some freight cars are added to passenger trains until the maximum towing capacity of such trains of 140 tonnes is reached. For reasons of safety, due to the presence of dangerous goods, other freight cars are operated in pure freight trains. Despite being set up originally only for tourist traffic, the Bernina Railway now also assists trade
with Italy by carrying not inconsiderable quantities of freight, consisting mostly of heating oil
, fuel
s and timber. Additionally, the regional shopping businesses of the Poschiavo valley are served partly by rail.
The timetable is tightly designed, with year round services of one passenger train per hour in each direction. The flagship services are the now fully panorama car equipped Bernina Express
and the Trenino Rosso travelling in the opposite direction.
In winter, a steam snow blower
is regularly in service. Its operation is also a tourist attraction
that draws in railway enthusiasts from all over the world.
In connection with the danger of avalanche
s on the Bernina Railway, the Rhaetian Railway has developed an unusual procedure for the removal of these high alpine hazards. In late winter, when the risk of avalanche is greatest, artillery
is fired at the points of origin of avalanches, to bring some control to their occurrence.
This article was translated from the German language version as at November 2009. It is now out of date, and needs updating to mention the Allegra units.
metre gauge
railway line forming part of the Rhaetian Railway (RhB). It links the spa resort of St. Moritz
, in the Canton
of Graubünden
, Switzerland
, with the town of Tirano
, in the Province of Sondrio
, Italy
, via the Bernina Pass
. It also ranks as the highest adhesion railway in the Alps, and - with inclines of up to 7% - as one of the steepest adhesion railways in the world.
On 7 July 2008, the Bernina Railway and the Albula Railway
, which also forms part of the RhB, were recorded in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, under the name Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina
Landscapes. The whole site is regarded as a cross border joint Swiss-Italian heritage area.
The most famous trains operating on the Bernina Railway are known as the Bernina Express
.
in 1904, the Bernina-Bahngesellschaft (BB) was established, with the objective of opening a railway line between St Moritz and Tirano
, via the Bernina Pass. After obtaining a concession
for such a line in 1906, the BB opened it from 1908 onwards, in several sections: on 1 July 1908 between Pontresina
and Morteratasch
, and between Tirano
and Poschiavo
; on 18 August of the same year between Pontresina and Celerina
; and on 1 July 1909 between Celerina and St Moritz, and between Morteratsch and Bernina Suot
. It was only on 5 July 1910 that the whole line could be opened, upon completion of the most difficult section, between Bernina Suot and Poschiavo. From the beginning, the line was electrically operated with DC current, although in 1935 the voltage was increased from 750 V to 1000 V.
Originally, the Bernina Railway was intended for use only in summer, but in 1913/14 the BB commenced winter operations as well. This development was associated with major weather related problems, necessitating further erection of avalanche barriers.
In the first years of its existence, the BB was always on the verge of bankruptcy. The costs of construction expenditure on the line to 1915 amounted to around 15 million Swiss francs. Even the introduction of a restaurant car
in 1928, and packages for tourists, could not save the little railway from ruin. Due to its difficult financial situation, it was taken over by the Rhaetian Railway in the middle of World War II
in 1943.
The RhB modernised the line fundamentally, also for military reasons, and completely renewed the section at the top of the pass. Previously, the line formation on the north ramp of the Bernina Pass had been laid out in curves giving passengers spectacular views, but also lying in the path of avalanche
courses. The new parts of the line cut off those curves, the catenary
and the flat bottomed rails of the old formation were removed, but the substructure
is still visible in the high mountains.
Since the mid 1980s, the Rhaetian Railway has been marketing the natural and technical attractions of the Bernina Railway specifically to tourists. Thus, the section from Pontresina to Tirano forms part of the route of the Bernina Express
. In October 2011, Google photographed the Bernina Railway for Google Street View
.
and the Bernina Railway. As the two railways are powered by different electrification systems
, they meet at the same station, but operate on separate lines from separate platforms. The Bernina Railway leaves St Moritz station in an easterly direction, and crosses the Inn River
on a 64 m (210 ft) long viaduct
. It then passes through the 689 m (2,260.5 ft) long Charnadüra-Tunnel II, the longest tunnel on the entire route. The next station, Celerina Staz
, is, at 1716 m (5,629.9 ft) above sea level, the lowest point on the north side of the Bernina Pass
. From there until Ospizio Bernina
, the line will now climb almost continuously. After returning to the banks of the Inn, the line reaches the small station Punt Muragl Staz
. At this point is the valley station of the funicular
to Muottas Muragl
, opened in 1907.
The next station in Pontresina
represents, together with St Moritz station, a curiosity in the network of the RhB: two completely different electrification systems meet here. The 11 kV AC
powered trains, which enter the station on the line from Samedan
, use tracks 1 to 3, while the 1,000 V DC
powered Bernina trains use tracks 3 to 7. Track 3 has a catenary that can be switched from alternating current to direct current, and a special signal to display to train crews the type of current being used. By means of track 3, the trains using the core network (from Samedan) and the Bernina line trains can use the same line, despite their differing electrification systems. On track 3 is also the exchange of locomotives for the famous Bernina Express
, which operates between Chur or Davos Platz
and Tirano
.
The line now turns to the south east. After crossing the Rosegbach, passing through the Surovas
station (which was previously called "Sans Souci" (Carefree)), and crossing the Berninabach, it finally reaches Morteratsch
station, about 2 km (1.2 mi) below the Morteratsch Glacier
. Past the other end of the station is the world famous Montebello Curve, where the line meets the road over the pass. The line and the road will now accompany each other as far as Ospizio Bernina. At the recently modernised Bernina Suot
passing loop, the tree line has already been reached. The next stations are Diavolezza
and Bernina Lagalb
; both are departure points of cableways.
The next section is probably the most interesting on the north side of the pass. Here, the route is very winding, and moves from one side of the valley to the other. First, the Berninabach is crossed, using the 37 m (121.4 ft) long Lower Berninabach Bridge, and then the line crosses the Arlasbach, a tributory of the Berninabach. On the Upper Berninabach Bridge, the line moves back to the eastern side of the valley. Southwest of here, the Piz Bernina
and the Piz Palü
rise majestically. Next follows the 175 m (574.1 ft) long Arlas Gallery, which provides protection against snow drifts. On the southwestern side are the small lakes known as Lej Pitschen and Lej Nair. Directly behind them towers the 15 m (49.2 ft) high and 283 m (928.5 ft) long Lago Bianco
dam, which also marks the watershed
between the Danube
and the Po.
The railway now runs along the eastern bank of the lake, and, near Ospizio Bernina
, reaches its highest point, at 2253 m (7,391.7 ft) above sea level. The Bernina Railway is thereby (mountainside railways excluded) the highest railway line in the Alps, operating as a public railway with year round traffic. As the section from here to Poschiavo
is particularly badly affected by drifting snow, countless engineering structures have been erected from the southern dam wall onwards: the 140 m (459.3 ft) long Scala Gallery, the 192 m (629.9 ft) long Scala Tunnel, the Sassal Mason Gallery, even longer at 348 m (1,141.7 ft), and the 54 m (177.2 ft) long Drago Tunnel.
After the Grüm Gallery, the attractive Alp Grüm
station is reached. It not only is located at the tree line, but also marks the last station before the Italian linguistic border. From here onwards, the line clambers, with a gradient of up to 7%, and via multiple s-bends, downwards into the Poschiavo
valley. That this occurs without the assistance of a rack railway
system makes the Bernina Railway one of the steepest adhesion railways in the world.
Immediately behind the Alp Grüm station, the line winds in a tight 180° bend, and passes below Alp Grüm through the Upper Palü Gallery. In a further 180° bend, it heads through the Palü Tunnel and subsequently through the Lower Palü Gallery. A further four half circle loops follow, until the line reaches the Cavaglia
station. Since about 2000, there has also been a new automatic passing loop, Stablini, between Alp Grüm and Cavaglia. It bisects a portion of the line that was previously prone to traffic delays. In zigzag fashion, the line continues from Cavaglia further down into the valley via Cadera
to Privilasco
. From there, the line leaves the tight bends behind, and, still at its maximum gradient, reaches the Poschiavo Valley. In Poschiavo
it finally meets up once again with the Bernina Pass road.
At the request of the Poschiavo community, the station at Poschiavo was built just outside the village boundaries. It has a railway depot and workshop, in which a few historic railcars of the Bernina Railway are also stored. The remaining section of line of approximately 17 km (10.6 mi) to Tirano are laid partially still as a mountain railway, but also partially in the manner of a tramway system. After the stopping point Li Curt
, erected only in 1977, the line reaches the village of Le Prese
, the stopping point of which is located in the middle of the street. Between Le Prese and Miralago
the line passes along the banks of the Poschiavo Lake, thus remaining at the lake's altitude of 965 m (3,166 ft) above sea level.
Below Brusio
, the railway has, as its last highlight, the Brusio spiral viaduct
, which serves only to adjust the altitude of the line. The spiral viaduct is followed by the stopping point for the village of Campascio
, which still belongs to Brusio. Beyond the border station of Campocologno
, which is unusually large due to its customs facilities, the line finally reaches Italy, and, after crossing the main square of Tirano, its terminal station. Here, the Bernina Railway meets the standard gauge station
and line of the Italian state rail infrastructure company Rete Ferroviaria Italiana
(RFI), which links Tirano through Valtellina
to Milan
.
, nine ABe 4/4II
, six ABe 4/4III
und two Gem 4/4
.
This fleet, consisting predominantly of railcar
s, also carries freight traffic. Some freight cars are added to passenger trains until the maximum towing capacity of such trains of 140 tonnes is reached. For reasons of safety, due to the presence of dangerous goods, other freight cars are operated in pure freight trains. Despite being set up originally only for tourist traffic, the Bernina Railway now also assists trade
with Italy by carrying not inconsiderable quantities of freight, consisting mostly of heating oil
, fuel
s and timber. Additionally, the regional shopping businesses of the Poschiavo valley are served partly by rail.
The timetable is tightly designed, with year round services of one passenger train per hour in each direction. The flagship services are the now fully panorama car equipped Bernina Express
and the Trenino Rosso travelling in the opposite direction.
In winter, a steam snow blower
is regularly in service. Its operation is also a tourist attraction
that draws in railway enthusiasts from all over the world.
In connection with the danger of avalanche
s on the Bernina Railway, the Rhaetian Railway has developed an unusual procedure for the removal of these high alpine hazards. In late winter, when the risk of avalanche is greatest, artillery
is fired at the points of origin of avalanches, to bring some control to their occurrence.
This article was translated from the German language version as at November 2009. It is now out of date, and needs updating to mention the Allegra units.
metre gauge
railway line forming part of the Rhaetian Railway (RhB). It links the spa resort of St. Moritz
, in the Canton
of Graubünden
, Switzerland
, with the town of Tirano
, in the Province of Sondrio
, Italy
, via the Bernina Pass
. It also ranks as the highest adhesion railway in the Alps, and - with inclines of up to 7% - as one of the steepest adhesion railways in the world.
On 7 July 2008, the Bernina Railway and the Albula Railway
, which also forms part of the RhB, were recorded in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, under the name Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina
Landscapes. The whole site is regarded as a cross border joint Swiss-Italian heritage area.
The most famous trains operating on the Bernina Railway are known as the Bernina Express
.
in 1904, the Bernina-Bahngesellschaft (BB) was established, with the objective of opening a railway line between St Moritz and Tirano
, via the Bernina Pass. After obtaining a concession
for such a line in 1906, the BB opened it from 1908 onwards, in several sections: on 1 July 1908 between Pontresina
and Morteratasch
, and between Tirano
and Poschiavo
; on 18 August of the same year between Pontresina and Celerina
; and on 1 July 1909 between Celerina and St Moritz, and between Morteratsch and Bernina Suot
. It was only on 5 July 1910 that the whole line could be opened, upon completion of the most difficult section, between Bernina Suot and Poschiavo. From the beginning, the line was electrically operated with DC current, although in 1935 the voltage was increased from 750 V to 1000 V.
Originally, the Bernina Railway was intended for use only in summer, but in 1913/14 the BB commenced winter operations as well. This development was associated with major weather related problems, necessitating further erection of avalanche barriers.
In the first years of its existence, the BB was always on the verge of bankruptcy. The costs of construction expenditure on the line to 1915 amounted to around 15 million Swiss francs. Even the introduction of a restaurant car
in 1928, and packages for tourists, could not save the little railway from ruin. Due to its difficult financial situation, it was taken over by the Rhaetian Railway in the middle of World War II
in 1943.
The RhB modernised the line fundamentally, also for military reasons, and completely renewed the section at the top of the pass. Previously, the line formation on the north ramp of the Bernina Pass had been laid out in curves giving passengers spectacular views, but also lying in the path of avalanche
courses. The new parts of the line cut off those curves, the catenary
and the flat bottomed rails of the old formation were removed, but the substructure
is still visible in the high mountains.
Since the mid 1980s, the Rhaetian Railway has been marketing the natural and technical attractions of the Bernina Railway specifically to tourists. Thus, the section from Pontresina to Tirano forms part of the route of the Bernina Express
. In October 2011, Google photographed the Bernina Railway for Google Street View
.
and the Bernina Railway. As the two railways are powered by different electrification systems
, they meet at the same station, but operate on separate lines from separate platforms. The Bernina Railway leaves St Moritz station in an easterly direction, and crosses the Inn River
on a 64 m (210 ft) long viaduct
. It then passes through the 689 m (2,260.5 ft) long Charnadüra-Tunnel II, the longest tunnel on the entire route. The next station, Celerina Staz
, is, at 1716 m (5,629.9 ft) above sea level, the lowest point on the north side of the Bernina Pass
. From there until Ospizio Bernina
, the line will now climb almost continuously. After returning to the banks of the Inn, the line reaches the small station Punt Muragl Staz
. At this point is the valley station of the funicular
to Muottas Muragl
, opened in 1907.
The next station in Pontresina
represents, together with St Moritz station, a curiosity in the network of the RhB: two completely different electrification systems meet here. The 11 kV AC
powered trains, which enter the station on the line from Samedan
, use tracks 1 to 3, while the 1,000 V DC
powered Bernina trains use tracks 3 to 7. Track 3 has a catenary that can be switched from alternating current to direct current, and a special signal to display to train crews the type of current being used. By means of track 3, the trains using the core network (from Samedan) and the Bernina line trains can use the same line, despite their differing electrification systems. On track 3 is also the exchange of locomotives for the famous Bernina Express
, which operates between Chur or Davos Platz
and Tirano
.
The line now turns to the south east. After crossing the Rosegbach, passing through the Surovas
station (which was previously called "Sans Souci" (Carefree)), and crossing the Berninabach, it finally reaches Morteratsch
station, about 2 km (1.2 mi) below the Morteratsch Glacier
. Past the other end of the station is the world famous Montebello Curve, where the line meets the road over the pass. The line and the road will now accompany each other as far as Ospizio Bernina. At the recently modernised Bernina Suot
passing loop, the tree line has already been reached. The next stations are Diavolezza
and Bernina Lagalb
; both are departure points of cableways.
The next section is probably the most interesting on the north side of the pass. Here, the route is very winding, and moves from one side of the valley to the other. First, the Berninabach is crossed, using the 37 m (121.4 ft) long Lower Berninabach Bridge, and then the line crosses the Arlasbach, a tributory of the Berninabach. On the Upper Berninabach Bridge, the line moves back to the eastern side of the valley. Southwest of here, the Piz Bernina
and the Piz Palü
rise majestically. Next follows the 175 m (574.1 ft) long Arlas Gallery, which provides protection against snow drifts. On the southwestern side are the small lakes known as Lej Pitschen and Lej Nair. Directly behind them towers the 15 m (49.2 ft) high and 283 m (928.5 ft) long Lago Bianco
dam, which also marks the watershed
between the Danube
and the Po.
The railway now runs along the eastern bank of the lake, and, near Ospizio Bernina
, reaches its highest point, at 2253 m (7,391.7 ft) above sea level. The Bernina Railway is thereby (mountainside railways excluded) the highest railway line in the Alps, operating as a public railway with year round traffic. As the section from here to Poschiavo
is particularly badly affected by drifting snow, countless engineering structures have been erected from the southern dam wall onwards: the 140 m (459.3 ft) long Scala Gallery, the 192 m (629.9 ft) long Scala Tunnel, the Sassal Mason Gallery, even longer at 348 m (1,141.7 ft), and the 54 m (177.2 ft) long Drago Tunnel.
After the Grüm Gallery, the attractive Alp Grüm
station is reached. It not only is located at the tree line, but also marks the last station before the Italian linguistic border. From here onwards, the line clambers, with a gradient of up to 7%, and via multiple s-bends, downwards into the Poschiavo
valley. That this occurs without the assistance of a rack railway
system makes the Bernina Railway one of the steepest adhesion railways in the world.
Immediately behind the Alp Grüm station, the line winds in a tight 180° bend, and passes below Alp Grüm through the Upper Palü Gallery. In a further 180° bend, it heads through the Palü Tunnel and subsequently through the Lower Palü Gallery. A further four half circle loops follow, until the line reaches the Cavaglia
station. Since about 2000, there has also been a new automatic passing loop, Stablini, between Alp Grüm and Cavaglia. It bisects a portion of the line that was previously prone to traffic delays. In zigzag fashion, the line continues from Cavaglia further down into the valley via Cadera
to Privilasco
. From there, the line leaves the tight bends behind, and, still at its maximum gradient, reaches the Poschiavo Valley. In Poschiavo
it finally meets up once again with the Bernina Pass road.
At the request of the Poschiavo community, the station at Poschiavo was built just outside the village boundaries. It has a railway depot and workshop, in which a few historic railcars of the Bernina Railway are also stored. The remaining section of line of approximately 17 km (10.6 mi) to Tirano are laid partially still as a mountain railway, but also partially in the manner of a tramway system. After the stopping point Li Curt
, erected only in 1977, the line reaches the village of Le Prese
, the stopping point of which is located in the middle of the street. Between Le Prese and Miralago
the line passes along the banks of the Poschiavo Lake, thus remaining at the lake's altitude of 965 m (3,166 ft) above sea level.
Below Brusio
, the railway has, as its last highlight, the Brusio spiral viaduct
, which serves only to adjust the altitude of the line. The spiral viaduct is followed by the stopping point for the village of Campascio
, which still belongs to Brusio. Beyond the border station of Campocologno
, which is unusually large due to its customs facilities, the line finally reaches Italy, and, after crossing the main square of Tirano, its terminal station. Here, the Bernina Railway meets the standard gauge station
and line of the Italian state rail infrastructure company Rete Ferroviaria Italiana
(RFI), which links Tirano through Valtellina
to Milan
.
, nine ABe 4/4II
, six ABe 4/4III
und two Gem 4/4
.
This fleet, consisting predominantly of railcar
s, also carries freight traffic. Some freight cars are added to passenger trains until the maximum towing capacity of such trains of 140 tonnes is reached. For reasons of safety, due to the presence of dangerous goods, other freight cars are operated in pure freight trains. Despite being set up originally only for tourist traffic, the Bernina Railway now also assists trade
with Italy by carrying not inconsiderable quantities of freight, consisting mostly of heating oil
, fuel
s and timber. Additionally, the regional shopping businesses of the Poschiavo valley are served partly by rail.
The timetable is tightly designed, with year round services of one passenger train per hour in each direction. The flagship services are the now fully panorama car equipped Bernina Express
and the Trenino Rosso travelling in the opposite direction.
In winter, a steam snow blower
is regularly in service. Its operation is also a tourist attraction
that draws in railway enthusiasts from all over the world.
In connection with the danger of avalanche
s on the Bernina Railway, the Rhaetian Railway has developed an unusual procedure for the removal of these high alpine hazards. In late winter, when the risk of avalanche is greatest, artillery
is fired at the points of origin of avalanches, to bring some control to their occurrence.
This article was translated from the German language version as at November 2009. It is now out of date, and needs updating to mention the Allegra units.
metre gauge
railway line forming part of the Rhaetian Railway (RhB). It links the spa resort of St. Moritz
, in the Canton
of Graubünden
, Switzerland
, with the town of Tirano
, in the Province of Sondrio
, Italy
, via the Bernina Pass
. It also ranks as the highest adhesion railway in the Alps, and - with inclines of up to 7% - as one of the steepest adhesion railways in the world.
On 7 July 2008, the Bernina Railway and the Albula Railway
, which also forms part of the RhB, were recorded in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, under the name Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina
Landscapes. The whole site is regarded as a cross border joint Swiss-Italian heritage area.
The most famous trains operating on the Bernina Railway are known as the Bernina Express
.
in 1904, the Bernina-Bahngesellschaft (BB) was established, with the objective of opening a railway line between St Moritz and Tirano
, via the Bernina Pass. After obtaining a concession
for such a line in 1906, the BB opened it from 1908 onwards, in several sections: on 1 July 1908 between Pontresina
and Morteratasch
, and between Tirano
and Poschiavo
; on 18 August of the same year between Pontresina and Celerina
; and on 1 July 1909 between Celerina and St Moritz, and between Morteratsch and Bernina Suot
. It was only on 5 July 1910 that the whole line could be opened, upon completion of the most difficult section, between Bernina Suot and Poschiavo. From the beginning, the line was electrically operated with DC current, although in 1935 the voltage was increased from 750 V to 1000 V.
Originally, the Bernina Railway was intended for use only in summer, but in 1913/14 the BB commenced winter operations as well. This development was associated with major weather related problems, necessitating further erection of avalanche barriers.
In the first years of its existence, the BB was always on the verge of bankruptcy. The costs of construction expenditure on the line to 1915 amounted to around 15 million Swiss francs. Even the introduction of a restaurant car
in 1928, and packages for tourists, could not save the little railway from ruin. Due to its difficult financial situation, it was taken over by the Rhaetian Railway in the middle of World War II
in 1943.
The RhB modernised the line fundamentally, also for military reasons, and completely renewed the section at the top of the pass. Previously, the line formation on the north ramp of the Bernina Pass had been laid out in curves giving passengers spectacular views, but also lying in the path of avalanche
courses. The new parts of the line cut off those curves, the catenary
and the flat bottomed rails of the old formation were removed, but the substructure
is still visible in the high mountains.
Since the mid 1980s, the Rhaetian Railway has been marketing the natural and technical attractions of the Bernina Railway specifically to tourists. Thus, the section from Pontresina to Tirano forms part of the route of the Bernina Express
. In October 2011, Google photographed the Bernina Railway for Google Street View
.
and the Bernina Railway. As the two railways are powered by different electrification systems
, they meet at the same station, but operate on separate lines from separate platforms. The Bernina Railway leaves St Moritz station in an easterly direction, and crosses the Inn River
on a 64 m (210 ft) long viaduct
. It then passes through the 689 m (2,260.5 ft) long Charnadüra-Tunnel II, the longest tunnel on the entire route. The next station, Celerina Staz
, is, at 1716 m (5,629.9 ft) above sea level, the lowest point on the north side of the Bernina Pass
. From there until Ospizio Bernina
, the line will now climb almost continuously. After returning to the banks of the Inn, the line reaches the small station Punt Muragl Staz
. At this point is the valley station of the funicular
to Muottas Muragl
, opened in 1907.
The next station in Pontresina
represents, together with St Moritz station, a curiosity in the network of the RhB: two completely different electrification systems meet here. The 11 kV AC
powered trains, which enter the station on the line from Samedan
, use tracks 1 to 3, while the 1,000 V DC
powered Bernina trains use tracks 3 to 7. Track 3 has a catenary that can be switched from alternating current to direct current, and a special signal to display to train crews the type of current being used. By means of track 3, the trains using the core network (from Samedan) and the Bernina line trains can use the same line, despite their differing electrification systems. On track 3 is also the exchange of locomotives for the famous Bernina Express
, which operates between Chur or Davos Platz
and Tirano
.
The line now turns to the south east. After crossing the Rosegbach, passing through the Surovas
station (which was previously called "Sans Souci" (Carefree)), and crossing the Berninabach, it finally reaches Morteratsch
station, about 2 km (1.2 mi) below the Morteratsch Glacier
. Past the other end of the station is the world famous Montebello Curve, where the line meets the road over the pass. The line and the road will now accompany each other as far as Ospizio Bernina. At the recently modernised Bernina Suot
passing loop, the tree line has already been reached. The next stations are Diavolezza
and Bernina Lagalb
; both are departure points of cableways.
The next section is probably the most interesting on the north side of the pass. Here, the route is very winding, and moves from one side of the valley to the other. First, the Berninabach is crossed, using the 37 m (121.4 ft) long Lower Berninabach Bridge, and then the line crosses the Arlasbach, a tributory of the Berninabach. On the Upper Berninabach Bridge, the line moves back to the eastern side of the valley. Southwest of here, the Piz Bernina
and the Piz Palü
rise majestically. Next follows the 175 m (574.1 ft) long Arlas Gallery, which provides protection against snow drifts. On the southwestern side are the small lakes known as Lej Pitschen and Lej Nair. Directly behind them towers the 15 m (49.2 ft) high and 283 m (928.5 ft) long Lago Bianco
dam, which also marks the watershed
between the Danube
and the Po.
The railway now runs along the eastern bank of the lake, and, near Ospizio Bernina
, reaches its highest point, at 2253 m (7,391.7 ft) above sea level. The Bernina Railway is thereby (mountainside railways excluded) the highest railway line in the Alps, operating as a public railway with year round traffic. As the section from here to Poschiavo
is particularly badly affected by drifting snow, countless engineering structures have been erected from the southern dam wall onwards: the 140 m (459.3 ft) long Scala Gallery, the 192 m (629.9 ft) long Scala Tunnel, the Sassal Mason Gallery, even longer at 348 m (1,141.7 ft), and the 54 m (177.2 ft) long Drago Tunnel.
After the Grüm Gallery, the attractive Alp Grüm
station is reached. It not only is located at the tree line, but also marks the last station before the Italian linguistic border. From here onwards, the line clambers, with a gradient of up to 7%, and via multiple s-bends, downwards into the Poschiavo
valley. That this occurs without the assistance of a rack railway
system makes the Bernina Railway one of the steepest adhesion railways in the world.
Immediately behind the Alp Grüm station, the line winds in a tight 180° bend, and passes below Alp Grüm through the Upper Palü Gallery. In a further 180° bend, it heads through the Palü Tunnel and subsequently through the Lower Palü Gallery. A further four half circle loops follow, until the line reaches the Cavaglia
station. Since about 2000, there has also been a new automatic passing loop, Stablini, between Alp Grüm and Cavaglia. It bisects a portion of the line that was previously prone to traffic delays. In zigzag fashion, the line continues from Cavaglia further down into the valley via Cadera
to Privilasco
. From there, the line leaves the tight bends behind, and, still at its maximum gradient, reaches the Poschiavo Valley. In Poschiavo
it finally meets up once again with the Bernina Pass road.
At the request of the Poschiavo community, the station at Poschiavo was built just outside the village boundaries. It has a railway depot and workshop, in which a few historic railcars of the Bernina Railway are also stored. The remaining section of line of approximately 17 km (10.6 mi) to Tirano are laid partially still as a mountain railway, but also partially in the manner of a tramway system. After the stopping point Li Curt
, erected only in 1977, the line reaches the village of Le Prese
, the stopping point of which is located in the middle of the street. Between Le Prese and Miralago
the line passes along the banks of the Poschiavo Lake, thus remaining at the lake's altitude of 965 m (3,166 ft) above sea level.
Below Brusio
, the railway has, as its last highlight, the Brusio spiral viaduct
, which serves only to adjust the altitude of the line. The spiral viaduct is followed by the stopping point for the village of Campascio
, which still belongs to Brusio. Beyond the border station of Campocologno
, which is unusually large due to its customs facilities, the line finally reaches Italy, and, after crossing the main square of Tirano, its terminal station. Here, the Bernina Railway meets the standard gauge station
and line of the Italian state rail infrastructure company Rete Ferroviaria Italiana
(RFI), which links Tirano through Valtellina
to Milan
.
, nine ABe 4/4II
, six ABe 4/4III
und two Gem 4/4
.
This fleet, consisting predominantly of railcar
s, also carries freight traffic. Some freight cars are added to passenger trains until the maximum towing capacity of such trains of 140 tonnes is reached. For reasons of safety, due to the presence of dangerous goods, other freight cars are operated in pure freight trains. Despite being set up originally only for tourist traffic, the Bernina Railway now also assists trade
with Italy by carrying not inconsiderable quantities of freight, consisting mostly of heating oil
, fuel
s and timber. Additionally, the regional shopping businesses of the Poschiavo valley are served partly by rail.
The timetable is tightly designed, with year round services of one passenger train per hour in each direction. The flagship services are the now fully panorama car equipped Bernina Express
and the Trenino Rosso travelling in the opposite direction.
In winter, a steam snow blower
is regularly in service. Its operation is also a tourist attraction
that draws in railway enthusiasts from all over the world.
In connection with the danger of avalanche
s on the Bernina Railway, the Rhaetian Railway has developed an unusual procedure for the removal of these high alpine hazards. In late winter, when the risk of avalanche is greatest, artillery
is fired at the points of origin of avalanches, to bring some control to their occurrence.
This article was translated from the German language version as at November 2009. It is now out of date, and needs updating to mention the Allegra units.
metre gauge
railway line forming part of the Rhaetian Railway (RhB). It links the spa resort of St. Moritz
, in the Canton
of Graubünden
, Switzerland
, with the town of Tirano
, in the Province of Sondrio
, Italy
, via the Bernina Pass
. It also ranks as the highest adhesion railway in the Alps, and - with inclines of up to 7% - as one of the steepest adhesion railways in the world.
On 7 July 2008, the Bernina Railway and the Albula Railway
, which also forms part of the RhB, were recorded in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, under the name Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina
Landscapes. The whole site is regarded as a cross border joint Swiss-Italian heritage area.
The most famous trains operating on the Bernina Railway are known as the Bernina Express
.
in 1904, the Bernina-Bahngesellschaft (BB) was established, with the objective of opening a railway line between St Moritz and Tirano
, via the Bernina Pass. After obtaining a concession
for such a line in 1906, the BB opened it from 1908 onwards, in several sections: on 1 July 1908 between Pontresina
and Morteratasch
, and between Tirano
and Poschiavo
; on 18 August of the same year between Pontresina and Celerina
; and on 1 July 1909 between Celerina and St Moritz, and between Morteratsch and Bernina Suot
. It was only on 5 July 1910 that the whole line could be opened, upon completion of the most difficult section, between Bernina Suot and Poschiavo. From the beginning, the line was electrically operated with DC current, although in 1935 the voltage was increased from 750 V to 1000 V.
Originally, the Bernina Railway was intended for use only in summer, but in 1913/14 the BB commenced winter operations as well. This development was associated with major weather related problems, necessitating further erection of avalanche barriers.
In the first years of its existence, the BB was always on the verge of bankruptcy. The costs of construction expenditure on the line to 1915 amounted to around 15 million Swiss francs. Even the introduction of a restaurant car
in 1928, and packages for tourists, could not save the little railway from ruin. Due to its difficult financial situation, it was taken over by the Rhaetian Railway in the middle of World War II
in 1943.
The RhB modernised the line fundamentally, also for military reasons, and completely renewed the section at the top of the pass. Previously, the line formation on the north ramp of the Bernina Pass had been laid out in curves giving passengers spectacular views, but also lying in the path of avalanche
courses. The new parts of the line cut off those curves, the catenary
and the flat bottomed rails of the old formation were removed, but the substructure
is still visible in the high mountains.
Since the mid 1980s, the Rhaetian Railway has been marketing the natural and technical attractions of the Bernina Railway specifically to tourists. Thus, the section from Pontresina to Tirano forms part of the route of the Bernina Express
. In October 2011, Google photographed the Bernina Railway for Google Street View
.
and the Bernina Railway. As the two railways are powered by different electrification systems
, they meet at the same station, but operate on separate lines from separate platforms. The Bernina Railway leaves St Moritz station in an easterly direction, and crosses the Inn River
on a 64 m (210 ft) long viaduct
. It then passes through the 689 m (2,260.5 ft) long Charnadüra-Tunnel II, the longest tunnel on the entire route. The next station, Celerina Staz
, is, at 1716 m (5,629.9 ft) above sea level, the lowest point on the north side of the Bernina Pass
. From there until Ospizio Bernina
, the line will now climb almost continuously. After returning to the banks of the Inn, the line reaches the small station Punt Muragl Staz
. At this point is the valley station of the funicular
to Muottas Muragl
, opened in 1907.
The next station in Pontresina
represents, together with St Moritz station, a curiosity in the network of the RhB: two completely different electrification systems meet here. The 11 kV AC
powered trains, which enter the station on the line from Samedan
, use tracks 1 to 3, while the 1,000 V DC
powered Bernina trains use tracks 3 to 7. Track 3 has a catenary that can be switched from alternating current to direct current, and a special signal to display to train crews the type of current being used. By means of track 3, the trains using the core network (from Samedan) and the Bernina line trains can use the same line, despite their differing electrification systems. On track 3 is also the exchange of locomotives for the famous Bernina Express
, which operates between Chur or Davos Platz
and Tirano
.
The line now turns to the south east. After crossing the Rosegbach, passing through the Surovas
station (which was previously called "Sans Souci" (Carefree)), and crossing the Berninabach, it finally reaches Morteratsch
station, about 2 km (1.2 mi) below the Morteratsch Glacier
. Past the other end of the station is the world famous Montebello Curve, where the line meets the road over the pass. The line and the road will now accompany each other as far as Ospizio Bernina. At the recently modernised Bernina Suot
passing loop, the tree line has already been reached. The next stations are Diavolezza
and Bernina Lagalb
; both are departure points of cableways.
The next section is probably the most interesting on the north side of the pass. Here, the route is very winding, and moves from one side of the valley to the other. First, the Berninabach is crossed, using the 37 m (121.4 ft) long Lower Berninabach Bridge, and then the line crosses the Arlasbach, a tributory of the Berninabach. On the Upper Berninabach Bridge, the line moves back to the eastern side of the valley. Southwest of here, the Piz Bernina
and the Piz Palü
rise majestically. Next follows the 175 m (574.1 ft) long Arlas Gallery, which provides protection against snow drifts. On the southwestern side are the small lakes known as Lej Pitschen and Lej Nair. Directly behind them towers the 15 m (49.2 ft) high and 283 m (928.5 ft) long Lago Bianco
dam, which also marks the watershed
between the Danube
and the Po.
The railway now runs along the eastern bank of the lake, and, near Ospizio Bernina
, reaches its highest point, at 2253 m (7,391.7 ft) above sea level. The Bernina Railway is thereby (mountainside railways excluded) the highest railway line in the Alps, operating as a public railway with year round traffic. As the section from here to Poschiavo
is particularly badly affected by drifting snow, countless engineering structures have been erected from the southern dam wall onwards: the 140 m (459.3 ft) long Scala Gallery, the 192 m (629.9 ft) long Scala Tunnel, the Sassal Mason Gallery, even longer at 348 m (1,141.7 ft), and the 54 m (177.2 ft) long Drago Tunnel.
After the Grüm Gallery, the attractive Alp Grüm
station is reached. It not only is located at the tree line, but also marks the last station before the Italian linguistic border. From here onwards, the line clambers, with a gradient of up to 7%, and via multiple s-bends, downwards into the Poschiavo
valley. That this occurs without the assistance of a rack railway
system makes the Bernina Railway one of the steepest adhesion railways in the world.
Immediately behind the Alp Grüm station, the line winds in a tight 180° bend, and passes below Alp Grüm through the Upper Palü Gallery. In a further 180° bend, it heads through the Palü Tunnel and subsequently through the Lower Palü Gallery. A further four half circle loops follow, until the line reaches the Cavaglia
station. Since about 2000, there has also been a new automatic passing loop, Stablini, between Alp Grüm and Cavaglia. It bisects a portion of the line that was previously prone to traffic delays. In zigzag fashion, the line continues from Cavaglia further down into the valley via Cadera
to Privilasco
. From there, the line leaves the tight bends behind, and, still at its maximum gradient, reaches the Poschiavo Valley. In Poschiavo
it finally meets up once again with the Bernina Pass road.
At the request of the Poschiavo community, the station at Poschiavo was built just outside the village boundaries. It has a railway depot and workshop, in which a few historic railcars of the Bernina Railway are also stored. The remaining section of line of approximately 17 km (10.6 mi) to Tirano are laid partially still as a mountain railway, but also partially in the manner of a tramway system. After the stopping point Li Curt
, erected only in 1977, the line reaches the village of Le Prese
, the stopping point of which is located in the middle of the street. Between Le Prese and Miralago
the line passes along the banks of the Poschiavo Lake, thus remaining at the lake's altitude of 965 m (3,166 ft) above sea level.
Below Brusio
, the railway has, as its last highlight, the Brusio spiral viaduct
, which serves only to adjust the altitude of the line. The spiral viaduct is followed by the stopping point for the village of Campascio
, which still belongs to Brusio. Beyond the border station of Campocologno
, which is unusually large due to its customs facilities, the line finally reaches Italy, and, after crossing the main square of Tirano, its terminal station. Here, the Bernina Railway meets the standard gauge station
and line of the Italian state rail infrastructure company Rete Ferroviaria Italiana
(RFI), which links Tirano through Valtellina
to Milan
.
, nine ABe 4/4II
, six ABe 4/4III
und two Gem 4/4
.
This fleet, consisting predominantly of railcar
s, also carries freight traffic. Some freight cars are added to passenger trains until the maximum towing capacity of such trains of 140 tonnes is reached. For reasons of safety, due to the presence of dangerous goods, other freight cars are operated in pure freight trains. Despite being set up originally only for tourist traffic, the Bernina Railway now also assists trade
with Italy by carrying not inconsiderable quantities of freight, consisting mostly of heating oil
, fuel
s and timber. Additionally, the regional shopping businesses of the Poschiavo valley are served partly by rail.
The timetable is tightly designed, with year round services of one passenger train per hour in each direction. The flagship services are the now fully panorama car equipped Bernina Express
and the Trenino Rosso travelling in the opposite direction.
In winter, a steam snow blower
is regularly in service. Its operation is also a tourist attraction
that draws in railway enthusiasts from all over the world.
In connection with the danger of avalanche
s on the Bernina Railway, the Rhaetian Railway has developed an unusual procedure for the removal of these high alpine hazards. In late winter, when the risk of avalanche is greatest, artillery
is fired at the points of origin of avalanches, to bring some control to their occurrence.
This article was translated from the German language version as at November 2009. It is now out of date, and needs updating to mention the Allegra units.
metre gauge
railway line forming part of the Rhaetian Railway (RhB). It links the spa resort of St. Moritz
, in the Canton
of Graubünden
, Switzerland
, with the town of Tirano
, in the Province of Sondrio
, Italy
, via the Bernina Pass
. It also ranks as the highest adhesion railway in the Alps, and - with inclines of up to 7% - as one of the steepest adhesion railways in the world.
On 7 July 2008, the Bernina Railway and the Albula Railway
, which also forms part of the RhB, were recorded in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, under the name Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina
Landscapes. The whole site is regarded as a cross border joint Swiss-Italian heritage area.
The most famous trains operating on the Bernina Railway are known as the Bernina Express
.
in 1904, the Bernina-Bahngesellschaft (BB) was established, with the objective of opening a railway line between St Moritz and Tirano
, via the Bernina Pass. After obtaining a concession
for such a line in 1906, the BB opened it from 1908 onwards, in several sections: on 1 July 1908 between Pontresina
and Morteratasch
, and between Tirano
and Poschiavo
; on 18 August of the same year between Pontresina and Celerina
; and on 1 July 1909 between Celerina and St Moritz, and between Morteratsch and Bernina Suot
. It was only on 5 July 1910 that the whole line could be opened, upon completion of the most difficult section, between Bernina Suot and Poschiavo. From the beginning, the line was electrically operated with DC current, although in 1935 the voltage was increased from 750 V to 1000 V.
Originally, the Bernina Railway was intended for use only in summer, but in 1913/14 the BB commenced winter operations as well. This development was associated with major weather related problems, necessitating further erection of avalanche barriers.
In the first years of its existence, the BB was always on the verge of bankruptcy. The costs of construction expenditure on the line to 1915 amounted to around 15 million Swiss francs. Even the introduction of a restaurant car
in 1928, and packages for tourists, could not save the little railway from ruin. Due to its difficult financial situation, it was taken over by the Rhaetian Railway in the middle of World War II
in 1943.
The RhB modernised the line fundamentally, also for military reasons, and completely renewed the section at the top of the pass. Previously, the line formation on the north ramp of the Bernina Pass had been laid out in curves giving passengers spectacular views, but also lying in the path of avalanche
courses. The new parts of the line cut off those curves, the catenary
and the flat bottomed rails of the old formation were removed, but the substructure
is still visible in the high mountains.
Since the mid 1980s, the Rhaetian Railway has been marketing the natural and technical attractions of the Bernina Railway specifically to tourists. Thus, the section from Pontresina to Tirano forms part of the route of the Bernina Express
. In October 2011, Google photographed the Bernina Railway for Google Street View
.
and the Bernina Railway. As the two railways are powered by different electrification systems
, they meet at the same station, but operate on separate lines from separate platforms. The Bernina Railway leaves St Moritz station in an easterly direction, and crosses the Inn River
on a 64 m (210 ft) long viaduct
. It then passes through the 689 m (2,260.5 ft) long Charnadüra-Tunnel II, the longest tunnel on the entire route. The next station, Celerina Staz
, is, at 1716 m (5,629.9 ft) above sea level, the lowest point on the north side of the Bernina Pass
. From there until Ospizio Bernina
, the line will now climb almost continuously. After returning to the banks of the Inn, the line reaches the small station Punt Muragl Staz
. At this point is the valley station of the funicular
to Muottas Muragl
, opened in 1907.
The next station in Pontresina
represents, together with St Moritz station, a curiosity in the network of the RhB: two completely different electrification systems meet here. The 11 kV AC
powered trains, which enter the station on the line from Samedan
, use tracks 1 to 3, while the 1,000 V DC
powered Bernina trains use tracks 3 to 7. Track 3 has a catenary that can be switched from alternating current to direct current, and a special signal to display to train crews the type of current being used. By means of track 3, the trains using the core network (from Samedan) and the Bernina line trains can use the same line, despite their differing electrification systems. On track 3 is also the exchange of locomotives for the famous Bernina Express
, which operates between Chur or Davos Platz
and Tirano
.
The line now turns to the south east. After crossing the Rosegbach, passing through the Surovas
station (which was previously called "Sans Souci" (Carefree)), and crossing the Berninabach, it finally reaches Morteratsch
station, about 2 km (1.2 mi) below the Morteratsch Glacier
. Past the other end of the station is the world famous Montebello Curve, where the line meets the road over the pass. The line and the road will now accompany each other as far as Ospizio Bernina. At the recently modernised Bernina Suot
passing loop, the tree line has already been reached. The next stations are Diavolezza
and Bernina Lagalb
; both are departure points of cableways.
The next section is probably the most interesting on the north side of the pass. Here, the route is very winding, and moves from one side of the valley to the other. First, the Berninabach is crossed, using the 37 m (121.4 ft) long Lower Berninabach Bridge, and then the line crosses the Arlasbach, a tributory of the Berninabach. On the Upper Berninabach Bridge, the line moves back to the eastern side of the valley. Southwest of here, the Piz Bernina
and the Piz Palü
rise majestically. Next follows the 175 m (574.1 ft) long Arlas Gallery, which provides protection against snow drifts. On the southwestern side are the small lakes known as Lej Pitschen and Lej Nair. Directly behind them towers the 15 m (49.2 ft) high and 283 m (928.5 ft) long Lago Bianco
dam, which also marks the watershed
between the Danube
and the Po.
The railway now runs along the eastern bank of the lake, and, near Ospizio Bernina
, reaches its highest point, at 2253 m (7,391.7 ft) above sea level. The Bernina Railway is thereby (mountainside railways excluded) the highest railway line in the Alps, operating as a public railway with year round traffic. As the section from here to Poschiavo
is particularly badly affected by drifting snow, countless engineering structures have been erected from the southern dam wall onwards: the 140 m (459.3 ft) long Scala Gallery, the 192 m (629.9 ft) long Scala Tunnel, the Sassal Mason Gallery, even longer at 348 m (1,141.7 ft), and the 54 m (177.2 ft) long Drago Tunnel.
After the Grüm Gallery, the attractive Alp Grüm
station is reached. It not only is located at the tree line, but also marks the last station before the Italian linguistic border. From here onwards, the line clambers, with a gradient of up to 7%, and via multiple s-bends, downwards into the Poschiavo
valley. That this occurs without the assistance of a rack railway
system makes the Bernina Railway one of the steepest adhesion railways in the world.
Immediately behind the Alp Grüm station, the line winds in a tight 180° bend, and passes below Alp Grüm through the Upper Palü Gallery. In a further 180° bend, it heads through the Palü Tunnel and subsequently through the Lower Palü Gallery. A further four half circle loops follow, until the line reaches the Cavaglia
station. Since about 2000, there has also been a new automatic passing loop, Stablini, between Alp Grüm and Cavaglia. It bisects a portion of the line that was previously prone to traffic delays. In zigzag fashion, the line continues from Cavaglia further down into the valley via Cadera
to Privilasco
. From there, the line leaves the tight bends behind, and, still at its maximum gradient, reaches the Poschiavo Valley. In Poschiavo
it finally meets up once again with the Bernina Pass road.
At the request of the Poschiavo community, the station at Poschiavo was built just outside the village boundaries. It has a railway depot and workshop, in which a few historic railcars of the Bernina Railway are also stored. The remaining section of line of approximately 17 km (10.6 mi) to Tirano are laid partially still as a mountain railway, but also partially in the manner of a tramway system. After the stopping point Li Curt
, erected only in 1977, the line reaches the village of Le Prese
, the stopping point of which is located in the middle of the street. Between Le Prese and Miralago
the line passes along the banks of the Poschiavo Lake, thus remaining at the lake's altitude of 965 m (3,166 ft) above sea level.
Below Brusio
, the railway has, as its last highlight, the Brusio spiral viaduct
, which serves only to adjust the altitude of the line. The spiral viaduct is followed by the stopping point for the village of Campascio
, which still belongs to Brusio. Beyond the border station of Campocologno
, which is unusually large due to its customs facilities, the line finally reaches Italy, and, after crossing the main square of Tirano, its terminal station. Here, the Bernina Railway meets the standard gauge station
and line of the Italian state rail infrastructure company Rete Ferroviaria Italiana
(RFI), which links Tirano through Valtellina
to Milan
.
, nine ABe 4/4II
, six ABe 4/4III
und two Gem 4/4
.
This fleet, consisting predominantly of railcar
s, also carries freight traffic. Some freight cars are added to passenger trains until the maximum towing capacity of such trains of 140 tonnes is reached. For reasons of safety, due to the presence of dangerous goods, other freight cars are operated in pure freight trains. Despite being set up originally only for tourist traffic, the Bernina Railway now also assists trade
with Italy by carrying not inconsiderable quantities of freight, consisting mostly of heating oil
, fuel
s and timber. Additionally, the regional shopping businesses of the Poschiavo valley are served partly by rail.
The timetable is tightly designed, with year round services of one passenger train per hour in each direction. The flagship services are the now fully panorama car equipped Bernina Express
and the Trenino Rosso travelling in the opposite direction.
In winter, a steam snow blower
is regularly in service. Its operation is also a tourist attraction
that draws in railway enthusiasts from all over the world.
In connection with the danger of avalanche
s on the Bernina Railway, the Rhaetian Railway has developed an unusual procedure for the removal of these high alpine hazards. In late winter, when the risk of avalanche is greatest, artillery
is fired at the points of origin of avalanches, to bring some control to their occurrence.
This article was translated from the German language version as at November 2009. It is now out of date, and needs updating to mention the Allegra units.
metre gauge
railway line forming part of the Rhaetian Railway (RhB). It links the spa resort of St. Moritz
, in the Canton
of Graubünden
, Switzerland
, with the town of Tirano
, in the Province of Sondrio
, Italy
, via the Bernina Pass
. It also ranks as the highest adhesion railway in the Alps, and - with inclines of up to 7% - as one of the steepest adhesion railways in the world.
On 7 July 2008, the Bernina Railway and the Albula Railway
, which also forms part of the RhB, were recorded in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, under the name Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina
Landscapes. The whole site is regarded as a cross border joint Swiss-Italian heritage area.
The most famous trains operating on the Bernina Railway are known as the Bernina Express
.
in 1904, the Bernina-Bahngesellschaft (BB) was established, with the objective of opening a railway line between St Moritz and Tirano
, via the Bernina Pass. After obtaining a concession
for such a line in 1906, the BB opened it from 1908 onwards, in several sections: on 1 July 1908 between Pontresina
and Morteratasch
, and between Tirano
and Poschiavo
; on 18 August of the same year between Pontresina and Celerina
; and on 1 July 1909 between Celerina and St Moritz, and between Morteratsch and Bernina Suot
. It was only on 5 July 1910 that the whole line could be opened, upon completion of the most difficult section, between Bernina Suot and Poschiavo. From the beginning, the line was electrically operated with DC current, although in 1935 the voltage was increased from 750 V to 1000 V.
Originally, the Bernina Railway was intended for use only in summer, but in 1913/14 the BB commenced winter operations as well. This development was associated with major weather related problems, necessitating further erection of avalanche barriers.
In the first years of its existence, the BB was always on the verge of bankruptcy. The costs of construction expenditure on the line to 1915 amounted to around 15 million Swiss francs. Even the introduction of a restaurant car
in 1928, and packages for tourists, could not save the little railway from ruin. Due to its difficult financial situation, it was taken over by the Rhaetian Railway in the middle of World War II
in 1943.
The RhB modernised the line fundamentally, also for military reasons, and completely renewed the section at the top of the pass. Previously, the line formation on the north ramp of the Bernina Pass had been laid out in curves giving passengers spectacular views, but also lying in the path of avalanche
courses. The new parts of the line cut off those curves, the catenary
and the flat bottomed rails of the old formation were removed, but the substructure
is still visible in the high mountains.
Since the mid 1980s, the Rhaetian Railway has been marketing the natural and technical attractions of the Bernina Railway specifically to tourists. Thus, the section from Pontresina to Tirano forms part of the route of the Bernina Express
. In October 2011, Google photographed the Bernina Railway for Google Street View
.
and the Bernina Railway. As the two railways are powered by different electrification systems
, they meet at the same station, but operate on separate lines from separate platforms. The Bernina Railway leaves St Moritz station in an easterly direction, and crosses the Inn River
on a 64 m (210 ft) long viaduct
. It then passes through the 689 m (2,260.5 ft) long Charnadüra-Tunnel II, the longest tunnel on the entire route. The next station, Celerina Staz
, is, at 1716 m (5,629.9 ft) above sea level, the lowest point on the north side of the Bernina Pass
. From there until Ospizio Bernina
, the line will now climb almost continuously. After returning to the banks of the Inn, the line reaches the small station Punt Muragl Staz
. At this point is the valley station of the funicular
to Muottas Muragl
, opened in 1907.
The next station in Pontresina
represents, together with St Moritz station, a curiosity in the network of the RhB: two completely different electrification systems meet here. The 11 kV AC
powered trains, which enter the station on the line from Samedan
, use tracks 1 to 3, while the 1,000 V DC
powered Bernina trains use tracks 3 to 7. Track 3 has a catenary that can be switched from alternating current to direct current, and a special signal to display to train crews the type of current being used. By means of track 3, the trains using the core network (from Samedan) and the Bernina line trains can use the same line, despite their differing electrification systems. On track 3 is also the exchange of locomotives for the famous Bernina Express
, which operates between Chur or Davos Platz
and Tirano
.
The line now turns to the south east. After crossing the Rosegbach, passing through the Surovas
station (which was previously called "Sans Souci" (Carefree)), and crossing the Berninabach, it finally reaches Morteratsch
station, about 2 km (1.2 mi) below the Morteratsch Glacier
. Past the other end of the station is the world famous Montebello Curve, where the line meets the road over the pass. The line and the road will now accompany each other as far as Ospizio Bernina. At the recently modernised Bernina Suot
passing loop, the tree line has already been reached. The next stations are Diavolezza
and Bernina Lagalb
; both are departure points of cableways.
The next section is probably the most interesting on the north side of the pass. Here, the route is very winding, and moves from one side of the valley to the other. First, the Berninabach is crossed, using the 37 m (121.4 ft) long Lower Berninabach Bridge, and then the line crosses the Arlasbach, a tributory of the Berninabach. On the Upper Berninabach Bridge, the line moves back to the eastern side of the valley. Southwest of here, the Piz Bernina
and the Piz Palü
rise majestically. Next follows the 175 m (574.1 ft) long Arlas Gallery, which provides protection against snow drifts. On the southwestern side are the small lakes known as Lej Pitschen and Lej Nair. Directly behind them towers the 15 m (49.2 ft) high and 283 m (928.5 ft) long Lago Bianco
dam, which also marks the watershed
between the Danube
and the Po.
The railway now runs along the eastern bank of the lake, and, near Ospizio Bernina
, reaches its highest point, at 2253 m (7,391.7 ft) above sea level. The Bernina Railway is thereby (mountainside railways excluded) the highest railway line in the Alps, operating as a public railway with year round traffic. As the section from here to Poschiavo
is particularly badly affected by drifting snow, countless engineering structures have been erected from the southern dam wall onwards: the 140 m (459.3 ft) long Scala Gallery, the 192 m (629.9 ft) long Scala Tunnel, the Sassal Mason Gallery, even longer at 348 m (1,141.7 ft), and the 54 m (177.2 ft) long Drago Tunnel.
After the Grüm Gallery, the attractive Alp Grüm
station is reached. It not only is located at the tree line, but also marks the last station before the Italian linguistic border. From here onwards, the line clambers, with a gradient of up to 7%, and via multiple s-bends, downwards into the Poschiavo
valley. That this occurs without the assistance of a rack railway
system makes the Bernina Railway one of the steepest adhesion railways in the world.
Immediately behind the Alp Grüm station, the line winds in a tight 180° bend, and passes below Alp Grüm through the Upper Palü Gallery. In a further 180° bend, it heads through the Palü Tunnel and subsequently through the Lower Palü Gallery. A further four half circle loops follow, until the line reaches the Cavaglia
station. Since about 2000, there has also been a new automatic passing loop, Stablini, between Alp Grüm and Cavaglia. It bisects a portion of the line that was previously prone to traffic delays. In zigzag fashion, the line continues from Cavaglia further down into the valley via Cadera
to Privilasco
. From there, the line leaves the tight bends behind, and, still at its maximum gradient, reaches the Poschiavo Valley. In Poschiavo
it finally meets up once again with the Bernina Pass road.
At the request of the Poschiavo community, the station at Poschiavo was built just outside the village boundaries. It has a railway depot and workshop, in which a few historic railcars of the Bernina Railway are also stored. The remaining section of line of approximately 17 km (10.6 mi) to Tirano are laid partially still as a mountain railway, but also partially in the manner of a tramway system. After the stopping point Li Curt
, erected only in 1977, the line reaches the village of Le Prese
, the stopping point of which is located in the middle of the street. Between Le Prese and Miralago
the line passes along the banks of the Poschiavo Lake, thus remaining at the lake's altitude of 965 m (3,166 ft) above sea level.
Below Brusio
, the railway has, as its last highlight, the Brusio spiral viaduct
, which serves only to adjust the altitude of the line. The spiral viaduct is followed by the stopping point for the village of Campascio
, which still belongs to Brusio. Beyond the border station of Campocologno
, which is unusually large due to its customs facilities, the line finally reaches Italy, and, after crossing the main square of Tirano, its terminal station. Here, the Bernina Railway meets the standard gauge station
and line of the Italian state rail infrastructure company Rete Ferroviaria Italiana
(RFI), which links Tirano through Valtellina
to Milan
.
, nine ABe 4/4II
, six ABe 4/4III
und two Gem 4/4
.
This fleet, consisting predominantly of railcar
s, also carries freight traffic. Some freight cars are added to passenger trains until the maximum towing capacity of such trains of 140 tonnes is reached. For reasons of safety, due to the presence of dangerous goods, other freight cars are operated in pure freight trains. Despite being set up originally only for tourist traffic, the Bernina Railway now also assists trade
with Italy by carrying not inconsiderable quantities of freight, consisting mostly of heating oil
, fuel
s and timber. Additionally, the regional shopping businesses of the Poschiavo valley are served partly by rail.
The timetable is tightly designed, with year round services of one passenger train per hour in each direction. The flagship services are the now fully panorama car equipped Bernina Express
and the Trenino Rosso travelling in the opposite direction.
In winter, a steam snow blower
is regularly in service. Its operation is also a tourist attraction
that draws in railway enthusiasts from all over the world.
In connection with the danger of avalanche
s on the Bernina Railway, the Rhaetian Railway has developed an unusual procedure for the removal of these high alpine hazards. In late winter, when the risk of avalanche is greatest, artillery
is fired at the points of origin of avalanches, to bring some control to their occurrence.
This article was translated from the German language version as at November 2009. It is now out of date, and needs updating to mention the Allegra units.
metre gauge
railway line forming part of the Rhaetian Railway (RhB). It links the spa resort of St. Moritz
, in the Canton
of Graubünden
, Switzerland
, with the town of Tirano
, in the Province of Sondrio
, Italy
, via the Bernina Pass
. It also ranks as the highest adhesion railway in the Alps, and - with inclines of up to 7% - as one of the steepest adhesion railways in the world.
On 7 July 2008, the Bernina Railway and the Albula Railway
, which also forms part of the RhB, were recorded in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, under the name Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina
Landscapes. The whole site is regarded as a cross border joint Swiss-Italian heritage area.
The most famous trains operating on the Bernina Railway are known as the Bernina Express
.
in 1904, the Bernina-Bahngesellschaft (BB) was established, with the objective of opening a railway line between St Moritz and Tirano
, via the Bernina Pass. After obtaining a concession
for such a line in 1906, the BB opened it from 1908 onwards, in several sections: on 1 July 1908 between Pontresina
and Morteratasch
, and between Tirano
and Poschiavo
; on 18 August of the same year between Pontresina and Celerina
; and on 1 July 1909 between Celerina and St Moritz, and between Morteratsch and Bernina Suot
. It was only on 5 July 1910 that the whole line could be opened, upon completion of the most difficult section, between Bernina Suot and Poschiavo. From the beginning, the line was electrically operated with DC current, although in 1935 the voltage was increased from 750 V to 1000 V.
Originally, the Bernina Railway was intended for use only in summer, but in 1913/14 the BB commenced winter operations as well. This development was associated with major weather related problems, necessitating further erection of avalanche barriers.
In the first years of its existence, the BB was always on the verge of bankruptcy. The costs of construction expenditure on the line to 1915 amounted to around 15 million Swiss francs. Even the introduction of a restaurant car
in 1928, and packages for tourists, could not save the little railway from ruin. Due to its difficult financial situation, it was taken over by the Rhaetian Railway in the middle of World War II
in 1943.
The RhB modernised the line fundamentally, also for military reasons, and completely renewed the section at the top of the pass. Previously, the line formation on the north ramp of the Bernina Pass had been laid out in curves giving passengers spectacular views, but also lying in the path of avalanche
courses. The new parts of the line cut off those curves, the catenary
and the flat bottomed rails of the old formation were removed, but the substructure
is still visible in the high mountains.
Since the mid 1980s, the Rhaetian Railway has been marketing the natural and technical attractions of the Bernina Railway specifically to tourists. Thus, the section from Pontresina to Tirano forms part of the route of the Bernina Express
. In October 2011, Google photographed the Bernina Railway for Google Street View
.
and the Bernina Railway. As the two railways are powered by different electrification systems
, they meet at the same station, but operate on separate lines from separate platforms. The Bernina Railway leaves St Moritz station in an easterly direction, and crosses the Inn River
on a 64 m (210 ft) long viaduct
. It then passes through the 689 m (2,260.5 ft) long Charnadüra-Tunnel II, the longest tunnel on the entire route. The next station, Celerina Staz
, is, at 1716 m (5,629.9 ft) above sea level, the lowest point on the north side of the Bernina Pass
. From there until Ospizio Bernina
, the line will now climb almost continuously. After returning to the banks of the Inn, the line reaches the small station Punt Muragl Staz
. At this point is the valley station of the funicular
to Muottas Muragl
, opened in 1907.
The next station in Pontresina
represents, together with St Moritz station, a curiosity in the network of the RhB: two completely different electrification systems meet here. The 11 kV AC
powered trains, which enter the station on the line from Samedan
, use tracks 1 to 3, while the 1,000 V DC
powered Bernina trains use tracks 3 to 7. Track 3 has a catenary that can be switched from alternating current to direct current, and a special signal to display to train crews the type of current being used. By means of track 3, the trains using the core network (from Samedan) and the Bernina line trains can use the same line, despite their differing electrification systems. On track 3 is also the exchange of locomotives for the famous Bernina Express
, which operates between Chur or Davos Platz
and Tirano
.
The line now turns to the south east. After crossing the Rosegbach, passing through the Surovas
station (which was previously called "Sans Souci" (Carefree)), and crossing the Berninabach, it finally reaches Morteratsch
station, about 2 km (1.2 mi) below the Morteratsch Glacier
. Past the other end of the station is the world famous Montebello Curve, where the line meets the road over the pass. The line and the road will now accompany each other as far as Ospizio Bernina. At the recently modernised Bernina Suot
passing loop, the tree line has already been reached. The next stations are Diavolezza
and Bernina Lagalb
; both are departure points of cableways.
The next section is probably the most interesting on the north side of the pass. Here, the route is very winding, and moves from one side of the valley to the other. First, the Berninabach is crossed, using the 37 m (121.4 ft) long Lower Berninabach Bridge, and then the line crosses the Arlasbach, a tributory of the Berninabach. On the Upper Berninabach Bridge, the line moves back to the eastern side of the valley. Southwest of here, the Piz Bernina
and the Piz Palü
rise majestically. Next follows the 175 m (574.1 ft) long Arlas Gallery, which provides protection against snow drifts. On the southwestern side are the small lakes known as Lej Pitschen and Lej Nair. Directly behind them towers the 15 m (49.2 ft) high and 283 m (928.5 ft) long Lago Bianco
dam, which also marks the watershed
between the Danube
and the Po.
The railway now runs along the eastern bank of the lake, and, near Ospizio Bernina
, reaches its highest point, at 2253 m (7,391.7 ft) above sea level. The Bernina Railway is thereby (mountainside railways excluded) the highest railway line in the Alps, operating as a public railway with year round traffic. As the section from here to Poschiavo
is particularly badly affected by drifting snow, countless engineering structures have been erected from the southern dam wall onwards: the 140 m (459.3 ft) long Scala Gallery, the 192 m (629.9 ft) long Scala Tunnel, the Sassal Mason Gallery, even longer at 348 m (1,141.7 ft), and the 54 m (177.2 ft) long Drago Tunnel.
After the Grüm Gallery, the attractive Alp Grüm
station is reached. It not only is located at the tree line, but also marks the last station before the Italian linguistic border. From here onwards, the line clambers, with a gradient of up to 7%, and via multiple s-bends, downwards into the Poschiavo
valley. That this occurs without the assistance of a rack railway
system makes the Bernina Railway one of the steepest adhesion railways in the world.
Immediately behind the Alp Grüm station, the line winds in a tight 180° bend, and passes below Alp Grüm through the Upper Palü Gallery. In a further 180° bend, it heads through the Palü Tunnel and subsequently through the Lower Palü Gallery. A further four half circle loops follow, until the line reaches the Cavaglia
station. Since about 2000, there has also been a new automatic passing loop, Stablini, between Alp Grüm and Cavaglia. It bisects a portion of the line that was previously prone to traffic delays. In zigzag fashion, the line continues from Cavaglia further down into the valley via Cadera
to Privilasco
. From there, the line leaves the tight bends behind, and, still at its maximum gradient, reaches the Poschiavo Valley. In Poschiavo
it finally meets up once again with the Bernina Pass road.
At the request of the Poschiavo community, the station at Poschiavo was built just outside the village boundaries. It has a railway depot and workshop, in which a few historic railcars of the Bernina Railway are also stored. The remaining section of line of approximately 17 km (10.6 mi) to Tirano are laid partially still as a mountain railway, but also partially in the manner of a tramway system. After the stopping point Li Curt
, erected only in 1977, the line reaches the village of Le Prese
, the stopping point of which is located in the middle of the street. Between Le Prese and Miralago
the line passes along the banks of the Poschiavo Lake, thus remaining at the lake's altitude of 965 m (3,166 ft) above sea level.
Below Brusio
, the railway has, as its last highlight, the Brusio spiral viaduct
, which serves only to adjust the altitude of the line. The spiral viaduct is followed by the stopping point for the village of Campascio
, which still belongs to Brusio. Beyond the border station of Campocologno
, which is unusually large due to its customs facilities, the line finally reaches Italy, and, after crossing the main square of Tirano, its terminal station. Here, the Bernina Railway meets the standard gauge station
and line of the Italian state rail infrastructure company Rete Ferroviaria Italiana
(RFI), which links Tirano through Valtellina
to Milan
.
, nine ABe 4/4II
, six ABe 4/4III
und two Gem 4/4
.
This fleet, consisting predominantly of railcar
s, also carries freight traffic. Some freight cars are added to passenger trains until the maximum towing capacity of such trains of 140 tonnes is reached. For reasons of safety, due to the presence of dangerous goods, other freight cars are operated in pure freight trains. Despite being set up originally only for tourist traffic, the Bernina Railway now also assists trade
with Italy by carrying not inconsiderable quantities of freight, consisting mostly of heating oil
, fuel
s and timber. Additionally, the regional shopping businesses of the Poschiavo valley are served partly by rail.
The timetable is tightly designed, with year round services of one passenger train per hour in each direction. The flagship services are the now fully panorama car equipped Bernina Express
and the Trenino Rosso travelling in the opposite direction.
In winter, a steam snow blower
is regularly in service. Its operation is also a tourist attraction
that draws in railway enthusiasts from all over the world.
In connection with the danger of avalanche
s on the Bernina Railway, the Rhaetian Railway has developed an unusual procedure for the removal of these high alpine hazards. In late winter, when the risk of avalanche is greatest, artillery
is fired at the points of origin of avalanches, to bring some control to their occurrence.
This article was translated from the German language version as at November 2009. It is now out of date, and needs updating to mention the Allegra units.
metre gauge
railway line forming part of the Rhaetian Railway (RhB). It links the spa resort of St. Moritz
, in the Canton
of Graubünden
, Switzerland
, with the town of Tirano
, in the Province of Sondrio
, Italy
, via the Bernina Pass
. It also ranks as the highest adhesion railway in the Alps, and - with inclines of up to 7% - as one of the steepest adhesion railways in the world.
On 7 July 2008, the Bernina Railway and the Albula Railway
, which also forms part of the RhB, were recorded in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, under the name Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina
Landscapes. The whole site is regarded as a cross border joint Swiss-Italian heritage area.
The most famous trains operating on the Bernina Railway are known as the Bernina Express
.
in 1904, the Bernina-Bahngesellschaft (BB) was established, with the objective of opening a railway line between St Moritz and Tirano
, via the Bernina Pass. After obtaining a concession
for such a line in 1906, the BB opened it from 1908 onwards, in several sections: on 1 July 1908 between Pontresina
and Morteratasch
, and between Tirano
and Poschiavo
; on 18 August of the same year between Pontresina and Celerina
; and on 1 July 1909 between Celerina and St Moritz, and between Morteratsch and Bernina Suot
. It was only on 5 July 1910 that the whole line could be opened, upon completion of the most difficult section, between Bernina Suot and Poschiavo. From the beginning, the line was electrically operated with DC current, although in 1935 the voltage was increased from 750 V to 1000 V.
Originally, the Bernina Railway was intended for use only in summer, but in 1913/14 the BB commenced winter operations as well. This development was associated with major weather related problems, necessitating further erection of avalanche barriers.
In the first years of its existence, the BB was always on the verge of bankruptcy. The costs of construction expenditure on the line to 1915 amounted to around 15 million Swiss francs. Even the introduction of a restaurant car
in 1928, and packages for tourists, could not save the little railway from ruin. Due to its difficult financial situation, it was taken over by the Rhaetian Railway in the middle of World War II
in 1943.
The RhB modernised the line fundamentally, also for military reasons, and completely renewed the section at the top of the pass. Previously, the line formation on the north ramp of the Bernina Pass had been laid out in curves giving passengers spectacular views, but also lying in the path of avalanche
courses. The new parts of the line cut off those curves, the catenary
and the flat bottomed rails of the old formation were removed, but the substructure
is still visible in the high mountains.
Since the mid 1980s, the Rhaetian Railway has been marketing the natural and technical attractions of the Bernina Railway specifically to tourists. Thus, the section from Pontresina to Tirano forms part of the route of the Bernina Express
. In October 2011, Google photographed the Bernina Railway for Google Street View
.
and the Bernina Railway. As the two railways are powered by different electrification systems
, they meet at the same station, but operate on separate lines from separate platforms. The Bernina Railway leaves St Moritz station in an easterly direction, and crosses the Inn River
on a 64 m (210 ft) long viaduct
. It then passes through the 689 m (2,260.5 ft) long Charnadüra-Tunnel II, the longest tunnel on the entire route. The next station, Celerina Staz
, is, at 1716 m (5,629.9 ft) above sea level, the lowest point on the north side of the Bernina Pass
. From there until Ospizio Bernina
, the line will now climb almost continuously. After returning to the banks of the Inn, the line reaches the small station Punt Muragl Staz
. At this point is the valley station of the funicular
to Muottas Muragl
, opened in 1907.
The next station in Pontresina
represents, together with St Moritz station, a curiosity in the network of the RhB: two completely different electrification systems meet here. The 11 kV AC
powered trains, which enter the station on the line from Samedan
, use tracks 1 to 3, while the 1,000 V DC
powered Bernina trains use tracks 3 to 7. Track 3 has a catenary that can be switched from alternating current to direct current, and a special signal to display to train crews the type of current being used. By means of track 3, the trains using the core network (from Samedan) and the Bernina line trains can use the same line, despite their differing electrification systems. On track 3 is also the exchange of locomotives for the famous Bernina Express
, which operates between Chur or Davos Platz
and Tirano
.
The line now turns to the south east. After crossing the Rosegbach, passing through the Surovas
station (which was previously called "Sans Souci" (Carefree)), and crossing the Berninabach, it finally reaches Morteratsch
station, about 2 km (1.2 mi) below the Morteratsch Glacier
. Past the other end of the station is the world famous Montebello Curve, where the line meets the road over the pass. The line and the road will now accompany each other as far as Ospizio Bernina. At the recently modernised Bernina Suot
passing loop, the tree line has already been reached. The next stations are Diavolezza
and Bernina Lagalb
; both are departure points of cableways.
The next section is probably the most interesting on the north side of the pass. Here, the route is very winding, and moves from one side of the valley to the other. First, the Berninabach is crossed, using the 37 m (121.4 ft) long Lower Berninabach Bridge, and then the line crosses the Arlasbach, a tributory of the Berninabach. On the Upper Berninabach Bridge, the line moves back to the eastern side of the valley. Southwest of here, the Piz Bernina
and the Piz Palü
rise majestically. Next follows the 175 m (574.1 ft) long Arlas Gallery, which provides protection against snow drifts. On the southwestern side are the small lakes known as Lej Pitschen and Lej Nair. Directly behind them towers the 15 m (49.2 ft) high and 283 m (928.5 ft) long Lago Bianco
dam, which also marks the watershed
between the Danube
and the Po.
The railway now runs along the eastern bank of the lake, and, near Ospizio Bernina
, reaches its highest point, at 2253 m (7,391.7 ft) above sea level. The Bernina Railway is thereby (mountainside railways excluded) the highest railway line in the Alps, operating as a public railway with year round traffic. As the section from here to Poschiavo
is particularly badly affected by drifting snow, countless engineering structures have been erected from the southern dam wall onwards: the 140 m (459.3 ft) long Scala Gallery, the 192 m (629.9 ft) long Scala Tunnel, the Sassal Mason Gallery, even longer at 348 m (1,141.7 ft), and the 54 m (177.2 ft) long Drago Tunnel.
After the Grüm Gallery, the attractive Alp Grüm
station is reached. It not only is located at the tree line, but also marks the last station before the Italian linguistic border. From here onwards, the line clambers, with a gradient of up to 7%, and via multiple s-bends, downwards into the Poschiavo
valley. That this occurs without the assistance of a rack railway
system makes the Bernina Railway one of the steepest adhesion railways in the world.
Immediately behind the Alp Grüm station, the line winds in a tight 180° bend, and passes below Alp Grüm through the Upper Palü Gallery. In a further 180° bend, it heads through the Palü Tunnel and subsequently through the Lower Palü Gallery. A further four half circle loops follow, until the line reaches the Cavaglia
station. Since about 2000, there has also been a new automatic passing loop, Stablini, between Alp Grüm and Cavaglia. It bisects a portion of the line that was previously prone to traffic delays. In zigzag fashion, the line continues from Cavaglia further down into the valley via Cadera
to Privilasco
. From there, the line leaves the tight bends behind, and, still at its maximum gradient, reaches the Poschiavo Valley. In Poschiavo
it finally meets up once again with the Bernina Pass road.
At the request of the Poschiavo community, the station at Poschiavo was built just outside the village boundaries. It has a railway depot and workshop, in which a few historic railcars of the Bernina Railway are also stored. The remaining section of line of approximately 17 km (10.6 mi) to Tirano are laid partially still as a mountain railway, but also partially in the manner of a tramway system. After the stopping point Li Curt
, erected only in 1977, the line reaches the village of Le Prese
, the stopping point of which is located in the middle of the street. Between Le Prese and Miralago
the line passes along the banks of the Poschiavo Lake, thus remaining at the lake's altitude of 965 m (3,166 ft) above sea level.
Below Brusio
, the railway has, as its last highlight, the Brusio spiral viaduct
, which serves only to adjust the altitude of the line. The spiral viaduct is followed by the stopping point for the village of Campascio
, which still belongs to Brusio. Beyond the border station of Campocologno
, which is unusually large due to its customs facilities, the line finally reaches Italy, and, after crossing the main square of Tirano, its terminal station. Here, the Bernina Railway meets the standard gauge station
and line of the Italian state rail infrastructure company Rete Ferroviaria Italiana
(RFI), which links Tirano through Valtellina
to Milan
.
, nine ABe 4/4II
, six ABe 4/4III
und two Gem 4/4
.
This fleet, consisting predominantly of railcar
s, also carries freight traffic. Some freight cars are added to passenger trains until the maximum towing capacity of such trains of 140 tonnes is reached. For reasons of safety, due to the presence of dangerous goods, other freight cars are operated in pure freight trains. Despite being set up originally only for tourist traffic, the Bernina Railway now also assists trade
with Italy by carrying not inconsiderable quantities of freight, consisting mostly of heating oil
, fuel
s and timber. Additionally, the regional shopping businesses of the Poschiavo valley are served partly by rail.
The timetable is tightly designed, with year round services of one passenger train per hour in each direction. The flagship services are the now fully panorama car equipped Bernina Express
and the Trenino Rosso travelling in the opposite direction.
In winter, a steam snow blower
is regularly in service. Its operation is also a tourist attraction
that draws in railway enthusiasts from all over the world.
In connection with the danger of avalanche
s on the Bernina Railway, the Rhaetian Railway has developed an unusual procedure for the removal of these high alpine hazards. In late winter, when the risk of avalanche is greatest, artillery
is fired at the points of origin of avalanches, to bring some control to their occurrence.
This article was translated from the German language version as at November 2009. It is now out of date, and needs updating to mention the Allegra units.
File: Berninabahn tirano 1.jpg | A Rhaetian Railway train in Tirano.
File: RhB Regio nach Tirano zwischen Lagalb und Ospizio Bernina.jpg | An RhB Regio train to Tirano between Lagalb and Ospizio Bernina.
File: Tirano-Panoramawagen-Bernina-Express.jpg | Bernina Express panorama cars in Tirano.
File: Berninabahn Lej Pitschen im Winter.jpg | Lei Pitschen in winter.
File: Berninabahn zwischen Lagalb und Ospizio Bernina im Winter.jpg | Bernina Railway between Lagalb and Ospizio Bernina in Winter.
File: Rhb Bernina-Express überquert obere Berninabach-Brücke.jpg | Crossing the upper Berninabach Bridge.
File: Alp Grüm RhB 52.JPG | Grüm Galery at Alp Grüm.
File: Berninabahn Poschiavo 02.jpg | A down valley train at Poschiavo station.
File: Tirano-Rhaetischer Bahnhof.jpg | Rhaetian Railway station in Tirano.
File: Swiss Rail Rhb ABe 4 4.jpg | ABe 4/4 I 30 and 34 below Alp Grüm
.
File: RhB Regio nach Tirano mit Gem 4-4.jpg | Hybrid loco Gem 4 / 4 in service at the head of a Regio train to Tirano.
File: RhB Xrotd 9213 am Lago Bianco 3.jpg | Rotary snowplow Xrotd 9213 with dual-mode Gem 4 / 802 4 in action
Single track (rail)
A single track railway is where trains in both directions share the same track. Single track is normally used on lesser used rail lines, often branch lines, where the traffic density is not high enough to justify the cost of building double tracks....
metre gauge
Metre gauge
Metre gauge refers to narrow gauge railways and tramways with a track gauge of . In some African, American and Asian countries it is the main gauge. In Europe it has been used for local railways in France, Germany, and Belgium, most of which were closed down in mid 20th century. Only in Switzerland...
railway line forming part of the Rhaetian Railway (RhB). It links the spa resort of St. Moritz
St. Moritz
St. Moritz is a resort town in the Engadine valley in Switzerland. It is a municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden...
, in the Canton
Cantons of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...
of Graubünden
Graubünden
Graubünden or Grisons is the largest and easternmost canton of Switzerland. The canton shares borders with the cantons of Ticino, Uri, Glarus and St. Gallen and international borders with Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, with the town of Tirano
Tirano
Tirano is a town in Valtellina, located in the province of Sondrio, Northern Italy. It has about 9,044 inhabitants and is adjacent to the Switzerland-Italy boundary. The river Adda flows through the town....
, in the Province of Sondrio
Province of Sondrio
The Province of Sondrio is in the Lombardy region of Italy. Its capital is the town of Sondrio.It has an area of 3,212 km², and a total population of 176,856...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, via the Bernina Pass
Bernina Pass
The Bernina Pass is a high mountain pass in the Bernina Range of the Alps, in the canton of Graubünden in eastern Switzerland. It connects the famous resort town of St. Moritz in the Engadin valley with the Italian-speaking Val Poschiavo, which ends in the Italian town of Tirano in Valtellina....
. It also ranks as the highest adhesion railway in the Alps, and - with inclines of up to 7% - as one of the steepest adhesion railways in the world.
On 7 July 2008, the Bernina Railway and the Albula Railway
Albula Railway
In 1890, the Davos hotelier Willem-Jan Holsboer proposed the construction of a rail link from Chur via Davos, and through a tunnel under the Scaletta Pass, to St Moritz, and then onwards via the Maloja Pass, to Chiavenna in Italy. Holsboer later had to abandon this planned Scalettabahn, in favour...
, which also forms part of the RhB, were recorded in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, under the name Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina
Bernina Express
The Bernina Express is an express train connecting Chur in Switzerland with Poschiavo and Tirano in Italy, by crossing the Swiss Alps from north to south. For most of its journey, the train also passes along and through the World Heritage Site known as the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina...
Landscapes. The whole site is regarded as a cross border joint Swiss-Italian heritage area.
The most famous trains operating on the Bernina Railway are known as the Bernina Express
Bernina Express
The Bernina Express is an express train connecting Chur in Switzerland with Poschiavo and Tirano in Italy, by crossing the Swiss Alps from north to south. For most of its journey, the train also passes along and through the World Heritage Site known as the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina...
.
History
In the year following the completion of the Albula RailwayAlbula Railway
In 1890, the Davos hotelier Willem-Jan Holsboer proposed the construction of a rail link from Chur via Davos, and through a tunnel under the Scaletta Pass, to St Moritz, and then onwards via the Maloja Pass, to Chiavenna in Italy. Holsboer later had to abandon this planned Scalettabahn, in favour...
in 1904, the Bernina-Bahngesellschaft (BB) was established, with the objective of opening a railway line between St Moritz and Tirano
Tirano
Tirano is a town in Valtellina, located in the province of Sondrio, Northern Italy. It has about 9,044 inhabitants and is adjacent to the Switzerland-Italy boundary. The river Adda flows through the town....
, via the Bernina Pass. After obtaining a concession
Concession (contract)
A concession is a business operated under a contract or license associated with a degree of exclusivity in business within a certain geographical area. For example, sports arenas or public parks may have concession stands. Many department stores contain numerous concessions operated by other...
for such a line in 1906, the BB opened it from 1908 onwards, in several sections: on 1 July 1908 between Pontresina
Pontresina (Rhaetian Railway station)
Pontresina is a station on the Bernina Railway line from St. Moritz to Tirano. It is also the terminus of the Pontresina-Scuol-Tarasp railway line. Hourly services operate on each line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tp*R7 - 1tph...
and Morteratasch
Morteratsch (Rhaetian Railway station)
Morteratsch is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, and between Tirano
Tirano (Rhaetian Railway station)
Tirano is one of two stations in Tirano, Italy. It is the southern terminus of the metre gauge Bernina Railway line from St. Moritz. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph-See also:...
and Poschiavo
Poschiavo (Rhaetian Railway station)
Poschiavo is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
; on 18 August of the same year between Pontresina and Celerina
Celerina (Rhaetian Railway station)
Celerina is a railway station in Celerina, Switzerland. It is located on the Albula Railway line between Chur and St.Moritz. Hourly services operate on this section of the line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*RE1/R11 - 1tph...
; and on 1 July 1909 between Celerina and St Moritz, and between Morteratsch and Bernina Suot
Bernina Suot (Rhaetian Railway station)
Bernina Suot is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
. It was only on 5 July 1910 that the whole line could be opened, upon completion of the most difficult section, between Bernina Suot and Poschiavo. From the beginning, the line was electrically operated with DC current, although in 1935 the voltage was increased from 750 V to 1000 V.
Originally, the Bernina Railway was intended for use only in summer, but in 1913/14 the BB commenced winter operations as well. This development was associated with major weather related problems, necessitating further erection of avalanche barriers.
In the first years of its existence, the BB was always on the verge of bankruptcy. The costs of construction expenditure on the line to 1915 amounted to around 15 million Swiss francs. Even the introduction of a restaurant car
Dining car
A dining car or restaurant carriage , also diner, is a railroad passenger car that serves meals in the manner of a full-service, sit-down restaurant....
in 1928, and packages for tourists, could not save the little railway from ruin. Due to its difficult financial situation, it was taken over by the Rhaetian Railway in the middle of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in 1943.
The RhB modernised the line fundamentally, also for military reasons, and completely renewed the section at the top of the pass. Previously, the line formation on the north ramp of the Bernina Pass had been laid out in curves giving passengers spectacular views, but also lying in the path of avalanche
Avalanche
An avalanche is a sudden rapid flow of snow down a slope, occurring when either natural triggers or human activity causes a critical escalating transition from the slow equilibrium evolution of the snow pack. Typically occurring in mountainous terrain, an avalanche can mix air and water with the...
courses. The new parts of the line cut off those curves, the catenary
Overhead lines
Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains at a distance from the energy supply point...
and the flat bottomed rails of the old formation were removed, but the substructure
Substructure
In mathematical logic, an substructure or subalgebra is a structure whose domain is a subset of that of a bigger structure, and whose functions and relations are the traces of the functions and relations of the bigger structure...
is still visible in the high mountains.
Since the mid 1980s, the Rhaetian Railway has been marketing the natural and technical attractions of the Bernina Railway specifically to tourists. Thus, the section from Pontresina to Tirano forms part of the route of the Bernina Express
Bernina Express
The Bernina Express is an express train connecting Chur in Switzerland with Poschiavo and Tirano in Italy, by crossing the Swiss Alps from north to south. For most of its journey, the train also passes along and through the World Heritage Site known as the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina...
. In October 2011, Google photographed the Bernina Railway for Google Street View
Google Street View
Google Street View is a technology featured in Google Maps and Google Earth that provides panoramic views from various positions along many streets in the world...
.
Description of the railway
St Moritz is the terminus of both the Albula RailwayAlbula Railway
In 1890, the Davos hotelier Willem-Jan Holsboer proposed the construction of a rail link from Chur via Davos, and through a tunnel under the Scaletta Pass, to St Moritz, and then onwards via the Maloja Pass, to Chiavenna in Italy. Holsboer later had to abandon this planned Scalettabahn, in favour...
and the Bernina Railway. As the two railways are powered by different electrification systems
Railway electrification system
A railway electrification system supplies electrical energy to railway locomotives and multiple units as well as trams so that they can operate without having an on-board prime mover. There are several different electrification systems in use throughout the world...
, they meet at the same station, but operate on separate lines from separate platforms. The Bernina Railway leaves St Moritz station in an easterly direction, and crosses the Inn River
Inn River
The Inn is a river in Switzerland, Austria and Germany. It is a right tributary of the Danube and is approximately 500km long. The highest point of its drainage basin is the summit of Piz Bernina, at 4,049 metres.- Geography :...
on a 64 m (210 ft) long viaduct
Viaduct
A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...
. It then passes through the 689 m (2,260.5 ft) long Charnadüra-Tunnel II, the longest tunnel on the entire route. The next station, Celerina Staz
Celerina Staz (Rhaetian Railway station)
Celerina Staz is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, is, at 1716 m (5,629.9 ft) above sea level, the lowest point on the north side of the Bernina Pass
Bernina Pass
The Bernina Pass is a high mountain pass in the Bernina Range of the Alps, in the canton of Graubünden in eastern Switzerland. It connects the famous resort town of St. Moritz in the Engadin valley with the Italian-speaking Val Poschiavo, which ends in the Italian town of Tirano in Valtellina....
. From there until Ospizio Bernina
Ospizio Bernina (Rhaetian Railway station)
Ospizio Bernina is a station on the Bernina Railway line between St. Moritz in Switzerland and Tirano in Italy. Hourly services operate on this line....
, the line will now climb almost continuously. After returning to the banks of the Inn, the line reaches the small station Punt Muragl Staz
Punt Muragl Staz (Rhaetian Railway station)
Punt Muragl Staz is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
. At this point is the valley station of the funicular
Funicular
A funicular, also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope; the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalance each other.-Operation:The basic principle of funicular...
to Muottas Muragl
Muottas Muragl
Muottas Muragl is a minor summit situated near St. Moritz in Switzerland. It is accessible by funicular railway from a train station between Samedan-St. Moritz and Pontresina on the Bernina Express line.-External links:*...
, opened in 1907.
The next station in Pontresina
Pontresina (Rhaetian Railway station)
Pontresina is a station on the Bernina Railway line from St. Moritz to Tirano. It is also the terminus of the Pontresina-Scuol-Tarasp railway line. Hourly services operate on each line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tp*R7 - 1tph...
represents, together with St Moritz station, a curiosity in the network of the RhB: two completely different electrification systems meet here. The 11 kV AC
Alternating current
In alternating current the movement of electric charge periodically reverses direction. In direct current , the flow of electric charge is only in one direction....
powered trains, which enter the station on the line from Samedan
Samedan (Rhaetian Railway station)
Samedan is a railway station in Samedan, Switzerland. It is an important interchange station between the Albula Railway line and the Pontresina-Scuol-Tarasp line. Hourly services operate on each line....
, use tracks 1 to 3, while the 1,000 V DC
Direct current
Direct current is the unidirectional flow of electric charge. Direct current is produced by such sources as batteries, thermocouples, solar cells, and commutator-type electric machines of the dynamo type. Direct current may flow in a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through...
powered Bernina trains use tracks 3 to 7. Track 3 has a catenary that can be switched from alternating current to direct current, and a special signal to display to train crews the type of current being used. By means of track 3, the trains using the core network (from Samedan) and the Bernina line trains can use the same line, despite their differing electrification systems. On track 3 is also the exchange of locomotives for the famous Bernina Express
Bernina Express
The Bernina Express is an express train connecting Chur in Switzerland with Poschiavo and Tirano in Italy, by crossing the Swiss Alps from north to south. For most of its journey, the train also passes along and through the World Heritage Site known as the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina...
, which operates between Chur or Davos Platz
Davos Platz (Rhaetian Railway station)
Davos Platz station is located in the municipality of Davos in the district of Prattigau/Davos in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.It is the terminus of the Landquart-Davos railway line. Northbound, there is an hourly service towards Landquart. Southbound, there is an hourly service to Filisur. The...
and Tirano
Tirano (Rhaetian Railway station)
Tirano is one of two stations in Tirano, Italy. It is the southern terminus of the metre gauge Bernina Railway line from St. Moritz. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph-See also:...
.
The line now turns to the south east. After crossing the Rosegbach, passing through the Surovas
Surovas (Rhaetian Railway station)
Surovas is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
station (which was previously called "Sans Souci" (Carefree)), and crossing the Berninabach, it finally reaches Morteratsch
Morteratsch (Rhaetian Railway station)
Morteratsch is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
station, about 2 km (1.2 mi) below the Morteratsch Glacier
Morteratsch Glacier
The Morteratsch Glacier is the largest glacier by area in the Bernina Range of the Bündner Alps in Switzerland....
. Past the other end of the station is the world famous Montebello Curve, where the line meets the road over the pass. The line and the road will now accompany each other as far as Ospizio Bernina. At the recently modernised Bernina Suot
Bernina Suot (Rhaetian Railway station)
Bernina Suot is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
passing loop, the tree line has already been reached. The next stations are Diavolezza
Bernina Diavolezza (Rhaetian Railway station)
Bernina Diavolezza is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line. It is located at the foot of the Diavolezza mountain, as well as the Diavolezza and Lagalb ski regions. In the summer trailhead for hiking are located nearby....
and Bernina Lagalb
Bernina Lagalb (Rhaetian Railway station)
Bernina Lagalb is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
; both are departure points of cableways.
The next section is probably the most interesting on the north side of the pass. Here, the route is very winding, and moves from one side of the valley to the other. First, the Berninabach is crossed, using the 37 m (121.4 ft) long Lower Berninabach Bridge, and then the line crosses the Arlasbach, a tributory of the Berninabach. On the Upper Berninabach Bridge, the line moves back to the eastern side of the valley. Southwest of here, the Piz Bernina
Piz Bernina
Piz Bernina is the highest mountain of the Eastern Alps and the highest point of the Bernina Range the highest peak in south Rhetic Alps. It is also the farthest easterly mountain higher than 4,000 m in the Alps, the highest point of the Swiss canton of Graubünden, and the fifth-most prominent...
and the Piz Palü
Piz Palü
Piz Palü is a mountain in the Bernina Range in Switzerland and Italy. There are three summits on its main ridge, which runs from east to west...
rise majestically. Next follows the 175 m (574.1 ft) long Arlas Gallery, which provides protection against snow drifts. On the southwestern side are the small lakes known as Lej Pitschen and Lej Nair. Directly behind them towers the 15 m (49.2 ft) high and 283 m (928.5 ft) long Lago Bianco
Lago Bianco
Lago Bianco is a lake at the Bernina pass in the Grisons, Switzerland. Its surface area is 1.50 km². The current reservoir was formed by the two dams Scala and Arlas on the site of two natural lakes ....
dam, which also marks the watershed
European Watershed
The European Watershed is the line which divides the drainage basins of the major rivers of Germany: the Rhine, which originates in the Swiss Alps and empties into the North Sea via the Netherlands, and the Danube, which originates in the Black Forest and flows eastward emptying into the Black...
between the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
and the Po.
The railway now runs along the eastern bank of the lake, and, near Ospizio Bernina
Ospizio Bernina (Rhaetian Railway station)
Ospizio Bernina is a station on the Bernina Railway line between St. Moritz in Switzerland and Tirano in Italy. Hourly services operate on this line....
, reaches its highest point, at 2253 m (7,391.7 ft) above sea level. The Bernina Railway is thereby (mountainside railways excluded) the highest railway line in the Alps, operating as a public railway with year round traffic. As the section from here to Poschiavo
Poschiavo (Rhaetian Railway station)
Poschiavo is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
is particularly badly affected by drifting snow, countless engineering structures have been erected from the southern dam wall onwards: the 140 m (459.3 ft) long Scala Gallery, the 192 m (629.9 ft) long Scala Tunnel, the Sassal Mason Gallery, even longer at 348 m (1,141.7 ft), and the 54 m (177.2 ft) long Drago Tunnel.
After the Grüm Gallery, the attractive Alp Grüm
Alp Grüm (Rhaetian Railway station)
Alp Grüm railway station is situated on the Bernina Railway, between Pontresina, in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland, and Tirano, in the Province of Sondrio, Italy....
station is reached. It not only is located at the tree line, but also marks the last station before the Italian linguistic border. From here onwards, the line clambers, with a gradient of up to 7%, and via multiple s-bends, downwards into the Poschiavo
Poschiavo
Poschiavo is a municipality in the district of Bernina in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland.-History:Poschiavo is first mentioned in 824 as in Postclave though this comes from a later copy of the original document.. In 1140 it was mentioned as de Pusclauio. It was formerly known by the...
valley. That this occurs without the assistance of a rack railway
Rack railway
A rack-and-pinion railway is a railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with this rack rail...
system makes the Bernina Railway one of the steepest adhesion railways in the world.
Immediately behind the Alp Grüm station, the line winds in a tight 180° bend, and passes below Alp Grüm through the Upper Palü Gallery. In a further 180° bend, it heads through the Palü Tunnel and subsequently through the Lower Palü Gallery. A further four half circle loops follow, until the line reaches the Cavaglia
Cavaglia (Rhaetian Railway station)
Cavaglia is a station on the Bernina Railway line, in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
station. Since about 2000, there has also been a new automatic passing loop, Stablini, between Alp Grüm and Cavaglia. It bisects a portion of the line that was previously prone to traffic delays. In zigzag fashion, the line continues from Cavaglia further down into the valley via Cadera
Cadera (Rhaetian Railway station)
Cadera is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
to Privilasco
Privilasco (Rhaetian Railway station)
Privilasco is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
. From there, the line leaves the tight bends behind, and, still at its maximum gradient, reaches the Poschiavo Valley. In Poschiavo
Poschiavo (Rhaetian Railway station)
Poschiavo is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
it finally meets up once again with the Bernina Pass road.
At the request of the Poschiavo community, the station at Poschiavo was built just outside the village boundaries. It has a railway depot and workshop, in which a few historic railcars of the Bernina Railway are also stored. The remaining section of line of approximately 17 km (10.6 mi) to Tirano are laid partially still as a mountain railway, but also partially in the manner of a tramway system. After the stopping point Li Curt
Li Curt (Rhaetian Railway station)
Li Curt is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, erected only in 1977, the line reaches the village of Le Prese
Le Prese (Rhaetian Railway station)
Le Prese is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, the stopping point of which is located in the middle of the street. Between Le Prese and Miralago
Miralago (Rhaetian Railway station)
Miralago is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph-External links:* *...
the line passes along the banks of the Poschiavo Lake, thus remaining at the lake's altitude of 965 m (3,166 ft) above sea level.
Below Brusio
Brusio (Rhaetian Railway station)
Brusio is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, the railway has, as its last highlight, the Brusio spiral viaduct
Brusio spiral viaduct
The Brusio spiral viaduct is a single track nine-arched stone spiral railway viaduct.A signature structure of the World Heritage-listed Bernina Railway, it is located in Brusio, in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland, and serves only to adjust the railway's altitude.-Location:The Brusio spiral...
, which serves only to adjust the altitude of the line. The spiral viaduct is followed by the stopping point for the village of Campascio
Campascio (Rhaetian Railway station)
Campascio is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, which still belongs to Brusio. Beyond the border station of Campocologno
Campocologno (Rhaetian Railway station)
Campocologno is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, which is unusually large due to its customs facilities, the line finally reaches Italy, and, after crossing the main square of Tirano, its terminal station. Here, the Bernina Railway meets the standard gauge station
Tirano railway station (RFI)
Tirano railway station is one of two railway stations within the town and comune of Tirano, in the region of Lombardy, northern Italy. Opened in 1902, it is the terminus of the standard gauge Alta Valtellina railway from Sondrio....
and line of the Italian state rail infrastructure company Rete Ferroviaria Italiana
Rete Ferroviaria Italiana
Rete Ferroviaria Italiana is an Italian company fully owned by Ferrovie dello Stato . RFI is the owner of Italy's railway network, it sets train paths, provides signalling, provides maintenance and other services for the railway network...
(RFI), which links Tirano through Valtellina
Valtellina
Valtellina or the Valtelline valley ; is a valley in the Lombardy region of northern Italy, bordering Switzerland. Today it is known for its skiing, its hot spring spas, its cheeses and its wines...
to Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
.
Rolling stock and traffic
Today, the following classes of railcar and locomotive are used in scheduled commercial services on the Bernina Railway: four ABe 4/4IRhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 I
The Rhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 I is a class of metre gauge railcars of the Rhaetian Railway , which is the main railway network in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland....
, nine ABe 4/4II
Rhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 II
The Rhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 II is a class of metre gauge railcars of the Rhaetian Railway , which is the main railway network in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland....
, six ABe 4/4III
Rhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 III
The Rhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 III is a class of metre gauge electric multiple unit railcars of the Rhaetian Railway , which is the main railway network in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland....
und two Gem 4/4
Rhaetian Railway Gem 4/4
The Rhaetian Railway Gem 4/4 is a two member class of metre gauge Bo'Bo' electro-diesel locomotives operated since 1968 by the Rhaetian Railway , which is the main railway network in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland....
.
This fleet, consisting predominantly of railcar
Railcar
A railcar, in British English and Australian English, is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coach , with a driver's cab at one or both ends. Some railways, e.g., the Great Western...
s, also carries freight traffic. Some freight cars are added to passenger trains until the maximum towing capacity of such trains of 140 tonnes is reached. For reasons of safety, due to the presence of dangerous goods, other freight cars are operated in pure freight trains. Despite being set up originally only for tourist traffic, the Bernina Railway now also assists trade
Trade
Trade is the transfer of ownership of goods and services from one person or entity to another. Trade is sometimes loosely called commerce or financial transaction or barter. A network that allows trade is called a market. The original form of trade was barter, the direct exchange of goods and...
with Italy by carrying not inconsiderable quantities of freight, consisting mostly of heating oil
Heating oil
Heating oil, or oil heat, is a low viscosity, flammable liquid petroleum product used as a fuel for furnaces or boilers in buildings. Home heating oil is often abbreviated as HHO...
, fuel
Fuel
Fuel is any material that stores energy that can later be extracted to perform mechanical work in a controlled manner. Most fuels used by humans undergo combustion, a redox reaction in which a combustible substance releases energy after it ignites and reacts with the oxygen in the air...
s and timber. Additionally, the regional shopping businesses of the Poschiavo valley are served partly by rail.
The timetable is tightly designed, with year round services of one passenger train per hour in each direction. The flagship services are the now fully panorama car equipped Bernina Express
Bernina Express
The Bernina Express is an express train connecting Chur in Switzerland with Poschiavo and Tirano in Italy, by crossing the Swiss Alps from north to south. For most of its journey, the train also passes along and through the World Heritage Site known as the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina...
and the Trenino Rosso travelling in the opposite direction.
In winter, a steam snow blower
Snow blower
A snow blower or snow thrower is a machine for removing snow from an area where it is not wanted, such as a driveway, sidewalk, roadway, railroad track, rink, runway, or houses...
is regularly in service. Its operation is also a tourist attraction
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
that draws in railway enthusiasts from all over the world.
In connection with the danger of avalanche
Avalanche
An avalanche is a sudden rapid flow of snow down a slope, occurring when either natural triggers or human activity causes a critical escalating transition from the slow equilibrium evolution of the snow pack. Typically occurring in mountainous terrain, an avalanche can mix air and water with the...
s on the Bernina Railway, the Rhaetian Railway has developed an unusual procedure for the removal of these high alpine hazards. In late winter, when the risk of avalanche is greatest, artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
is fired at the points of origin of avalanches, to bring some control to their occurrence.
This article was translated from the German language version as at November 2009. It is now out of date, and needs updating to mention the Allegra units.
Literature
- Gion Caprez, Peter Pfeiffer: Die Goldenen Jahre der Berninabahn. AS Verlag & Buchkonzept AG, Zürich 2000, ISBN 3-905111-48-9.
- Beat Moser, Peter Pfeiffer: Die RhB. Teil 2. Berninabahn und Bellinzona-Mesocco. Eisenbahn Journal. Special. Hermann Merker, Fürstenfeldbruck 1996,4. ISBN 3-922404-95-2, .
- Mit der Rhätischen Bahn von St. Moritz nach Tirano. A photographic description of probably one of the most beautiful alpine railways. Published by BahnGalerie. FotoReise-CD Bernina 2002.
- Christian Tarnuzzer: Die Bernina-Bahn. Illustrated with original photographs by D. Mischol, with a 1:100,000 map of the Bernina Railway. Ebner & Cie, Chur und St. Moritz. [1909]
- Paul Caminada: "Der Bau der Rhätischen Bahn", Orell Füssli Verlag, Zürich, 1980.
- Andrea Tognina: Arbeiter am Bernina. Sozialgeschichte eines Bahnbaus, 1906–1910, Chur, Desertina, 2010; Andrea Tognina: Gli operai del Bernina. Storia sociale di un cantiere ferroviario, Coira, Desertina, 2010).
Film
- "Von Pontresina, Oberengadin, nach Bernina Hospiz", Welt-Kinematograph, Freiburg i. Br., Germany 1909 or 1910.
- "Mit der Berninabahn", Welt-Kinematograph, Freiburg i. Br., Germany 1910.
- "Le Ferrovie del Bernina", Pasquali e C., Turin, Italy 1911.
- "The Bernina Railway (Switzerland)", Urbanora, Great Britain 1912.
- "La Ferrovia del Bernina", Regie: Giovanni Vitrotti, Società Anonima Ambrosio, Turin, Italy 1913.
- "Europe's Winter Playground", Director: Frederick Burlingham, British & Colonial Kinematograph CompanyBritish and Colonial FilmsBritish and Colonial Films was a British company making predominantly silent films, which operated in London between 1908 and 1924. It was also known by the abbreviation B & C....
, Great Britain 1913. - "Dallo Spluga al Bernina", Luca Comerio, Milan, Italy 1914.
- "Eine Fahrt mit der Bernina-Bahn (Schweiz)", Sascha-Filmfabrik, Vienna, Austria 1914.
- The TV program "Die schönsten Bahnstrecken Europas", which was shown on Germany's ARDARD (broadcaster)ARD is a joint organization of Germany's regional public-service broadcasters...
network (see also Das Erste), included a cab ride on the Bernina Railway.
Images
The Bernina Railway is a single trackSingle track (rail)
A single track railway is where trains in both directions share the same track. Single track is normally used on lesser used rail lines, often branch lines, where the traffic density is not high enough to justify the cost of building double tracks....
metre gauge
Metre gauge
Metre gauge refers to narrow gauge railways and tramways with a track gauge of . In some African, American and Asian countries it is the main gauge. In Europe it has been used for local railways in France, Germany, and Belgium, most of which were closed down in mid 20th century. Only in Switzerland...
railway line forming part of the Rhaetian Railway (RhB). It links the spa resort of St. Moritz
St. Moritz
St. Moritz is a resort town in the Engadine valley in Switzerland. It is a municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden...
, in the Canton
Cantons of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...
of Graubünden
Graubünden
Graubünden or Grisons is the largest and easternmost canton of Switzerland. The canton shares borders with the cantons of Ticino, Uri, Glarus and St. Gallen and international borders with Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, with the town of Tirano
Tirano
Tirano is a town in Valtellina, located in the province of Sondrio, Northern Italy. It has about 9,044 inhabitants and is adjacent to the Switzerland-Italy boundary. The river Adda flows through the town....
, in the Province of Sondrio
Province of Sondrio
The Province of Sondrio is in the Lombardy region of Italy. Its capital is the town of Sondrio.It has an area of 3,212 km², and a total population of 176,856...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, via the Bernina Pass
Bernina Pass
The Bernina Pass is a high mountain pass in the Bernina Range of the Alps, in the canton of Graubünden in eastern Switzerland. It connects the famous resort town of St. Moritz in the Engadin valley with the Italian-speaking Val Poschiavo, which ends in the Italian town of Tirano in Valtellina....
. It also ranks as the highest adhesion railway in the Alps, and - with inclines of up to 7% - as one of the steepest adhesion railways in the world.
On 7 July 2008, the Bernina Railway and the Albula Railway
Albula Railway
In 1890, the Davos hotelier Willem-Jan Holsboer proposed the construction of a rail link from Chur via Davos, and through a tunnel under the Scaletta Pass, to St Moritz, and then onwards via the Maloja Pass, to Chiavenna in Italy. Holsboer later had to abandon this planned Scalettabahn, in favour...
, which also forms part of the RhB, were recorded in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, under the name Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina
Bernina Express
The Bernina Express is an express train connecting Chur in Switzerland with Poschiavo and Tirano in Italy, by crossing the Swiss Alps from north to south. For most of its journey, the train also passes along and through the World Heritage Site known as the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina...
Landscapes. The whole site is regarded as a cross border joint Swiss-Italian heritage area.
The most famous trains operating on the Bernina Railway are known as the Bernina Express
Bernina Express
The Bernina Express is an express train connecting Chur in Switzerland with Poschiavo and Tirano in Italy, by crossing the Swiss Alps from north to south. For most of its journey, the train also passes along and through the World Heritage Site known as the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina...
.
History
In the year following the completion of the Albula RailwayAlbula Railway
In 1890, the Davos hotelier Willem-Jan Holsboer proposed the construction of a rail link from Chur via Davos, and through a tunnel under the Scaletta Pass, to St Moritz, and then onwards via the Maloja Pass, to Chiavenna in Italy. Holsboer later had to abandon this planned Scalettabahn, in favour...
in 1904, the Bernina-Bahngesellschaft (BB) was established, with the objective of opening a railway line between St Moritz and Tirano
Tirano
Tirano is a town in Valtellina, located in the province of Sondrio, Northern Italy. It has about 9,044 inhabitants and is adjacent to the Switzerland-Italy boundary. The river Adda flows through the town....
, via the Bernina Pass. After obtaining a concession
Concession (contract)
A concession is a business operated under a contract or license associated with a degree of exclusivity in business within a certain geographical area. For example, sports arenas or public parks may have concession stands. Many department stores contain numerous concessions operated by other...
for such a line in 1906, the BB opened it from 1908 onwards, in several sections: on 1 July 1908 between Pontresina
Pontresina (Rhaetian Railway station)
Pontresina is a station on the Bernina Railway line from St. Moritz to Tirano. It is also the terminus of the Pontresina-Scuol-Tarasp railway line. Hourly services operate on each line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tp*R7 - 1tph...
and Morteratasch
Morteratsch (Rhaetian Railway station)
Morteratsch is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, and between Tirano
Tirano (Rhaetian Railway station)
Tirano is one of two stations in Tirano, Italy. It is the southern terminus of the metre gauge Bernina Railway line from St. Moritz. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph-See also:...
and Poschiavo
Poschiavo (Rhaetian Railway station)
Poschiavo is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
; on 18 August of the same year between Pontresina and Celerina
Celerina (Rhaetian Railway station)
Celerina is a railway station in Celerina, Switzerland. It is located on the Albula Railway line between Chur and St.Moritz. Hourly services operate on this section of the line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*RE1/R11 - 1tph...
; and on 1 July 1909 between Celerina and St Moritz, and between Morteratsch and Bernina Suot
Bernina Suot (Rhaetian Railway station)
Bernina Suot is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
. It was only on 5 July 1910 that the whole line could be opened, upon completion of the most difficult section, between Bernina Suot and Poschiavo. From the beginning, the line was electrically operated with DC current, although in 1935 the voltage was increased from 750 V to 1000 V.
Originally, the Bernina Railway was intended for use only in summer, but in 1913/14 the BB commenced winter operations as well. This development was associated with major weather related problems, necessitating further erection of avalanche barriers.
In the first years of its existence, the BB was always on the verge of bankruptcy. The costs of construction expenditure on the line to 1915 amounted to around 15 million Swiss francs. Even the introduction of a restaurant car
Dining car
A dining car or restaurant carriage , also diner, is a railroad passenger car that serves meals in the manner of a full-service, sit-down restaurant....
in 1928, and packages for tourists, could not save the little railway from ruin. Due to its difficult financial situation, it was taken over by the Rhaetian Railway in the middle of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in 1943.
The RhB modernised the line fundamentally, also for military reasons, and completely renewed the section at the top of the pass. Previously, the line formation on the north ramp of the Bernina Pass had been laid out in curves giving passengers spectacular views, but also lying in the path of avalanche
Avalanche
An avalanche is a sudden rapid flow of snow down a slope, occurring when either natural triggers or human activity causes a critical escalating transition from the slow equilibrium evolution of the snow pack. Typically occurring in mountainous terrain, an avalanche can mix air and water with the...
courses. The new parts of the line cut off those curves, the catenary
Overhead lines
Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains at a distance from the energy supply point...
and the flat bottomed rails of the old formation were removed, but the substructure
Substructure
In mathematical logic, an substructure or subalgebra is a structure whose domain is a subset of that of a bigger structure, and whose functions and relations are the traces of the functions and relations of the bigger structure...
is still visible in the high mountains.
Since the mid 1980s, the Rhaetian Railway has been marketing the natural and technical attractions of the Bernina Railway specifically to tourists. Thus, the section from Pontresina to Tirano forms part of the route of the Bernina Express
Bernina Express
The Bernina Express is an express train connecting Chur in Switzerland with Poschiavo and Tirano in Italy, by crossing the Swiss Alps from north to south. For most of its journey, the train also passes along and through the World Heritage Site known as the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina...
. In October 2011, Google photographed the Bernina Railway for Google Street View
Google Street View
Google Street View is a technology featured in Google Maps and Google Earth that provides panoramic views from various positions along many streets in the world...
.
Description of the railway
St Moritz is the terminus of both the Albula RailwayAlbula Railway
In 1890, the Davos hotelier Willem-Jan Holsboer proposed the construction of a rail link from Chur via Davos, and through a tunnel under the Scaletta Pass, to St Moritz, and then onwards via the Maloja Pass, to Chiavenna in Italy. Holsboer later had to abandon this planned Scalettabahn, in favour...
and the Bernina Railway. As the two railways are powered by different electrification systems
Railway electrification system
A railway electrification system supplies electrical energy to railway locomotives and multiple units as well as trams so that they can operate without having an on-board prime mover. There are several different electrification systems in use throughout the world...
, they meet at the same station, but operate on separate lines from separate platforms. The Bernina Railway leaves St Moritz station in an easterly direction, and crosses the Inn River
Inn River
The Inn is a river in Switzerland, Austria and Germany. It is a right tributary of the Danube and is approximately 500km long. The highest point of its drainage basin is the summit of Piz Bernina, at 4,049 metres.- Geography :...
on a 64 m (210 ft) long viaduct
Viaduct
A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...
. It then passes through the 689 m (2,260.5 ft) long Charnadüra-Tunnel II, the longest tunnel on the entire route. The next station, Celerina Staz
Celerina Staz (Rhaetian Railway station)
Celerina Staz is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, is, at 1716 m (5,629.9 ft) above sea level, the lowest point on the north side of the Bernina Pass
Bernina Pass
The Bernina Pass is a high mountain pass in the Bernina Range of the Alps, in the canton of Graubünden in eastern Switzerland. It connects the famous resort town of St. Moritz in the Engadin valley with the Italian-speaking Val Poschiavo, which ends in the Italian town of Tirano in Valtellina....
. From there until Ospizio Bernina
Ospizio Bernina (Rhaetian Railway station)
Ospizio Bernina is a station on the Bernina Railway line between St. Moritz in Switzerland and Tirano in Italy. Hourly services operate on this line....
, the line will now climb almost continuously. After returning to the banks of the Inn, the line reaches the small station Punt Muragl Staz
Punt Muragl Staz (Rhaetian Railway station)
Punt Muragl Staz is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
. At this point is the valley station of the funicular
Funicular
A funicular, also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope; the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalance each other.-Operation:The basic principle of funicular...
to Muottas Muragl
Muottas Muragl
Muottas Muragl is a minor summit situated near St. Moritz in Switzerland. It is accessible by funicular railway from a train station between Samedan-St. Moritz and Pontresina on the Bernina Express line.-External links:*...
, opened in 1907.
The next station in Pontresina
Pontresina (Rhaetian Railway station)
Pontresina is a station on the Bernina Railway line from St. Moritz to Tirano. It is also the terminus of the Pontresina-Scuol-Tarasp railway line. Hourly services operate on each line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tp*R7 - 1tph...
represents, together with St Moritz station, a curiosity in the network of the RhB: two completely different electrification systems meet here. The 11 kV AC
Alternating current
In alternating current the movement of electric charge periodically reverses direction. In direct current , the flow of electric charge is only in one direction....
powered trains, which enter the station on the line from Samedan
Samedan (Rhaetian Railway station)
Samedan is a railway station in Samedan, Switzerland. It is an important interchange station between the Albula Railway line and the Pontresina-Scuol-Tarasp line. Hourly services operate on each line....
, use tracks 1 to 3, while the 1,000 V DC
Direct current
Direct current is the unidirectional flow of electric charge. Direct current is produced by such sources as batteries, thermocouples, solar cells, and commutator-type electric machines of the dynamo type. Direct current may flow in a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through...
powered Bernina trains use tracks 3 to 7. Track 3 has a catenary that can be switched from alternating current to direct current, and a special signal to display to train crews the type of current being used. By means of track 3, the trains using the core network (from Samedan) and the Bernina line trains can use the same line, despite their differing electrification systems. On track 3 is also the exchange of locomotives for the famous Bernina Express
Bernina Express
The Bernina Express is an express train connecting Chur in Switzerland with Poschiavo and Tirano in Italy, by crossing the Swiss Alps from north to south. For most of its journey, the train also passes along and through the World Heritage Site known as the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina...
, which operates between Chur or Davos Platz
Davos Platz (Rhaetian Railway station)
Davos Platz station is located in the municipality of Davos in the district of Prattigau/Davos in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.It is the terminus of the Landquart-Davos railway line. Northbound, there is an hourly service towards Landquart. Southbound, there is an hourly service to Filisur. The...
and Tirano
Tirano (Rhaetian Railway station)
Tirano is one of two stations in Tirano, Italy. It is the southern terminus of the metre gauge Bernina Railway line from St. Moritz. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph-See also:...
.
The line now turns to the south east. After crossing the Rosegbach, passing through the Surovas
Surovas (Rhaetian Railway station)
Surovas is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
station (which was previously called "Sans Souci" (Carefree)), and crossing the Berninabach, it finally reaches Morteratsch
Morteratsch (Rhaetian Railway station)
Morteratsch is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
station, about 2 km (1.2 mi) below the Morteratsch Glacier
Morteratsch Glacier
The Morteratsch Glacier is the largest glacier by area in the Bernina Range of the Bündner Alps in Switzerland....
. Past the other end of the station is the world famous Montebello Curve, where the line meets the road over the pass. The line and the road will now accompany each other as far as Ospizio Bernina. At the recently modernised Bernina Suot
Bernina Suot (Rhaetian Railway station)
Bernina Suot is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
passing loop, the tree line has already been reached. The next stations are Diavolezza
Bernina Diavolezza (Rhaetian Railway station)
Bernina Diavolezza is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line. It is located at the foot of the Diavolezza mountain, as well as the Diavolezza and Lagalb ski regions. In the summer trailhead for hiking are located nearby....
and Bernina Lagalb
Bernina Lagalb (Rhaetian Railway station)
Bernina Lagalb is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
; both are departure points of cableways.
The next section is probably the most interesting on the north side of the pass. Here, the route is very winding, and moves from one side of the valley to the other. First, the Berninabach is crossed, using the 37 m (121.4 ft) long Lower Berninabach Bridge, and then the line crosses the Arlasbach, a tributory of the Berninabach. On the Upper Berninabach Bridge, the line moves back to the eastern side of the valley. Southwest of here, the Piz Bernina
Piz Bernina
Piz Bernina is the highest mountain of the Eastern Alps and the highest point of the Bernina Range the highest peak in south Rhetic Alps. It is also the farthest easterly mountain higher than 4,000 m in the Alps, the highest point of the Swiss canton of Graubünden, and the fifth-most prominent...
and the Piz Palü
Piz Palü
Piz Palü is a mountain in the Bernina Range in Switzerland and Italy. There are three summits on its main ridge, which runs from east to west...
rise majestically. Next follows the 175 m (574.1 ft) long Arlas Gallery, which provides protection against snow drifts. On the southwestern side are the small lakes known as Lej Pitschen and Lej Nair. Directly behind them towers the 15 m (49.2 ft) high and 283 m (928.5 ft) long Lago Bianco
Lago Bianco
Lago Bianco is a lake at the Bernina pass in the Grisons, Switzerland. Its surface area is 1.50 km². The current reservoir was formed by the two dams Scala and Arlas on the site of two natural lakes ....
dam, which also marks the watershed
European Watershed
The European Watershed is the line which divides the drainage basins of the major rivers of Germany: the Rhine, which originates in the Swiss Alps and empties into the North Sea via the Netherlands, and the Danube, which originates in the Black Forest and flows eastward emptying into the Black...
between the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
and the Po.
The railway now runs along the eastern bank of the lake, and, near Ospizio Bernina
Ospizio Bernina (Rhaetian Railway station)
Ospizio Bernina is a station on the Bernina Railway line between St. Moritz in Switzerland and Tirano in Italy. Hourly services operate on this line....
, reaches its highest point, at 2253 m (7,391.7 ft) above sea level. The Bernina Railway is thereby (mountainside railways excluded) the highest railway line in the Alps, operating as a public railway with year round traffic. As the section from here to Poschiavo
Poschiavo (Rhaetian Railway station)
Poschiavo is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
is particularly badly affected by drifting snow, countless engineering structures have been erected from the southern dam wall onwards: the 140 m (459.3 ft) long Scala Gallery, the 192 m (629.9 ft) long Scala Tunnel, the Sassal Mason Gallery, even longer at 348 m (1,141.7 ft), and the 54 m (177.2 ft) long Drago Tunnel.
After the Grüm Gallery, the attractive Alp Grüm
Alp Grüm (Rhaetian Railway station)
Alp Grüm railway station is situated on the Bernina Railway, between Pontresina, in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland, and Tirano, in the Province of Sondrio, Italy....
station is reached. It not only is located at the tree line, but also marks the last station before the Italian linguistic border. From here onwards, the line clambers, with a gradient of up to 7%, and via multiple s-bends, downwards into the Poschiavo
Poschiavo
Poschiavo is a municipality in the district of Bernina in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland.-History:Poschiavo is first mentioned in 824 as in Postclave though this comes from a later copy of the original document.. In 1140 it was mentioned as de Pusclauio. It was formerly known by the...
valley. That this occurs without the assistance of a rack railway
Rack railway
A rack-and-pinion railway is a railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with this rack rail...
system makes the Bernina Railway one of the steepest adhesion railways in the world.
Immediately behind the Alp Grüm station, the line winds in a tight 180° bend, and passes below Alp Grüm through the Upper Palü Gallery. In a further 180° bend, it heads through the Palü Tunnel and subsequently through the Lower Palü Gallery. A further four half circle loops follow, until the line reaches the Cavaglia
Cavaglia (Rhaetian Railway station)
Cavaglia is a station on the Bernina Railway line, in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
station. Since about 2000, there has also been a new automatic passing loop, Stablini, between Alp Grüm and Cavaglia. It bisects a portion of the line that was previously prone to traffic delays. In zigzag fashion, the line continues from Cavaglia further down into the valley via Cadera
Cadera (Rhaetian Railway station)
Cadera is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
to Privilasco
Privilasco (Rhaetian Railway station)
Privilasco is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
. From there, the line leaves the tight bends behind, and, still at its maximum gradient, reaches the Poschiavo Valley. In Poschiavo
Poschiavo (Rhaetian Railway station)
Poschiavo is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
it finally meets up once again with the Bernina Pass road.
At the request of the Poschiavo community, the station at Poschiavo was built just outside the village boundaries. It has a railway depot and workshop, in which a few historic railcars of the Bernina Railway are also stored. The remaining section of line of approximately 17 km (10.6 mi) to Tirano are laid partially still as a mountain railway, but also partially in the manner of a tramway system. After the stopping point Li Curt
Li Curt (Rhaetian Railway station)
Li Curt is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, erected only in 1977, the line reaches the village of Le Prese
Le Prese (Rhaetian Railway station)
Le Prese is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, the stopping point of which is located in the middle of the street. Between Le Prese and Miralago
Miralago (Rhaetian Railway station)
Miralago is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph-External links:* *...
the line passes along the banks of the Poschiavo Lake, thus remaining at the lake's altitude of 965 m (3,166 ft) above sea level.
Below Brusio
Brusio (Rhaetian Railway station)
Brusio is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, the railway has, as its last highlight, the Brusio spiral viaduct
Brusio spiral viaduct
The Brusio spiral viaduct is a single track nine-arched stone spiral railway viaduct.A signature structure of the World Heritage-listed Bernina Railway, it is located in Brusio, in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland, and serves only to adjust the railway's altitude.-Location:The Brusio spiral...
, which serves only to adjust the altitude of the line. The spiral viaduct is followed by the stopping point for the village of Campascio
Campascio (Rhaetian Railway station)
Campascio is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, which still belongs to Brusio. Beyond the border station of Campocologno
Campocologno (Rhaetian Railway station)
Campocologno is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, which is unusually large due to its customs facilities, the line finally reaches Italy, and, after crossing the main square of Tirano, its terminal station. Here, the Bernina Railway meets the standard gauge station
Tirano railway station (RFI)
Tirano railway station is one of two railway stations within the town and comune of Tirano, in the region of Lombardy, northern Italy. Opened in 1902, it is the terminus of the standard gauge Alta Valtellina railway from Sondrio....
and line of the Italian state rail infrastructure company Rete Ferroviaria Italiana
Rete Ferroviaria Italiana
Rete Ferroviaria Italiana is an Italian company fully owned by Ferrovie dello Stato . RFI is the owner of Italy's railway network, it sets train paths, provides signalling, provides maintenance and other services for the railway network...
(RFI), which links Tirano through Valtellina
Valtellina
Valtellina or the Valtelline valley ; is a valley in the Lombardy region of northern Italy, bordering Switzerland. Today it is known for its skiing, its hot spring spas, its cheeses and its wines...
to Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
.
Rolling stock and traffic
Today, the following classes of railcar and locomotive are used in scheduled commercial services on the Bernina Railway: four ABe 4/4IRhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 I
The Rhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 I is a class of metre gauge railcars of the Rhaetian Railway , which is the main railway network in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland....
, nine ABe 4/4II
Rhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 II
The Rhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 II is a class of metre gauge railcars of the Rhaetian Railway , which is the main railway network in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland....
, six ABe 4/4III
Rhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 III
The Rhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 III is a class of metre gauge electric multiple unit railcars of the Rhaetian Railway , which is the main railway network in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland....
und two Gem 4/4
Rhaetian Railway Gem 4/4
The Rhaetian Railway Gem 4/4 is a two member class of metre gauge Bo'Bo' electro-diesel locomotives operated since 1968 by the Rhaetian Railway , which is the main railway network in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland....
.
This fleet, consisting predominantly of railcar
Railcar
A railcar, in British English and Australian English, is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coach , with a driver's cab at one or both ends. Some railways, e.g., the Great Western...
s, also carries freight traffic. Some freight cars are added to passenger trains until the maximum towing capacity of such trains of 140 tonnes is reached. For reasons of safety, due to the presence of dangerous goods, other freight cars are operated in pure freight trains. Despite being set up originally only for tourist traffic, the Bernina Railway now also assists trade
Trade
Trade is the transfer of ownership of goods and services from one person or entity to another. Trade is sometimes loosely called commerce or financial transaction or barter. A network that allows trade is called a market. The original form of trade was barter, the direct exchange of goods and...
with Italy by carrying not inconsiderable quantities of freight, consisting mostly of heating oil
Heating oil
Heating oil, or oil heat, is a low viscosity, flammable liquid petroleum product used as a fuel for furnaces or boilers in buildings. Home heating oil is often abbreviated as HHO...
, fuel
Fuel
Fuel is any material that stores energy that can later be extracted to perform mechanical work in a controlled manner. Most fuels used by humans undergo combustion, a redox reaction in which a combustible substance releases energy after it ignites and reacts with the oxygen in the air...
s and timber. Additionally, the regional shopping businesses of the Poschiavo valley are served partly by rail.
The timetable is tightly designed, with year round services of one passenger train per hour in each direction. The flagship services are the now fully panorama car equipped Bernina Express
Bernina Express
The Bernina Express is an express train connecting Chur in Switzerland with Poschiavo and Tirano in Italy, by crossing the Swiss Alps from north to south. For most of its journey, the train also passes along and through the World Heritage Site known as the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina...
and the Trenino Rosso travelling in the opposite direction.
In winter, a steam snow blower
Snow blower
A snow blower or snow thrower is a machine for removing snow from an area where it is not wanted, such as a driveway, sidewalk, roadway, railroad track, rink, runway, or houses...
is regularly in service. Its operation is also a tourist attraction
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
that draws in railway enthusiasts from all over the world.
In connection with the danger of avalanche
Avalanche
An avalanche is a sudden rapid flow of snow down a slope, occurring when either natural triggers or human activity causes a critical escalating transition from the slow equilibrium evolution of the snow pack. Typically occurring in mountainous terrain, an avalanche can mix air and water with the...
s on the Bernina Railway, the Rhaetian Railway has developed an unusual procedure for the removal of these high alpine hazards. In late winter, when the risk of avalanche is greatest, artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
is fired at the points of origin of avalanches, to bring some control to their occurrence.
This article was translated from the German language version as at November 2009. It is now out of date, and needs updating to mention the Allegra units.
Literature
- Gion Caprez, Peter Pfeiffer: Die Goldenen Jahre der Berninabahn. AS Verlag & Buchkonzept AG, Zürich 2000, ISBN 3-905111-48-9.
- Beat Moser, Peter Pfeiffer: Die RhB. Teil 2. Berninabahn und Bellinzona-Mesocco. Eisenbahn Journal. Special. Hermann Merker, Fürstenfeldbruck 1996,4. ISBN 3-922404-95-2, .
- Mit der Rhätischen Bahn von St. Moritz nach Tirano. A photographic description of probably one of the most beautiful alpine railways. Published by BahnGalerie. FotoReise-CD Bernina 2002.
- Christian Tarnuzzer: Die Bernina-Bahn. Illustrated with original photographs by D. Mischol, with a 1:100,000 map of the Bernina Railway. Ebner & Cie, Chur und St. Moritz. [1909]
- Paul Caminada: "Der Bau der Rhätischen Bahn", Orell Füssli Verlag, Zürich, 1980.
- Andrea Tognina: Arbeiter am Bernina. Sozialgeschichte eines Bahnbaus, 1906–1910, Chur, Desertina, 2010; Andrea Tognina: Gli operai del Bernina. Storia sociale di un cantiere ferroviario, Coira, Desertina, 2010).
Film
- "Von Pontresina, Oberengadin, nach Bernina Hospiz", Welt-Kinematograph, Freiburg i. Br., Germany 1909 or 1910.
- "Mit der Berninabahn", Welt-Kinematograph, Freiburg i. Br., Germany 1910.
- "Le Ferrovie del Bernina", Pasquali e C., Turin, Italy 1911.
- "The Bernina Railway (Switzerland)", Urbanora, Great Britain 1912.
- "La Ferrovia del Bernina", Regie: Giovanni Vitrotti, Società Anonima Ambrosio, Turin, Italy 1913.
- "Europe's Winter Playground", Director: Frederick Burlingham, British & Colonial Kinematograph CompanyBritish and Colonial FilmsBritish and Colonial Films was a British company making predominantly silent films, which operated in London between 1908 and 1924. It was also known by the abbreviation B & C....
, Great Britain 1913. - "Dallo Spluga al Bernina", Luca Comerio, Milan, Italy 1914.
- "Eine Fahrt mit der Bernina-Bahn (Schweiz)", Sascha-Filmfabrik, Vienna, Austria 1914.
- The TV program "Die schönsten Bahnstrecken Europas", which was shown on Germany's ARDARD (broadcaster)ARD is a joint organization of Germany's regional public-service broadcasters...
network (see also Das Erste), included a cab ride on the Bernina Railway.
Images
The Bernina Railway is a single trackSingle track (rail)
A single track railway is where trains in both directions share the same track. Single track is normally used on lesser used rail lines, often branch lines, where the traffic density is not high enough to justify the cost of building double tracks....
metre gauge
Metre gauge
Metre gauge refers to narrow gauge railways and tramways with a track gauge of . In some African, American and Asian countries it is the main gauge. In Europe it has been used for local railways in France, Germany, and Belgium, most of which were closed down in mid 20th century. Only in Switzerland...
railway line forming part of the Rhaetian Railway (RhB). It links the spa resort of St. Moritz
St. Moritz
St. Moritz is a resort town in the Engadine valley in Switzerland. It is a municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden...
, in the Canton
Cantons of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...
of Graubünden
Graubünden
Graubünden or Grisons is the largest and easternmost canton of Switzerland. The canton shares borders with the cantons of Ticino, Uri, Glarus and St. Gallen and international borders with Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, with the town of Tirano
Tirano
Tirano is a town in Valtellina, located in the province of Sondrio, Northern Italy. It has about 9,044 inhabitants and is adjacent to the Switzerland-Italy boundary. The river Adda flows through the town....
, in the Province of Sondrio
Province of Sondrio
The Province of Sondrio is in the Lombardy region of Italy. Its capital is the town of Sondrio.It has an area of 3,212 km², and a total population of 176,856...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, via the Bernina Pass
Bernina Pass
The Bernina Pass is a high mountain pass in the Bernina Range of the Alps, in the canton of Graubünden in eastern Switzerland. It connects the famous resort town of St. Moritz in the Engadin valley with the Italian-speaking Val Poschiavo, which ends in the Italian town of Tirano in Valtellina....
. It also ranks as the highest adhesion railway in the Alps, and - with inclines of up to 7% - as one of the steepest adhesion railways in the world.
On 7 July 2008, the Bernina Railway and the Albula Railway
Albula Railway
In 1890, the Davos hotelier Willem-Jan Holsboer proposed the construction of a rail link from Chur via Davos, and through a tunnel under the Scaletta Pass, to St Moritz, and then onwards via the Maloja Pass, to Chiavenna in Italy. Holsboer later had to abandon this planned Scalettabahn, in favour...
, which also forms part of the RhB, were recorded in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, under the name Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina
Bernina Express
The Bernina Express is an express train connecting Chur in Switzerland with Poschiavo and Tirano in Italy, by crossing the Swiss Alps from north to south. For most of its journey, the train also passes along and through the World Heritage Site known as the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina...
Landscapes. The whole site is regarded as a cross border joint Swiss-Italian heritage area.
The most famous trains operating on the Bernina Railway are known as the Bernina Express
Bernina Express
The Bernina Express is an express train connecting Chur in Switzerland with Poschiavo and Tirano in Italy, by crossing the Swiss Alps from north to south. For most of its journey, the train also passes along and through the World Heritage Site known as the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina...
.
History
In the year following the completion of the Albula RailwayAlbula Railway
In 1890, the Davos hotelier Willem-Jan Holsboer proposed the construction of a rail link from Chur via Davos, and through a tunnel under the Scaletta Pass, to St Moritz, and then onwards via the Maloja Pass, to Chiavenna in Italy. Holsboer later had to abandon this planned Scalettabahn, in favour...
in 1904, the Bernina-Bahngesellschaft (BB) was established, with the objective of opening a railway line between St Moritz and Tirano
Tirano
Tirano is a town in Valtellina, located in the province of Sondrio, Northern Italy. It has about 9,044 inhabitants and is adjacent to the Switzerland-Italy boundary. The river Adda flows through the town....
, via the Bernina Pass. After obtaining a concession
Concession (contract)
A concession is a business operated under a contract or license associated with a degree of exclusivity in business within a certain geographical area. For example, sports arenas or public parks may have concession stands. Many department stores contain numerous concessions operated by other...
for such a line in 1906, the BB opened it from 1908 onwards, in several sections: on 1 July 1908 between Pontresina
Pontresina (Rhaetian Railway station)
Pontresina is a station on the Bernina Railway line from St. Moritz to Tirano. It is also the terminus of the Pontresina-Scuol-Tarasp railway line. Hourly services operate on each line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tp*R7 - 1tph...
and Morteratasch
Morteratsch (Rhaetian Railway station)
Morteratsch is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, and between Tirano
Tirano (Rhaetian Railway station)
Tirano is one of two stations in Tirano, Italy. It is the southern terminus of the metre gauge Bernina Railway line from St. Moritz. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph-See also:...
and Poschiavo
Poschiavo (Rhaetian Railway station)
Poschiavo is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
; on 18 August of the same year between Pontresina and Celerina
Celerina (Rhaetian Railway station)
Celerina is a railway station in Celerina, Switzerland. It is located on the Albula Railway line between Chur and St.Moritz. Hourly services operate on this section of the line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*RE1/R11 - 1tph...
; and on 1 July 1909 between Celerina and St Moritz, and between Morteratsch and Bernina Suot
Bernina Suot (Rhaetian Railway station)
Bernina Suot is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
. It was only on 5 July 1910 that the whole line could be opened, upon completion of the most difficult section, between Bernina Suot and Poschiavo. From the beginning, the line was electrically operated with DC current, although in 1935 the voltage was increased from 750 V to 1000 V.
Originally, the Bernina Railway was intended for use only in summer, but in 1913/14 the BB commenced winter operations as well. This development was associated with major weather related problems, necessitating further erection of avalanche barriers.
In the first years of its existence, the BB was always on the verge of bankruptcy. The costs of construction expenditure on the line to 1915 amounted to around 15 million Swiss francs. Even the introduction of a restaurant car
Dining car
A dining car or restaurant carriage , also diner, is a railroad passenger car that serves meals in the manner of a full-service, sit-down restaurant....
in 1928, and packages for tourists, could not save the little railway from ruin. Due to its difficult financial situation, it was taken over by the Rhaetian Railway in the middle of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in 1943.
The RhB modernised the line fundamentally, also for military reasons, and completely renewed the section at the top of the pass. Previously, the line formation on the north ramp of the Bernina Pass had been laid out in curves giving passengers spectacular views, but also lying in the path of avalanche
Avalanche
An avalanche is a sudden rapid flow of snow down a slope, occurring when either natural triggers or human activity causes a critical escalating transition from the slow equilibrium evolution of the snow pack. Typically occurring in mountainous terrain, an avalanche can mix air and water with the...
courses. The new parts of the line cut off those curves, the catenary
Overhead lines
Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains at a distance from the energy supply point...
and the flat bottomed rails of the old formation were removed, but the substructure
Substructure
In mathematical logic, an substructure or subalgebra is a structure whose domain is a subset of that of a bigger structure, and whose functions and relations are the traces of the functions and relations of the bigger structure...
is still visible in the high mountains.
Since the mid 1980s, the Rhaetian Railway has been marketing the natural and technical attractions of the Bernina Railway specifically to tourists. Thus, the section from Pontresina to Tirano forms part of the route of the Bernina Express
Bernina Express
The Bernina Express is an express train connecting Chur in Switzerland with Poschiavo and Tirano in Italy, by crossing the Swiss Alps from north to south. For most of its journey, the train also passes along and through the World Heritage Site known as the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina...
. In October 2011, Google photographed the Bernina Railway for Google Street View
Google Street View
Google Street View is a technology featured in Google Maps and Google Earth that provides panoramic views from various positions along many streets in the world...
.
Description of the railway
St Moritz is the terminus of both the Albula RailwayAlbula Railway
In 1890, the Davos hotelier Willem-Jan Holsboer proposed the construction of a rail link from Chur via Davos, and through a tunnel under the Scaletta Pass, to St Moritz, and then onwards via the Maloja Pass, to Chiavenna in Italy. Holsboer later had to abandon this planned Scalettabahn, in favour...
and the Bernina Railway. As the two railways are powered by different electrification systems
Railway electrification system
A railway electrification system supplies electrical energy to railway locomotives and multiple units as well as trams so that they can operate without having an on-board prime mover. There are several different electrification systems in use throughout the world...
, they meet at the same station, but operate on separate lines from separate platforms. The Bernina Railway leaves St Moritz station in an easterly direction, and crosses the Inn River
Inn River
The Inn is a river in Switzerland, Austria and Germany. It is a right tributary of the Danube and is approximately 500km long. The highest point of its drainage basin is the summit of Piz Bernina, at 4,049 metres.- Geography :...
on a 64 m (210 ft) long viaduct
Viaduct
A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...
. It then passes through the 689 m (2,260.5 ft) long Charnadüra-Tunnel II, the longest tunnel on the entire route. The next station, Celerina Staz
Celerina Staz (Rhaetian Railway station)
Celerina Staz is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, is, at 1716 m (5,629.9 ft) above sea level, the lowest point on the north side of the Bernina Pass
Bernina Pass
The Bernina Pass is a high mountain pass in the Bernina Range of the Alps, in the canton of Graubünden in eastern Switzerland. It connects the famous resort town of St. Moritz in the Engadin valley with the Italian-speaking Val Poschiavo, which ends in the Italian town of Tirano in Valtellina....
. From there until Ospizio Bernina
Ospizio Bernina (Rhaetian Railway station)
Ospizio Bernina is a station on the Bernina Railway line between St. Moritz in Switzerland and Tirano in Italy. Hourly services operate on this line....
, the line will now climb almost continuously. After returning to the banks of the Inn, the line reaches the small station Punt Muragl Staz
Punt Muragl Staz (Rhaetian Railway station)
Punt Muragl Staz is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
. At this point is the valley station of the funicular
Funicular
A funicular, also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope; the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalance each other.-Operation:The basic principle of funicular...
to Muottas Muragl
Muottas Muragl
Muottas Muragl is a minor summit situated near St. Moritz in Switzerland. It is accessible by funicular railway from a train station between Samedan-St. Moritz and Pontresina on the Bernina Express line.-External links:*...
, opened in 1907.
The next station in Pontresina
Pontresina (Rhaetian Railway station)
Pontresina is a station on the Bernina Railway line from St. Moritz to Tirano. It is also the terminus of the Pontresina-Scuol-Tarasp railway line. Hourly services operate on each line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tp*R7 - 1tph...
represents, together with St Moritz station, a curiosity in the network of the RhB: two completely different electrification systems meet here. The 11 kV AC
Alternating current
In alternating current the movement of electric charge periodically reverses direction. In direct current , the flow of electric charge is only in one direction....
powered trains, which enter the station on the line from Samedan
Samedan (Rhaetian Railway station)
Samedan is a railway station in Samedan, Switzerland. It is an important interchange station between the Albula Railway line and the Pontresina-Scuol-Tarasp line. Hourly services operate on each line....
, use tracks 1 to 3, while the 1,000 V DC
Direct current
Direct current is the unidirectional flow of electric charge. Direct current is produced by such sources as batteries, thermocouples, solar cells, and commutator-type electric machines of the dynamo type. Direct current may flow in a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through...
powered Bernina trains use tracks 3 to 7. Track 3 has a catenary that can be switched from alternating current to direct current, and a special signal to display to train crews the type of current being used. By means of track 3, the trains using the core network (from Samedan) and the Bernina line trains can use the same line, despite their differing electrification systems. On track 3 is also the exchange of locomotives for the famous Bernina Express
Bernina Express
The Bernina Express is an express train connecting Chur in Switzerland with Poschiavo and Tirano in Italy, by crossing the Swiss Alps from north to south. For most of its journey, the train also passes along and through the World Heritage Site known as the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina...
, which operates between Chur or Davos Platz
Davos Platz (Rhaetian Railway station)
Davos Platz station is located in the municipality of Davos in the district of Prattigau/Davos in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.It is the terminus of the Landquart-Davos railway line. Northbound, there is an hourly service towards Landquart. Southbound, there is an hourly service to Filisur. The...
and Tirano
Tirano (Rhaetian Railway station)
Tirano is one of two stations in Tirano, Italy. It is the southern terminus of the metre gauge Bernina Railway line from St. Moritz. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph-See also:...
.
The line now turns to the south east. After crossing the Rosegbach, passing through the Surovas
Surovas (Rhaetian Railway station)
Surovas is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
station (which was previously called "Sans Souci" (Carefree)), and crossing the Berninabach, it finally reaches Morteratsch
Morteratsch (Rhaetian Railway station)
Morteratsch is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
station, about 2 km (1.2 mi) below the Morteratsch Glacier
Morteratsch Glacier
The Morteratsch Glacier is the largest glacier by area in the Bernina Range of the Bündner Alps in Switzerland....
. Past the other end of the station is the world famous Montebello Curve, where the line meets the road over the pass. The line and the road will now accompany each other as far as Ospizio Bernina. At the recently modernised Bernina Suot
Bernina Suot (Rhaetian Railway station)
Bernina Suot is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
passing loop, the tree line has already been reached. The next stations are Diavolezza
Bernina Diavolezza (Rhaetian Railway station)
Bernina Diavolezza is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line. It is located at the foot of the Diavolezza mountain, as well as the Diavolezza and Lagalb ski regions. In the summer trailhead for hiking are located nearby....
and Bernina Lagalb
Bernina Lagalb (Rhaetian Railway station)
Bernina Lagalb is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
; both are departure points of cableways.
The next section is probably the most interesting on the north side of the pass. Here, the route is very winding, and moves from one side of the valley to the other. First, the Berninabach is crossed, using the 37 m (121.4 ft) long Lower Berninabach Bridge, and then the line crosses the Arlasbach, a tributory of the Berninabach. On the Upper Berninabach Bridge, the line moves back to the eastern side of the valley. Southwest of here, the Piz Bernina
Piz Bernina
Piz Bernina is the highest mountain of the Eastern Alps and the highest point of the Bernina Range the highest peak in south Rhetic Alps. It is also the farthest easterly mountain higher than 4,000 m in the Alps, the highest point of the Swiss canton of Graubünden, and the fifth-most prominent...
and the Piz Palü
Piz Palü
Piz Palü is a mountain in the Bernina Range in Switzerland and Italy. There are three summits on its main ridge, which runs from east to west...
rise majestically. Next follows the 175 m (574.1 ft) long Arlas Gallery, which provides protection against snow drifts. On the southwestern side are the small lakes known as Lej Pitschen and Lej Nair. Directly behind them towers the 15 m (49.2 ft) high and 283 m (928.5 ft) long Lago Bianco
Lago Bianco
Lago Bianco is a lake at the Bernina pass in the Grisons, Switzerland. Its surface area is 1.50 km². The current reservoir was formed by the two dams Scala and Arlas on the site of two natural lakes ....
dam, which also marks the watershed
European Watershed
The European Watershed is the line which divides the drainage basins of the major rivers of Germany: the Rhine, which originates in the Swiss Alps and empties into the North Sea via the Netherlands, and the Danube, which originates in the Black Forest and flows eastward emptying into the Black...
between the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
and the Po.
The railway now runs along the eastern bank of the lake, and, near Ospizio Bernina
Ospizio Bernina (Rhaetian Railway station)
Ospizio Bernina is a station on the Bernina Railway line between St. Moritz in Switzerland and Tirano in Italy. Hourly services operate on this line....
, reaches its highest point, at 2253 m (7,391.7 ft) above sea level. The Bernina Railway is thereby (mountainside railways excluded) the highest railway line in the Alps, operating as a public railway with year round traffic. As the section from here to Poschiavo
Poschiavo (Rhaetian Railway station)
Poschiavo is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
is particularly badly affected by drifting snow, countless engineering structures have been erected from the southern dam wall onwards: the 140 m (459.3 ft) long Scala Gallery, the 192 m (629.9 ft) long Scala Tunnel, the Sassal Mason Gallery, even longer at 348 m (1,141.7 ft), and the 54 m (177.2 ft) long Drago Tunnel.
After the Grüm Gallery, the attractive Alp Grüm
Alp Grüm (Rhaetian Railway station)
Alp Grüm railway station is situated on the Bernina Railway, between Pontresina, in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland, and Tirano, in the Province of Sondrio, Italy....
station is reached. It not only is located at the tree line, but also marks the last station before the Italian linguistic border. From here onwards, the line clambers, with a gradient of up to 7%, and via multiple s-bends, downwards into the Poschiavo
Poschiavo
Poschiavo is a municipality in the district of Bernina in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland.-History:Poschiavo is first mentioned in 824 as in Postclave though this comes from a later copy of the original document.. In 1140 it was mentioned as de Pusclauio. It was formerly known by the...
valley. That this occurs without the assistance of a rack railway
Rack railway
A rack-and-pinion railway is a railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with this rack rail...
system makes the Bernina Railway one of the steepest adhesion railways in the world.
Immediately behind the Alp Grüm station, the line winds in a tight 180° bend, and passes below Alp Grüm through the Upper Palü Gallery. In a further 180° bend, it heads through the Palü Tunnel and subsequently through the Lower Palü Gallery. A further four half circle loops follow, until the line reaches the Cavaglia
Cavaglia (Rhaetian Railway station)
Cavaglia is a station on the Bernina Railway line, in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
station. Since about 2000, there has also been a new automatic passing loop, Stablini, between Alp Grüm and Cavaglia. It bisects a portion of the line that was previously prone to traffic delays. In zigzag fashion, the line continues from Cavaglia further down into the valley via Cadera
Cadera (Rhaetian Railway station)
Cadera is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
to Privilasco
Privilasco (Rhaetian Railway station)
Privilasco is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
. From there, the line leaves the tight bends behind, and, still at its maximum gradient, reaches the Poschiavo Valley. In Poschiavo
Poschiavo (Rhaetian Railway station)
Poschiavo is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
it finally meets up once again with the Bernina Pass road.
At the request of the Poschiavo community, the station at Poschiavo was built just outside the village boundaries. It has a railway depot and workshop, in which a few historic railcars of the Bernina Railway are also stored. The remaining section of line of approximately 17 km (10.6 mi) to Tirano are laid partially still as a mountain railway, but also partially in the manner of a tramway system. After the stopping point Li Curt
Li Curt (Rhaetian Railway station)
Li Curt is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, erected only in 1977, the line reaches the village of Le Prese
Le Prese (Rhaetian Railway station)
Le Prese is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, the stopping point of which is located in the middle of the street. Between Le Prese and Miralago
Miralago (Rhaetian Railway station)
Miralago is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph-External links:* *...
the line passes along the banks of the Poschiavo Lake, thus remaining at the lake's altitude of 965 m (3,166 ft) above sea level.
Below Brusio
Brusio (Rhaetian Railway station)
Brusio is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, the railway has, as its last highlight, the Brusio spiral viaduct
Brusio spiral viaduct
The Brusio spiral viaduct is a single track nine-arched stone spiral railway viaduct.A signature structure of the World Heritage-listed Bernina Railway, it is located in Brusio, in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland, and serves only to adjust the railway's altitude.-Location:The Brusio spiral...
, which serves only to adjust the altitude of the line. The spiral viaduct is followed by the stopping point for the village of Campascio
Campascio (Rhaetian Railway station)
Campascio is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, which still belongs to Brusio. Beyond the border station of Campocologno
Campocologno (Rhaetian Railway station)
Campocologno is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, which is unusually large due to its customs facilities, the line finally reaches Italy, and, after crossing the main square of Tirano, its terminal station. Here, the Bernina Railway meets the standard gauge station
Tirano railway station (RFI)
Tirano railway station is one of two railway stations within the town and comune of Tirano, in the region of Lombardy, northern Italy. Opened in 1902, it is the terminus of the standard gauge Alta Valtellina railway from Sondrio....
and line of the Italian state rail infrastructure company Rete Ferroviaria Italiana
Rete Ferroviaria Italiana
Rete Ferroviaria Italiana is an Italian company fully owned by Ferrovie dello Stato . RFI is the owner of Italy's railway network, it sets train paths, provides signalling, provides maintenance and other services for the railway network...
(RFI), which links Tirano through Valtellina
Valtellina
Valtellina or the Valtelline valley ; is a valley in the Lombardy region of northern Italy, bordering Switzerland. Today it is known for its skiing, its hot spring spas, its cheeses and its wines...
to Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
.
Rolling stock and traffic
Today, the following classes of railcar and locomotive are used in scheduled commercial services on the Bernina Railway: four ABe 4/4IRhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 I
The Rhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 I is a class of metre gauge railcars of the Rhaetian Railway , which is the main railway network in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland....
, nine ABe 4/4II
Rhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 II
The Rhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 II is a class of metre gauge railcars of the Rhaetian Railway , which is the main railway network in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland....
, six ABe 4/4III
Rhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 III
The Rhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 III is a class of metre gauge electric multiple unit railcars of the Rhaetian Railway , which is the main railway network in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland....
und two Gem 4/4
Rhaetian Railway Gem 4/4
The Rhaetian Railway Gem 4/4 is a two member class of metre gauge Bo'Bo' electro-diesel locomotives operated since 1968 by the Rhaetian Railway , which is the main railway network in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland....
.
This fleet, consisting predominantly of railcar
Railcar
A railcar, in British English and Australian English, is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coach , with a driver's cab at one or both ends. Some railways, e.g., the Great Western...
s, also carries freight traffic. Some freight cars are added to passenger trains until the maximum towing capacity of such trains of 140 tonnes is reached. For reasons of safety, due to the presence of dangerous goods, other freight cars are operated in pure freight trains. Despite being set up originally only for tourist traffic, the Bernina Railway now also assists trade
Trade
Trade is the transfer of ownership of goods and services from one person or entity to another. Trade is sometimes loosely called commerce or financial transaction or barter. A network that allows trade is called a market. The original form of trade was barter, the direct exchange of goods and...
with Italy by carrying not inconsiderable quantities of freight, consisting mostly of heating oil
Heating oil
Heating oil, or oil heat, is a low viscosity, flammable liquid petroleum product used as a fuel for furnaces or boilers in buildings. Home heating oil is often abbreviated as HHO...
, fuel
Fuel
Fuel is any material that stores energy that can later be extracted to perform mechanical work in a controlled manner. Most fuels used by humans undergo combustion, a redox reaction in which a combustible substance releases energy after it ignites and reacts with the oxygen in the air...
s and timber. Additionally, the regional shopping businesses of the Poschiavo valley are served partly by rail.
The timetable is tightly designed, with year round services of one passenger train per hour in each direction. The flagship services are the now fully panorama car equipped Bernina Express
Bernina Express
The Bernina Express is an express train connecting Chur in Switzerland with Poschiavo and Tirano in Italy, by crossing the Swiss Alps from north to south. For most of its journey, the train also passes along and through the World Heritage Site known as the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina...
and the Trenino Rosso travelling in the opposite direction.
In winter, a steam snow blower
Snow blower
A snow blower or snow thrower is a machine for removing snow from an area where it is not wanted, such as a driveway, sidewalk, roadway, railroad track, rink, runway, or houses...
is regularly in service. Its operation is also a tourist attraction
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
that draws in railway enthusiasts from all over the world.
In connection with the danger of avalanche
Avalanche
An avalanche is a sudden rapid flow of snow down a slope, occurring when either natural triggers or human activity causes a critical escalating transition from the slow equilibrium evolution of the snow pack. Typically occurring in mountainous terrain, an avalanche can mix air and water with the...
s on the Bernina Railway, the Rhaetian Railway has developed an unusual procedure for the removal of these high alpine hazards. In late winter, when the risk of avalanche is greatest, artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
is fired at the points of origin of avalanches, to bring some control to their occurrence.
This article was translated from the German language version as at November 2009. It is now out of date, and needs updating to mention the Allegra units.
Literature
- Gion Caprez, Peter Pfeiffer: Die Goldenen Jahre der Berninabahn. AS Verlag & Buchkonzept AG, Zürich 2000, ISBN 3-905111-48-9.
- Beat Moser, Peter Pfeiffer: Die RhB. Teil 2. Berninabahn und Bellinzona-Mesocco. Eisenbahn Journal. Special. Hermann Merker, Fürstenfeldbruck 1996,4. ISBN 3-922404-95-2, .
- Mit der Rhätischen Bahn von St. Moritz nach Tirano. A photographic description of probably one of the most beautiful alpine railways. Published by BahnGalerie. FotoReise-CD Bernina 2002.
- Christian Tarnuzzer: Die Bernina-Bahn. Illustrated with original photographs by D. Mischol, with a 1:100,000 map of the Bernina Railway. Ebner & Cie, Chur und St. Moritz. [1909]
- Paul Caminada: "Der Bau der Rhätischen Bahn", Orell Füssli Verlag, Zürich, 1980.
- Andrea Tognina: Arbeiter am Bernina. Sozialgeschichte eines Bahnbaus, 1906–1910, Chur, Desertina, 2010; Andrea Tognina: Gli operai del Bernina. Storia sociale di un cantiere ferroviario, Coira, Desertina, 2010).
Film
- "Von Pontresina, Oberengadin, nach Bernina Hospiz", Welt-Kinematograph, Freiburg i. Br., Germany 1909 or 1910.
- "Mit der Berninabahn", Welt-Kinematograph, Freiburg i. Br., Germany 1910.
- "Le Ferrovie del Bernina", Pasquali e C., Turin, Italy 1911.
- "The Bernina Railway (Switzerland)", Urbanora, Great Britain 1912.
- "La Ferrovia del Bernina", Regie: Giovanni Vitrotti, Società Anonima Ambrosio, Turin, Italy 1913.
- "Europe's Winter Playground", Director: Frederick Burlingham, British & Colonial Kinematograph CompanyBritish and Colonial FilmsBritish and Colonial Films was a British company making predominantly silent films, which operated in London between 1908 and 1924. It was also known by the abbreviation B & C....
, Great Britain 1913. - "Dallo Spluga al Bernina", Luca Comerio, Milan, Italy 1914.
- "Eine Fahrt mit der Bernina-Bahn (Schweiz)", Sascha-Filmfabrik, Vienna, Austria 1914.
- The TV program "Die schönsten Bahnstrecken Europas", which was shown on Germany's ARDARD (broadcaster)ARD is a joint organization of Germany's regional public-service broadcasters...
network (see also Das Erste), included a cab ride on the Bernina Railway.
Images
The Bernina Railway is a single trackSingle track (rail)
A single track railway is where trains in both directions share the same track. Single track is normally used on lesser used rail lines, often branch lines, where the traffic density is not high enough to justify the cost of building double tracks....
metre gauge
Metre gauge
Metre gauge refers to narrow gauge railways and tramways with a track gauge of . In some African, American and Asian countries it is the main gauge. In Europe it has been used for local railways in France, Germany, and Belgium, most of which were closed down in mid 20th century. Only in Switzerland...
railway line forming part of the Rhaetian Railway (RhB). It links the spa resort of St. Moritz
St. Moritz
St. Moritz is a resort town in the Engadine valley in Switzerland. It is a municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden...
, in the Canton
Cantons of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...
of Graubünden
Graubünden
Graubünden or Grisons is the largest and easternmost canton of Switzerland. The canton shares borders with the cantons of Ticino, Uri, Glarus and St. Gallen and international borders with Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, with the town of Tirano
Tirano
Tirano is a town in Valtellina, located in the province of Sondrio, Northern Italy. It has about 9,044 inhabitants and is adjacent to the Switzerland-Italy boundary. The river Adda flows through the town....
, in the Province of Sondrio
Province of Sondrio
The Province of Sondrio is in the Lombardy region of Italy. Its capital is the town of Sondrio.It has an area of 3,212 km², and a total population of 176,856...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, via the Bernina Pass
Bernina Pass
The Bernina Pass is a high mountain pass in the Bernina Range of the Alps, in the canton of Graubünden in eastern Switzerland. It connects the famous resort town of St. Moritz in the Engadin valley with the Italian-speaking Val Poschiavo, which ends in the Italian town of Tirano in Valtellina....
. It also ranks as the highest adhesion railway in the Alps, and - with inclines of up to 7% - as one of the steepest adhesion railways in the world.
On 7 July 2008, the Bernina Railway and the Albula Railway
Albula Railway
In 1890, the Davos hotelier Willem-Jan Holsboer proposed the construction of a rail link from Chur via Davos, and through a tunnel under the Scaletta Pass, to St Moritz, and then onwards via the Maloja Pass, to Chiavenna in Italy. Holsboer later had to abandon this planned Scalettabahn, in favour...
, which also forms part of the RhB, were recorded in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, under the name Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina
Bernina Express
The Bernina Express is an express train connecting Chur in Switzerland with Poschiavo and Tirano in Italy, by crossing the Swiss Alps from north to south. For most of its journey, the train also passes along and through the World Heritage Site known as the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina...
Landscapes. The whole site is regarded as a cross border joint Swiss-Italian heritage area.
The most famous trains operating on the Bernina Railway are known as the Bernina Express
Bernina Express
The Bernina Express is an express train connecting Chur in Switzerland with Poschiavo and Tirano in Italy, by crossing the Swiss Alps from north to south. For most of its journey, the train also passes along and through the World Heritage Site known as the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina...
.
History
In the year following the completion of the Albula RailwayAlbula Railway
In 1890, the Davos hotelier Willem-Jan Holsboer proposed the construction of a rail link from Chur via Davos, and through a tunnel under the Scaletta Pass, to St Moritz, and then onwards via the Maloja Pass, to Chiavenna in Italy. Holsboer later had to abandon this planned Scalettabahn, in favour...
in 1904, the Bernina-Bahngesellschaft (BB) was established, with the objective of opening a railway line between St Moritz and Tirano
Tirano
Tirano is a town in Valtellina, located in the province of Sondrio, Northern Italy. It has about 9,044 inhabitants and is adjacent to the Switzerland-Italy boundary. The river Adda flows through the town....
, via the Bernina Pass. After obtaining a concession
Concession (contract)
A concession is a business operated under a contract or license associated with a degree of exclusivity in business within a certain geographical area. For example, sports arenas or public parks may have concession stands. Many department stores contain numerous concessions operated by other...
for such a line in 1906, the BB opened it from 1908 onwards, in several sections: on 1 July 1908 between Pontresina
Pontresina (Rhaetian Railway station)
Pontresina is a station on the Bernina Railway line from St. Moritz to Tirano. It is also the terminus of the Pontresina-Scuol-Tarasp railway line. Hourly services operate on each line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tp*R7 - 1tph...
and Morteratasch
Morteratsch (Rhaetian Railway station)
Morteratsch is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, and between Tirano
Tirano (Rhaetian Railway station)
Tirano is one of two stations in Tirano, Italy. It is the southern terminus of the metre gauge Bernina Railway line from St. Moritz. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph-See also:...
and Poschiavo
Poschiavo (Rhaetian Railway station)
Poschiavo is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
; on 18 August of the same year between Pontresina and Celerina
Celerina (Rhaetian Railway station)
Celerina is a railway station in Celerina, Switzerland. It is located on the Albula Railway line between Chur and St.Moritz. Hourly services operate on this section of the line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*RE1/R11 - 1tph...
; and on 1 July 1909 between Celerina and St Moritz, and between Morteratsch and Bernina Suot
Bernina Suot (Rhaetian Railway station)
Bernina Suot is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
. It was only on 5 July 1910 that the whole line could be opened, upon completion of the most difficult section, between Bernina Suot and Poschiavo. From the beginning, the line was electrically operated with DC current, although in 1935 the voltage was increased from 750 V to 1000 V.
Originally, the Bernina Railway was intended for use only in summer, but in 1913/14 the BB commenced winter operations as well. This development was associated with major weather related problems, necessitating further erection of avalanche barriers.
In the first years of its existence, the BB was always on the verge of bankruptcy. The costs of construction expenditure on the line to 1915 amounted to around 15 million Swiss francs. Even the introduction of a restaurant car
Dining car
A dining car or restaurant carriage , also diner, is a railroad passenger car that serves meals in the manner of a full-service, sit-down restaurant....
in 1928, and packages for tourists, could not save the little railway from ruin. Due to its difficult financial situation, it was taken over by the Rhaetian Railway in the middle of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in 1943.
The RhB modernised the line fundamentally, also for military reasons, and completely renewed the section at the top of the pass. Previously, the line formation on the north ramp of the Bernina Pass had been laid out in curves giving passengers spectacular views, but also lying in the path of avalanche
Avalanche
An avalanche is a sudden rapid flow of snow down a slope, occurring when either natural triggers or human activity causes a critical escalating transition from the slow equilibrium evolution of the snow pack. Typically occurring in mountainous terrain, an avalanche can mix air and water with the...
courses. The new parts of the line cut off those curves, the catenary
Overhead lines
Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains at a distance from the energy supply point...
and the flat bottomed rails of the old formation were removed, but the substructure
Substructure
In mathematical logic, an substructure or subalgebra is a structure whose domain is a subset of that of a bigger structure, and whose functions and relations are the traces of the functions and relations of the bigger structure...
is still visible in the high mountains.
Since the mid 1980s, the Rhaetian Railway has been marketing the natural and technical attractions of the Bernina Railway specifically to tourists. Thus, the section from Pontresina to Tirano forms part of the route of the Bernina Express
Bernina Express
The Bernina Express is an express train connecting Chur in Switzerland with Poschiavo and Tirano in Italy, by crossing the Swiss Alps from north to south. For most of its journey, the train also passes along and through the World Heritage Site known as the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina...
. In October 2011, Google photographed the Bernina Railway for Google Street View
Google Street View
Google Street View is a technology featured in Google Maps and Google Earth that provides panoramic views from various positions along many streets in the world...
.
Description of the railway
St Moritz is the terminus of both the Albula RailwayAlbula Railway
In 1890, the Davos hotelier Willem-Jan Holsboer proposed the construction of a rail link from Chur via Davos, and through a tunnel under the Scaletta Pass, to St Moritz, and then onwards via the Maloja Pass, to Chiavenna in Italy. Holsboer later had to abandon this planned Scalettabahn, in favour...
and the Bernina Railway. As the two railways are powered by different electrification systems
Railway electrification system
A railway electrification system supplies electrical energy to railway locomotives and multiple units as well as trams so that they can operate without having an on-board prime mover. There are several different electrification systems in use throughout the world...
, they meet at the same station, but operate on separate lines from separate platforms. The Bernina Railway leaves St Moritz station in an easterly direction, and crosses the Inn River
Inn River
The Inn is a river in Switzerland, Austria and Germany. It is a right tributary of the Danube and is approximately 500km long. The highest point of its drainage basin is the summit of Piz Bernina, at 4,049 metres.- Geography :...
on a 64 m (210 ft) long viaduct
Viaduct
A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...
. It then passes through the 689 m (2,260.5 ft) long Charnadüra-Tunnel II, the longest tunnel on the entire route. The next station, Celerina Staz
Celerina Staz (Rhaetian Railway station)
Celerina Staz is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, is, at 1716 m (5,629.9 ft) above sea level, the lowest point on the north side of the Bernina Pass
Bernina Pass
The Bernina Pass is a high mountain pass in the Bernina Range of the Alps, in the canton of Graubünden in eastern Switzerland. It connects the famous resort town of St. Moritz in the Engadin valley with the Italian-speaking Val Poschiavo, which ends in the Italian town of Tirano in Valtellina....
. From there until Ospizio Bernina
Ospizio Bernina (Rhaetian Railway station)
Ospizio Bernina is a station on the Bernina Railway line between St. Moritz in Switzerland and Tirano in Italy. Hourly services operate on this line....
, the line will now climb almost continuously. After returning to the banks of the Inn, the line reaches the small station Punt Muragl Staz
Punt Muragl Staz (Rhaetian Railway station)
Punt Muragl Staz is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
. At this point is the valley station of the funicular
Funicular
A funicular, also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope; the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalance each other.-Operation:The basic principle of funicular...
to Muottas Muragl
Muottas Muragl
Muottas Muragl is a minor summit situated near St. Moritz in Switzerland. It is accessible by funicular railway from a train station between Samedan-St. Moritz and Pontresina on the Bernina Express line.-External links:*...
, opened in 1907.
The next station in Pontresina
Pontresina (Rhaetian Railway station)
Pontresina is a station on the Bernina Railway line from St. Moritz to Tirano. It is also the terminus of the Pontresina-Scuol-Tarasp railway line. Hourly services operate on each line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tp*R7 - 1tph...
represents, together with St Moritz station, a curiosity in the network of the RhB: two completely different electrification systems meet here. The 11 kV AC
Alternating current
In alternating current the movement of electric charge periodically reverses direction. In direct current , the flow of electric charge is only in one direction....
powered trains, which enter the station on the line from Samedan
Samedan (Rhaetian Railway station)
Samedan is a railway station in Samedan, Switzerland. It is an important interchange station between the Albula Railway line and the Pontresina-Scuol-Tarasp line. Hourly services operate on each line....
, use tracks 1 to 3, while the 1,000 V DC
Direct current
Direct current is the unidirectional flow of electric charge. Direct current is produced by such sources as batteries, thermocouples, solar cells, and commutator-type electric machines of the dynamo type. Direct current may flow in a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through...
powered Bernina trains use tracks 3 to 7. Track 3 has a catenary that can be switched from alternating current to direct current, and a special signal to display to train crews the type of current being used. By means of track 3, the trains using the core network (from Samedan) and the Bernina line trains can use the same line, despite their differing electrification systems. On track 3 is also the exchange of locomotives for the famous Bernina Express
Bernina Express
The Bernina Express is an express train connecting Chur in Switzerland with Poschiavo and Tirano in Italy, by crossing the Swiss Alps from north to south. For most of its journey, the train also passes along and through the World Heritage Site known as the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina...
, which operates between Chur or Davos Platz
Davos Platz (Rhaetian Railway station)
Davos Platz station is located in the municipality of Davos in the district of Prattigau/Davos in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.It is the terminus of the Landquart-Davos railway line. Northbound, there is an hourly service towards Landquart. Southbound, there is an hourly service to Filisur. The...
and Tirano
Tirano (Rhaetian Railway station)
Tirano is one of two stations in Tirano, Italy. It is the southern terminus of the metre gauge Bernina Railway line from St. Moritz. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph-See also:...
.
The line now turns to the south east. After crossing the Rosegbach, passing through the Surovas
Surovas (Rhaetian Railway station)
Surovas is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
station (which was previously called "Sans Souci" (Carefree)), and crossing the Berninabach, it finally reaches Morteratsch
Morteratsch (Rhaetian Railway station)
Morteratsch is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
station, about 2 km (1.2 mi) below the Morteratsch Glacier
Morteratsch Glacier
The Morteratsch Glacier is the largest glacier by area in the Bernina Range of the Bündner Alps in Switzerland....
. Past the other end of the station is the world famous Montebello Curve, where the line meets the road over the pass. The line and the road will now accompany each other as far as Ospizio Bernina. At the recently modernised Bernina Suot
Bernina Suot (Rhaetian Railway station)
Bernina Suot is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
passing loop, the tree line has already been reached. The next stations are Diavolezza
Bernina Diavolezza (Rhaetian Railway station)
Bernina Diavolezza is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line. It is located at the foot of the Diavolezza mountain, as well as the Diavolezza and Lagalb ski regions. In the summer trailhead for hiking are located nearby....
and Bernina Lagalb
Bernina Lagalb (Rhaetian Railway station)
Bernina Lagalb is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
; both are departure points of cableways.
The next section is probably the most interesting on the north side of the pass. Here, the route is very winding, and moves from one side of the valley to the other. First, the Berninabach is crossed, using the 37 m (121.4 ft) long Lower Berninabach Bridge, and then the line crosses the Arlasbach, a tributory of the Berninabach. On the Upper Berninabach Bridge, the line moves back to the eastern side of the valley. Southwest of here, the Piz Bernina
Piz Bernina
Piz Bernina is the highest mountain of the Eastern Alps and the highest point of the Bernina Range the highest peak in south Rhetic Alps. It is also the farthest easterly mountain higher than 4,000 m in the Alps, the highest point of the Swiss canton of Graubünden, and the fifth-most prominent...
and the Piz Palü
Piz Palü
Piz Palü is a mountain in the Bernina Range in Switzerland and Italy. There are three summits on its main ridge, which runs from east to west...
rise majestically. Next follows the 175 m (574.1 ft) long Arlas Gallery, which provides protection against snow drifts. On the southwestern side are the small lakes known as Lej Pitschen and Lej Nair. Directly behind them towers the 15 m (49.2 ft) high and 283 m (928.5 ft) long Lago Bianco
Lago Bianco
Lago Bianco is a lake at the Bernina pass in the Grisons, Switzerland. Its surface area is 1.50 km². The current reservoir was formed by the two dams Scala and Arlas on the site of two natural lakes ....
dam, which also marks the watershed
European Watershed
The European Watershed is the line which divides the drainage basins of the major rivers of Germany: the Rhine, which originates in the Swiss Alps and empties into the North Sea via the Netherlands, and the Danube, which originates in the Black Forest and flows eastward emptying into the Black...
between the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
and the Po.
The railway now runs along the eastern bank of the lake, and, near Ospizio Bernina
Ospizio Bernina (Rhaetian Railway station)
Ospizio Bernina is a station on the Bernina Railway line between St. Moritz in Switzerland and Tirano in Italy. Hourly services operate on this line....
, reaches its highest point, at 2253 m (7,391.7 ft) above sea level. The Bernina Railway is thereby (mountainside railways excluded) the highest railway line in the Alps, operating as a public railway with year round traffic. As the section from here to Poschiavo
Poschiavo (Rhaetian Railway station)
Poschiavo is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
is particularly badly affected by drifting snow, countless engineering structures have been erected from the southern dam wall onwards: the 140 m (459.3 ft) long Scala Gallery, the 192 m (629.9 ft) long Scala Tunnel, the Sassal Mason Gallery, even longer at 348 m (1,141.7 ft), and the 54 m (177.2 ft) long Drago Tunnel.
After the Grüm Gallery, the attractive Alp Grüm
Alp Grüm (Rhaetian Railway station)
Alp Grüm railway station is situated on the Bernina Railway, between Pontresina, in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland, and Tirano, in the Province of Sondrio, Italy....
station is reached. It not only is located at the tree line, but also marks the last station before the Italian linguistic border. From here onwards, the line clambers, with a gradient of up to 7%, and via multiple s-bends, downwards into the Poschiavo
Poschiavo
Poschiavo is a municipality in the district of Bernina in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland.-History:Poschiavo is first mentioned in 824 as in Postclave though this comes from a later copy of the original document.. In 1140 it was mentioned as de Pusclauio. It was formerly known by the...
valley. That this occurs without the assistance of a rack railway
Rack railway
A rack-and-pinion railway is a railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with this rack rail...
system makes the Bernina Railway one of the steepest adhesion railways in the world.
Immediately behind the Alp Grüm station, the line winds in a tight 180° bend, and passes below Alp Grüm through the Upper Palü Gallery. In a further 180° bend, it heads through the Palü Tunnel and subsequently through the Lower Palü Gallery. A further four half circle loops follow, until the line reaches the Cavaglia
Cavaglia (Rhaetian Railway station)
Cavaglia is a station on the Bernina Railway line, in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
station. Since about 2000, there has also been a new automatic passing loop, Stablini, between Alp Grüm and Cavaglia. It bisects a portion of the line that was previously prone to traffic delays. In zigzag fashion, the line continues from Cavaglia further down into the valley via Cadera
Cadera (Rhaetian Railway station)
Cadera is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
to Privilasco
Privilasco (Rhaetian Railway station)
Privilasco is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
. From there, the line leaves the tight bends behind, and, still at its maximum gradient, reaches the Poschiavo Valley. In Poschiavo
Poschiavo (Rhaetian Railway station)
Poschiavo is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
it finally meets up once again with the Bernina Pass road.
At the request of the Poschiavo community, the station at Poschiavo was built just outside the village boundaries. It has a railway depot and workshop, in which a few historic railcars of the Bernina Railway are also stored. The remaining section of line of approximately 17 km (10.6 mi) to Tirano are laid partially still as a mountain railway, but also partially in the manner of a tramway system. After the stopping point Li Curt
Li Curt (Rhaetian Railway station)
Li Curt is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, erected only in 1977, the line reaches the village of Le Prese
Le Prese (Rhaetian Railway station)
Le Prese is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, the stopping point of which is located in the middle of the street. Between Le Prese and Miralago
Miralago (Rhaetian Railway station)
Miralago is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph-External links:* *...
the line passes along the banks of the Poschiavo Lake, thus remaining at the lake's altitude of 965 m (3,166 ft) above sea level.
Below Brusio
Brusio (Rhaetian Railway station)
Brusio is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, the railway has, as its last highlight, the Brusio spiral viaduct
Brusio spiral viaduct
The Brusio spiral viaduct is a single track nine-arched stone spiral railway viaduct.A signature structure of the World Heritage-listed Bernina Railway, it is located in Brusio, in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland, and serves only to adjust the railway's altitude.-Location:The Brusio spiral...
, which serves only to adjust the altitude of the line. The spiral viaduct is followed by the stopping point for the village of Campascio
Campascio (Rhaetian Railway station)
Campascio is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, which still belongs to Brusio. Beyond the border station of Campocologno
Campocologno (Rhaetian Railway station)
Campocologno is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, which is unusually large due to its customs facilities, the line finally reaches Italy, and, after crossing the main square of Tirano, its terminal station. Here, the Bernina Railway meets the standard gauge station
Tirano railway station (RFI)
Tirano railway station is one of two railway stations within the town and comune of Tirano, in the region of Lombardy, northern Italy. Opened in 1902, it is the terminus of the standard gauge Alta Valtellina railway from Sondrio....
and line of the Italian state rail infrastructure company Rete Ferroviaria Italiana
Rete Ferroviaria Italiana
Rete Ferroviaria Italiana is an Italian company fully owned by Ferrovie dello Stato . RFI is the owner of Italy's railway network, it sets train paths, provides signalling, provides maintenance and other services for the railway network...
(RFI), which links Tirano through Valtellina
Valtellina
Valtellina or the Valtelline valley ; is a valley in the Lombardy region of northern Italy, bordering Switzerland. Today it is known for its skiing, its hot spring spas, its cheeses and its wines...
to Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
.
Rolling stock and traffic
Today, the following classes of railcar and locomotive are used in scheduled commercial services on the Bernina Railway: four ABe 4/4IRhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 I
The Rhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 I is a class of metre gauge railcars of the Rhaetian Railway , which is the main railway network in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland....
, nine ABe 4/4II
Rhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 II
The Rhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 II is a class of metre gauge railcars of the Rhaetian Railway , which is the main railway network in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland....
, six ABe 4/4III
Rhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 III
The Rhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 III is a class of metre gauge electric multiple unit railcars of the Rhaetian Railway , which is the main railway network in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland....
und two Gem 4/4
Rhaetian Railway Gem 4/4
The Rhaetian Railway Gem 4/4 is a two member class of metre gauge Bo'Bo' electro-diesel locomotives operated since 1968 by the Rhaetian Railway , which is the main railway network in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland....
.
This fleet, consisting predominantly of railcar
Railcar
A railcar, in British English and Australian English, is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coach , with a driver's cab at one or both ends. Some railways, e.g., the Great Western...
s, also carries freight traffic. Some freight cars are added to passenger trains until the maximum towing capacity of such trains of 140 tonnes is reached. For reasons of safety, due to the presence of dangerous goods, other freight cars are operated in pure freight trains. Despite being set up originally only for tourist traffic, the Bernina Railway now also assists trade
Trade
Trade is the transfer of ownership of goods and services from one person or entity to another. Trade is sometimes loosely called commerce or financial transaction or barter. A network that allows trade is called a market. The original form of trade was barter, the direct exchange of goods and...
with Italy by carrying not inconsiderable quantities of freight, consisting mostly of heating oil
Heating oil
Heating oil, or oil heat, is a low viscosity, flammable liquid petroleum product used as a fuel for furnaces or boilers in buildings. Home heating oil is often abbreviated as HHO...
, fuel
Fuel
Fuel is any material that stores energy that can later be extracted to perform mechanical work in a controlled manner. Most fuels used by humans undergo combustion, a redox reaction in which a combustible substance releases energy after it ignites and reacts with the oxygen in the air...
s and timber. Additionally, the regional shopping businesses of the Poschiavo valley are served partly by rail.
The timetable is tightly designed, with year round services of one passenger train per hour in each direction. The flagship services are the now fully panorama car equipped Bernina Express
Bernina Express
The Bernina Express is an express train connecting Chur in Switzerland with Poschiavo and Tirano in Italy, by crossing the Swiss Alps from north to south. For most of its journey, the train also passes along and through the World Heritage Site known as the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina...
and the Trenino Rosso travelling in the opposite direction.
In winter, a steam snow blower
Snow blower
A snow blower or snow thrower is a machine for removing snow from an area where it is not wanted, such as a driveway, sidewalk, roadway, railroad track, rink, runway, or houses...
is regularly in service. Its operation is also a tourist attraction
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
that draws in railway enthusiasts from all over the world.
In connection with the danger of avalanche
Avalanche
An avalanche is a sudden rapid flow of snow down a slope, occurring when either natural triggers or human activity causes a critical escalating transition from the slow equilibrium evolution of the snow pack. Typically occurring in mountainous terrain, an avalanche can mix air and water with the...
s on the Bernina Railway, the Rhaetian Railway has developed an unusual procedure for the removal of these high alpine hazards. In late winter, when the risk of avalanche is greatest, artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
is fired at the points of origin of avalanches, to bring some control to their occurrence.
This article was translated from the German language version as at November 2009. It is now out of date, and needs updating to mention the Allegra units.
Literature
- Gion Caprez, Peter Pfeiffer: Die Goldenen Jahre der Berninabahn. AS Verlag & Buchkonzept AG, Zürich 2000, ISBN 3-905111-48-9.
- Beat Moser, Peter Pfeiffer: Die RhB. Teil 2. Berninabahn und Bellinzona-Mesocco. Eisenbahn Journal. Special. Hermann Merker, Fürstenfeldbruck 1996,4. ISBN 3-922404-95-2, .
- Mit der Rhätischen Bahn von St. Moritz nach Tirano. A photographic description of probably one of the most beautiful alpine railways. Published by BahnGalerie. FotoReise-CD Bernina 2002.
- Christian Tarnuzzer: Die Bernina-Bahn. Illustrated with original photographs by D. Mischol, with a 1:100,000 map of the Bernina Railway. Ebner & Cie, Chur und St. Moritz. [1909]
- Paul Caminada: "Der Bau der Rhätischen Bahn", Orell Füssli Verlag, Zürich, 1980.
- Andrea Tognina: Arbeiter am Bernina. Sozialgeschichte eines Bahnbaus, 1906–1910, Chur, Desertina, 2010; Andrea Tognina: Gli operai del Bernina. Storia sociale di un cantiere ferroviario, Coira, Desertina, 2010).
Film
- "Von Pontresina, Oberengadin, nach Bernina Hospiz", Welt-Kinematograph, Freiburg i. Br., Germany 1909 or 1910.
- "Mit der Berninabahn", Welt-Kinematograph, Freiburg i. Br., Germany 1910.
- "Le Ferrovie del Bernina", Pasquali e C., Turin, Italy 1911.
- "The Bernina Railway (Switzerland)", Urbanora, Great Britain 1912.
- "La Ferrovia del Bernina", Regie: Giovanni Vitrotti, Società Anonima Ambrosio, Turin, Italy 1913.
- "Europe's Winter Playground", Director: Frederick Burlingham, British & Colonial Kinematograph CompanyBritish and Colonial FilmsBritish and Colonial Films was a British company making predominantly silent films, which operated in London between 1908 and 1924. It was also known by the abbreviation B & C....
, Great Britain 1913. - "Dallo Spluga al Bernina", Luca Comerio, Milan, Italy 1914.
- "Eine Fahrt mit der Bernina-Bahn (Schweiz)", Sascha-Filmfabrik, Vienna, Austria 1914.
- The TV program "Die schönsten Bahnstrecken Europas", which was shown on Germany's ARDARD (broadcaster)ARD is a joint organization of Germany's regional public-service broadcasters...
network (see also Das Erste), included a cab ride on the Bernina Railway.
Images
The Bernina Railway is a single trackSingle track (rail)
A single track railway is where trains in both directions share the same track. Single track is normally used on lesser used rail lines, often branch lines, where the traffic density is not high enough to justify the cost of building double tracks....
metre gauge
Metre gauge
Metre gauge refers to narrow gauge railways and tramways with a track gauge of . In some African, American and Asian countries it is the main gauge. In Europe it has been used for local railways in France, Germany, and Belgium, most of which were closed down in mid 20th century. Only in Switzerland...
railway line forming part of the Rhaetian Railway (RhB). It links the spa resort of St. Moritz
St. Moritz
St. Moritz is a resort town in the Engadine valley in Switzerland. It is a municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden...
, in the Canton
Cantons of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...
of Graubünden
Graubünden
Graubünden or Grisons is the largest and easternmost canton of Switzerland. The canton shares borders with the cantons of Ticino, Uri, Glarus and St. Gallen and international borders with Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, with the town of Tirano
Tirano
Tirano is a town in Valtellina, located in the province of Sondrio, Northern Italy. It has about 9,044 inhabitants and is adjacent to the Switzerland-Italy boundary. The river Adda flows through the town....
, in the Province of Sondrio
Province of Sondrio
The Province of Sondrio is in the Lombardy region of Italy. Its capital is the town of Sondrio.It has an area of 3,212 km², and a total population of 176,856...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, via the Bernina Pass
Bernina Pass
The Bernina Pass is a high mountain pass in the Bernina Range of the Alps, in the canton of Graubünden in eastern Switzerland. It connects the famous resort town of St. Moritz in the Engadin valley with the Italian-speaking Val Poschiavo, which ends in the Italian town of Tirano in Valtellina....
. It also ranks as the highest adhesion railway in the Alps, and - with inclines of up to 7% - as one of the steepest adhesion railways in the world.
On 7 July 2008, the Bernina Railway and the Albula Railway
Albula Railway
In 1890, the Davos hotelier Willem-Jan Holsboer proposed the construction of a rail link from Chur via Davos, and through a tunnel under the Scaletta Pass, to St Moritz, and then onwards via the Maloja Pass, to Chiavenna in Italy. Holsboer later had to abandon this planned Scalettabahn, in favour...
, which also forms part of the RhB, were recorded in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, under the name Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina
Bernina Express
The Bernina Express is an express train connecting Chur in Switzerland with Poschiavo and Tirano in Italy, by crossing the Swiss Alps from north to south. For most of its journey, the train also passes along and through the World Heritage Site known as the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina...
Landscapes. The whole site is regarded as a cross border joint Swiss-Italian heritage area.
The most famous trains operating on the Bernina Railway are known as the Bernina Express
Bernina Express
The Bernina Express is an express train connecting Chur in Switzerland with Poschiavo and Tirano in Italy, by crossing the Swiss Alps from north to south. For most of its journey, the train also passes along and through the World Heritage Site known as the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina...
.
History
In the year following the completion of the Albula RailwayAlbula Railway
In 1890, the Davos hotelier Willem-Jan Holsboer proposed the construction of a rail link from Chur via Davos, and through a tunnel under the Scaletta Pass, to St Moritz, and then onwards via the Maloja Pass, to Chiavenna in Italy. Holsboer later had to abandon this planned Scalettabahn, in favour...
in 1904, the Bernina-Bahngesellschaft (BB) was established, with the objective of opening a railway line between St Moritz and Tirano
Tirano
Tirano is a town in Valtellina, located in the province of Sondrio, Northern Italy. It has about 9,044 inhabitants and is adjacent to the Switzerland-Italy boundary. The river Adda flows through the town....
, via the Bernina Pass. After obtaining a concession
Concession (contract)
A concession is a business operated under a contract or license associated with a degree of exclusivity in business within a certain geographical area. For example, sports arenas or public parks may have concession stands. Many department stores contain numerous concessions operated by other...
for such a line in 1906, the BB opened it from 1908 onwards, in several sections: on 1 July 1908 between Pontresina
Pontresina (Rhaetian Railway station)
Pontresina is a station on the Bernina Railway line from St. Moritz to Tirano. It is also the terminus of the Pontresina-Scuol-Tarasp railway line. Hourly services operate on each line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tp*R7 - 1tph...
and Morteratasch
Morteratsch (Rhaetian Railway station)
Morteratsch is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, and between Tirano
Tirano (Rhaetian Railway station)
Tirano is one of two stations in Tirano, Italy. It is the southern terminus of the metre gauge Bernina Railway line from St. Moritz. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph-See also:...
and Poschiavo
Poschiavo (Rhaetian Railway station)
Poschiavo is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
; on 18 August of the same year between Pontresina and Celerina
Celerina (Rhaetian Railway station)
Celerina is a railway station in Celerina, Switzerland. It is located on the Albula Railway line between Chur and St.Moritz. Hourly services operate on this section of the line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*RE1/R11 - 1tph...
; and on 1 July 1909 between Celerina and St Moritz, and between Morteratsch and Bernina Suot
Bernina Suot (Rhaetian Railway station)
Bernina Suot is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
. It was only on 5 July 1910 that the whole line could be opened, upon completion of the most difficult section, between Bernina Suot and Poschiavo. From the beginning, the line was electrically operated with DC current, although in 1935 the voltage was increased from 750 V to 1000 V.
Originally, the Bernina Railway was intended for use only in summer, but in 1913/14 the BB commenced winter operations as well. This development was associated with major weather related problems, necessitating further erection of avalanche barriers.
In the first years of its existence, the BB was always on the verge of bankruptcy. The costs of construction expenditure on the line to 1915 amounted to around 15 million Swiss francs. Even the introduction of a restaurant car
Dining car
A dining car or restaurant carriage , also diner, is a railroad passenger car that serves meals in the manner of a full-service, sit-down restaurant....
in 1928, and packages for tourists, could not save the little railway from ruin. Due to its difficult financial situation, it was taken over by the Rhaetian Railway in the middle of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in 1943.
The RhB modernised the line fundamentally, also for military reasons, and completely renewed the section at the top of the pass. Previously, the line formation on the north ramp of the Bernina Pass had been laid out in curves giving passengers spectacular views, but also lying in the path of avalanche
Avalanche
An avalanche is a sudden rapid flow of snow down a slope, occurring when either natural triggers or human activity causes a critical escalating transition from the slow equilibrium evolution of the snow pack. Typically occurring in mountainous terrain, an avalanche can mix air and water with the...
courses. The new parts of the line cut off those curves, the catenary
Overhead lines
Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains at a distance from the energy supply point...
and the flat bottomed rails of the old formation were removed, but the substructure
Substructure
In mathematical logic, an substructure or subalgebra is a structure whose domain is a subset of that of a bigger structure, and whose functions and relations are the traces of the functions and relations of the bigger structure...
is still visible in the high mountains.
Since the mid 1980s, the Rhaetian Railway has been marketing the natural and technical attractions of the Bernina Railway specifically to tourists. Thus, the section from Pontresina to Tirano forms part of the route of the Bernina Express
Bernina Express
The Bernina Express is an express train connecting Chur in Switzerland with Poschiavo and Tirano in Italy, by crossing the Swiss Alps from north to south. For most of its journey, the train also passes along and through the World Heritage Site known as the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina...
. In October 2011, Google photographed the Bernina Railway for Google Street View
Google Street View
Google Street View is a technology featured in Google Maps and Google Earth that provides panoramic views from various positions along many streets in the world...
.
Description of the railway
St Moritz is the terminus of both the Albula RailwayAlbula Railway
In 1890, the Davos hotelier Willem-Jan Holsboer proposed the construction of a rail link from Chur via Davos, and through a tunnel under the Scaletta Pass, to St Moritz, and then onwards via the Maloja Pass, to Chiavenna in Italy. Holsboer later had to abandon this planned Scalettabahn, in favour...
and the Bernina Railway. As the two railways are powered by different electrification systems
Railway electrification system
A railway electrification system supplies electrical energy to railway locomotives and multiple units as well as trams so that they can operate without having an on-board prime mover. There are several different electrification systems in use throughout the world...
, they meet at the same station, but operate on separate lines from separate platforms. The Bernina Railway leaves St Moritz station in an easterly direction, and crosses the Inn River
Inn River
The Inn is a river in Switzerland, Austria and Germany. It is a right tributary of the Danube and is approximately 500km long. The highest point of its drainage basin is the summit of Piz Bernina, at 4,049 metres.- Geography :...
on a 64 m (210 ft) long viaduct
Viaduct
A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...
. It then passes through the 689 m (2,260.5 ft) long Charnadüra-Tunnel II, the longest tunnel on the entire route. The next station, Celerina Staz
Celerina Staz (Rhaetian Railway station)
Celerina Staz is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, is, at 1716 m (5,629.9 ft) above sea level, the lowest point on the north side of the Bernina Pass
Bernina Pass
The Bernina Pass is a high mountain pass in the Bernina Range of the Alps, in the canton of Graubünden in eastern Switzerland. It connects the famous resort town of St. Moritz in the Engadin valley with the Italian-speaking Val Poschiavo, which ends in the Italian town of Tirano in Valtellina....
. From there until Ospizio Bernina
Ospizio Bernina (Rhaetian Railway station)
Ospizio Bernina is a station on the Bernina Railway line between St. Moritz in Switzerland and Tirano in Italy. Hourly services operate on this line....
, the line will now climb almost continuously. After returning to the banks of the Inn, the line reaches the small station Punt Muragl Staz
Punt Muragl Staz (Rhaetian Railway station)
Punt Muragl Staz is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
. At this point is the valley station of the funicular
Funicular
A funicular, also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope; the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalance each other.-Operation:The basic principle of funicular...
to Muottas Muragl
Muottas Muragl
Muottas Muragl is a minor summit situated near St. Moritz in Switzerland. It is accessible by funicular railway from a train station between Samedan-St. Moritz and Pontresina on the Bernina Express line.-External links:*...
, opened in 1907.
The next station in Pontresina
Pontresina (Rhaetian Railway station)
Pontresina is a station on the Bernina Railway line from St. Moritz to Tirano. It is also the terminus of the Pontresina-Scuol-Tarasp railway line. Hourly services operate on each line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tp*R7 - 1tph...
represents, together with St Moritz station, a curiosity in the network of the RhB: two completely different electrification systems meet here. The 11 kV AC
Alternating current
In alternating current the movement of electric charge periodically reverses direction. In direct current , the flow of electric charge is only in one direction....
powered trains, which enter the station on the line from Samedan
Samedan (Rhaetian Railway station)
Samedan is a railway station in Samedan, Switzerland. It is an important interchange station between the Albula Railway line and the Pontresina-Scuol-Tarasp line. Hourly services operate on each line....
, use tracks 1 to 3, while the 1,000 V DC
Direct current
Direct current is the unidirectional flow of electric charge. Direct current is produced by such sources as batteries, thermocouples, solar cells, and commutator-type electric machines of the dynamo type. Direct current may flow in a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through...
powered Bernina trains use tracks 3 to 7. Track 3 has a catenary that can be switched from alternating current to direct current, and a special signal to display to train crews the type of current being used. By means of track 3, the trains using the core network (from Samedan) and the Bernina line trains can use the same line, despite their differing electrification systems. On track 3 is also the exchange of locomotives for the famous Bernina Express
Bernina Express
The Bernina Express is an express train connecting Chur in Switzerland with Poschiavo and Tirano in Italy, by crossing the Swiss Alps from north to south. For most of its journey, the train also passes along and through the World Heritage Site known as the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina...
, which operates between Chur or Davos Platz
Davos Platz (Rhaetian Railway station)
Davos Platz station is located in the municipality of Davos in the district of Prattigau/Davos in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.It is the terminus of the Landquart-Davos railway line. Northbound, there is an hourly service towards Landquart. Southbound, there is an hourly service to Filisur. The...
and Tirano
Tirano (Rhaetian Railway station)
Tirano is one of two stations in Tirano, Italy. It is the southern terminus of the metre gauge Bernina Railway line from St. Moritz. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph-See also:...
.
The line now turns to the south east. After crossing the Rosegbach, passing through the Surovas
Surovas (Rhaetian Railway station)
Surovas is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
station (which was previously called "Sans Souci" (Carefree)), and crossing the Berninabach, it finally reaches Morteratsch
Morteratsch (Rhaetian Railway station)
Morteratsch is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
station, about 2 km (1.2 mi) below the Morteratsch Glacier
Morteratsch Glacier
The Morteratsch Glacier is the largest glacier by area in the Bernina Range of the Bündner Alps in Switzerland....
. Past the other end of the station is the world famous Montebello Curve, where the line meets the road over the pass. The line and the road will now accompany each other as far as Ospizio Bernina. At the recently modernised Bernina Suot
Bernina Suot (Rhaetian Railway station)
Bernina Suot is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
passing loop, the tree line has already been reached. The next stations are Diavolezza
Bernina Diavolezza (Rhaetian Railway station)
Bernina Diavolezza is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line. It is located at the foot of the Diavolezza mountain, as well as the Diavolezza and Lagalb ski regions. In the summer trailhead for hiking are located nearby....
and Bernina Lagalb
Bernina Lagalb (Rhaetian Railway station)
Bernina Lagalb is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
; both are departure points of cableways.
The next section is probably the most interesting on the north side of the pass. Here, the route is very winding, and moves from one side of the valley to the other. First, the Berninabach is crossed, using the 37 m (121.4 ft) long Lower Berninabach Bridge, and then the line crosses the Arlasbach, a tributory of the Berninabach. On the Upper Berninabach Bridge, the line moves back to the eastern side of the valley. Southwest of here, the Piz Bernina
Piz Bernina
Piz Bernina is the highest mountain of the Eastern Alps and the highest point of the Bernina Range the highest peak in south Rhetic Alps. It is also the farthest easterly mountain higher than 4,000 m in the Alps, the highest point of the Swiss canton of Graubünden, and the fifth-most prominent...
and the Piz Palü
Piz Palü
Piz Palü is a mountain in the Bernina Range in Switzerland and Italy. There are three summits on its main ridge, which runs from east to west...
rise majestically. Next follows the 175 m (574.1 ft) long Arlas Gallery, which provides protection against snow drifts. On the southwestern side are the small lakes known as Lej Pitschen and Lej Nair. Directly behind them towers the 15 m (49.2 ft) high and 283 m (928.5 ft) long Lago Bianco
Lago Bianco
Lago Bianco is a lake at the Bernina pass in the Grisons, Switzerland. Its surface area is 1.50 km². The current reservoir was formed by the two dams Scala and Arlas on the site of two natural lakes ....
dam, which also marks the watershed
European Watershed
The European Watershed is the line which divides the drainage basins of the major rivers of Germany: the Rhine, which originates in the Swiss Alps and empties into the North Sea via the Netherlands, and the Danube, which originates in the Black Forest and flows eastward emptying into the Black...
between the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
and the Po.
The railway now runs along the eastern bank of the lake, and, near Ospizio Bernina
Ospizio Bernina (Rhaetian Railway station)
Ospizio Bernina is a station on the Bernina Railway line between St. Moritz in Switzerland and Tirano in Italy. Hourly services operate on this line....
, reaches its highest point, at 2253 m (7,391.7 ft) above sea level. The Bernina Railway is thereby (mountainside railways excluded) the highest railway line in the Alps, operating as a public railway with year round traffic. As the section from here to Poschiavo
Poschiavo (Rhaetian Railway station)
Poschiavo is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
is particularly badly affected by drifting snow, countless engineering structures have been erected from the southern dam wall onwards: the 140 m (459.3 ft) long Scala Gallery, the 192 m (629.9 ft) long Scala Tunnel, the Sassal Mason Gallery, even longer at 348 m (1,141.7 ft), and the 54 m (177.2 ft) long Drago Tunnel.
After the Grüm Gallery, the attractive Alp Grüm
Alp Grüm (Rhaetian Railway station)
Alp Grüm railway station is situated on the Bernina Railway, between Pontresina, in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland, and Tirano, in the Province of Sondrio, Italy....
station is reached. It not only is located at the tree line, but also marks the last station before the Italian linguistic border. From here onwards, the line clambers, with a gradient of up to 7%, and via multiple s-bends, downwards into the Poschiavo
Poschiavo
Poschiavo is a municipality in the district of Bernina in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland.-History:Poschiavo is first mentioned in 824 as in Postclave though this comes from a later copy of the original document.. In 1140 it was mentioned as de Pusclauio. It was formerly known by the...
valley. That this occurs without the assistance of a rack railway
Rack railway
A rack-and-pinion railway is a railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with this rack rail...
system makes the Bernina Railway one of the steepest adhesion railways in the world.
Immediately behind the Alp Grüm station, the line winds in a tight 180° bend, and passes below Alp Grüm through the Upper Palü Gallery. In a further 180° bend, it heads through the Palü Tunnel and subsequently through the Lower Palü Gallery. A further four half circle loops follow, until the line reaches the Cavaglia
Cavaglia (Rhaetian Railway station)
Cavaglia is a station on the Bernina Railway line, in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
station. Since about 2000, there has also been a new automatic passing loop, Stablini, between Alp Grüm and Cavaglia. It bisects a portion of the line that was previously prone to traffic delays. In zigzag fashion, the line continues from Cavaglia further down into the valley via Cadera
Cadera (Rhaetian Railway station)
Cadera is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
to Privilasco
Privilasco (Rhaetian Railway station)
Privilasco is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
. From there, the line leaves the tight bends behind, and, still at its maximum gradient, reaches the Poschiavo Valley. In Poschiavo
Poschiavo (Rhaetian Railway station)
Poschiavo is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
it finally meets up once again with the Bernina Pass road.
At the request of the Poschiavo community, the station at Poschiavo was built just outside the village boundaries. It has a railway depot and workshop, in which a few historic railcars of the Bernina Railway are also stored. The remaining section of line of approximately 17 km (10.6 mi) to Tirano are laid partially still as a mountain railway, but also partially in the manner of a tramway system. After the stopping point Li Curt
Li Curt (Rhaetian Railway station)
Li Curt is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, erected only in 1977, the line reaches the village of Le Prese
Le Prese (Rhaetian Railway station)
Le Prese is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, the stopping point of which is located in the middle of the street. Between Le Prese and Miralago
Miralago (Rhaetian Railway station)
Miralago is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph-External links:* *...
the line passes along the banks of the Poschiavo Lake, thus remaining at the lake's altitude of 965 m (3,166 ft) above sea level.
Below Brusio
Brusio (Rhaetian Railway station)
Brusio is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, the railway has, as its last highlight, the Brusio spiral viaduct
Brusio spiral viaduct
The Brusio spiral viaduct is a single track nine-arched stone spiral railway viaduct.A signature structure of the World Heritage-listed Bernina Railway, it is located in Brusio, in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland, and serves only to adjust the railway's altitude.-Location:The Brusio spiral...
, which serves only to adjust the altitude of the line. The spiral viaduct is followed by the stopping point for the village of Campascio
Campascio (Rhaetian Railway station)
Campascio is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, which still belongs to Brusio. Beyond the border station of Campocologno
Campocologno (Rhaetian Railway station)
Campocologno is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, which is unusually large due to its customs facilities, the line finally reaches Italy, and, after crossing the main square of Tirano, its terminal station. Here, the Bernina Railway meets the standard gauge station
Tirano railway station (RFI)
Tirano railway station is one of two railway stations within the town and comune of Tirano, in the region of Lombardy, northern Italy. Opened in 1902, it is the terminus of the standard gauge Alta Valtellina railway from Sondrio....
and line of the Italian state rail infrastructure company Rete Ferroviaria Italiana
Rete Ferroviaria Italiana
Rete Ferroviaria Italiana is an Italian company fully owned by Ferrovie dello Stato . RFI is the owner of Italy's railway network, it sets train paths, provides signalling, provides maintenance and other services for the railway network...
(RFI), which links Tirano through Valtellina
Valtellina
Valtellina or the Valtelline valley ; is a valley in the Lombardy region of northern Italy, bordering Switzerland. Today it is known for its skiing, its hot spring spas, its cheeses and its wines...
to Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
.
Rolling stock and traffic
Today, the following classes of railcar and locomotive are used in scheduled commercial services on the Bernina Railway: four ABe 4/4IRhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 I
The Rhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 I is a class of metre gauge railcars of the Rhaetian Railway , which is the main railway network in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland....
, nine ABe 4/4II
Rhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 II
The Rhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 II is a class of metre gauge railcars of the Rhaetian Railway , which is the main railway network in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland....
, six ABe 4/4III
Rhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 III
The Rhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 III is a class of metre gauge electric multiple unit railcars of the Rhaetian Railway , which is the main railway network in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland....
und two Gem 4/4
Rhaetian Railway Gem 4/4
The Rhaetian Railway Gem 4/4 is a two member class of metre gauge Bo'Bo' electro-diesel locomotives operated since 1968 by the Rhaetian Railway , which is the main railway network in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland....
.
This fleet, consisting predominantly of railcar
Railcar
A railcar, in British English and Australian English, is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coach , with a driver's cab at one or both ends. Some railways, e.g., the Great Western...
s, also carries freight traffic. Some freight cars are added to passenger trains until the maximum towing capacity of such trains of 140 tonnes is reached. For reasons of safety, due to the presence of dangerous goods, other freight cars are operated in pure freight trains. Despite being set up originally only for tourist traffic, the Bernina Railway now also assists trade
Trade
Trade is the transfer of ownership of goods and services from one person or entity to another. Trade is sometimes loosely called commerce or financial transaction or barter. A network that allows trade is called a market. The original form of trade was barter, the direct exchange of goods and...
with Italy by carrying not inconsiderable quantities of freight, consisting mostly of heating oil
Heating oil
Heating oil, or oil heat, is a low viscosity, flammable liquid petroleum product used as a fuel for furnaces or boilers in buildings. Home heating oil is often abbreviated as HHO...
, fuel
Fuel
Fuel is any material that stores energy that can later be extracted to perform mechanical work in a controlled manner. Most fuels used by humans undergo combustion, a redox reaction in which a combustible substance releases energy after it ignites and reacts with the oxygen in the air...
s and timber. Additionally, the regional shopping businesses of the Poschiavo valley are served partly by rail.
The timetable is tightly designed, with year round services of one passenger train per hour in each direction. The flagship services are the now fully panorama car equipped Bernina Express
Bernina Express
The Bernina Express is an express train connecting Chur in Switzerland with Poschiavo and Tirano in Italy, by crossing the Swiss Alps from north to south. For most of its journey, the train also passes along and through the World Heritage Site known as the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina...
and the Trenino Rosso travelling in the opposite direction.
In winter, a steam snow blower
Snow blower
A snow blower or snow thrower is a machine for removing snow from an area where it is not wanted, such as a driveway, sidewalk, roadway, railroad track, rink, runway, or houses...
is regularly in service. Its operation is also a tourist attraction
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
that draws in railway enthusiasts from all over the world.
In connection with the danger of avalanche
Avalanche
An avalanche is a sudden rapid flow of snow down a slope, occurring when either natural triggers or human activity causes a critical escalating transition from the slow equilibrium evolution of the snow pack. Typically occurring in mountainous terrain, an avalanche can mix air and water with the...
s on the Bernina Railway, the Rhaetian Railway has developed an unusual procedure for the removal of these high alpine hazards. In late winter, when the risk of avalanche is greatest, artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
is fired at the points of origin of avalanches, to bring some control to their occurrence.
This article was translated from the German language version as at November 2009. It is now out of date, and needs updating to mention the Allegra units.
Literature
- Gion Caprez, Peter Pfeiffer: Die Goldenen Jahre der Berninabahn. AS Verlag & Buchkonzept AG, Zürich 2000, ISBN 3-905111-48-9.
- Beat Moser, Peter Pfeiffer: Die RhB. Teil 2. Berninabahn und Bellinzona-Mesocco. Eisenbahn Journal. Special. Hermann Merker, Fürstenfeldbruck 1996,4. ISBN 3-922404-95-2, .
- Mit der Rhätischen Bahn von St. Moritz nach Tirano. A photographic description of probably one of the most beautiful alpine railways. Published by BahnGalerie. FotoReise-CD Bernina 2002.
- Christian Tarnuzzer: Die Bernina-Bahn. Illustrated with original photographs by D. Mischol, with a 1:100,000 map of the Bernina Railway. Ebner & Cie, Chur und St. Moritz. [1909]
- Paul Caminada: "Der Bau der Rhätischen Bahn", Orell Füssli Verlag, Zürich, 1980.
- Andrea Tognina: Arbeiter am Bernina. Sozialgeschichte eines Bahnbaus, 1906–1910, Chur, Desertina, 2010; Andrea Tognina: Gli operai del Bernina. Storia sociale di un cantiere ferroviario, Coira, Desertina, 2010).
Film
- "Von Pontresina, Oberengadin, nach Bernina Hospiz", Welt-Kinematograph, Freiburg i. Br., Germany 1909 or 1910.
- "Mit der Berninabahn", Welt-Kinematograph, Freiburg i. Br., Germany 1910.
- "Le Ferrovie del Bernina", Pasquali e C., Turin, Italy 1911.
- "The Bernina Railway (Switzerland)", Urbanora, Great Britain 1912.
- "La Ferrovia del Bernina", Regie: Giovanni Vitrotti, Società Anonima Ambrosio, Turin, Italy 1913.
- "Europe's Winter Playground", Director: Frederick Burlingham, British & Colonial Kinematograph CompanyBritish and Colonial FilmsBritish and Colonial Films was a British company making predominantly silent films, which operated in London between 1908 and 1924. It was also known by the abbreviation B & C....
, Great Britain 1913. - "Dallo Spluga al Bernina", Luca Comerio, Milan, Italy 1914.
- "Eine Fahrt mit der Bernina-Bahn (Schweiz)", Sascha-Filmfabrik, Vienna, Austria 1914.
- The TV program "Die schönsten Bahnstrecken Europas", which was shown on Germany's ARDARD (broadcaster)ARD is a joint organization of Germany's regional public-service broadcasters...
network (see also Das Erste), included a cab ride on the Bernina Railway.
Images
The Bernina Railway is a single trackSingle track (rail)
A single track railway is where trains in both directions share the same track. Single track is normally used on lesser used rail lines, often branch lines, where the traffic density is not high enough to justify the cost of building double tracks....
metre gauge
Metre gauge
Metre gauge refers to narrow gauge railways and tramways with a track gauge of . In some African, American and Asian countries it is the main gauge. In Europe it has been used for local railways in France, Germany, and Belgium, most of which were closed down in mid 20th century. Only in Switzerland...
railway line forming part of the Rhaetian Railway (RhB). It links the spa resort of St. Moritz
St. Moritz
St. Moritz is a resort town in the Engadine valley in Switzerland. It is a municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden...
, in the Canton
Cantons of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...
of Graubünden
Graubünden
Graubünden or Grisons is the largest and easternmost canton of Switzerland. The canton shares borders with the cantons of Ticino, Uri, Glarus and St. Gallen and international borders with Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, with the town of Tirano
Tirano
Tirano is a town in Valtellina, located in the province of Sondrio, Northern Italy. It has about 9,044 inhabitants and is adjacent to the Switzerland-Italy boundary. The river Adda flows through the town....
, in the Province of Sondrio
Province of Sondrio
The Province of Sondrio is in the Lombardy region of Italy. Its capital is the town of Sondrio.It has an area of 3,212 km², and a total population of 176,856...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, via the Bernina Pass
Bernina Pass
The Bernina Pass is a high mountain pass in the Bernina Range of the Alps, in the canton of Graubünden in eastern Switzerland. It connects the famous resort town of St. Moritz in the Engadin valley with the Italian-speaking Val Poschiavo, which ends in the Italian town of Tirano in Valtellina....
. It also ranks as the highest adhesion railway in the Alps, and - with inclines of up to 7% - as one of the steepest adhesion railways in the world.
On 7 July 2008, the Bernina Railway and the Albula Railway
Albula Railway
In 1890, the Davos hotelier Willem-Jan Holsboer proposed the construction of a rail link from Chur via Davos, and through a tunnel under the Scaletta Pass, to St Moritz, and then onwards via the Maloja Pass, to Chiavenna in Italy. Holsboer later had to abandon this planned Scalettabahn, in favour...
, which also forms part of the RhB, were recorded in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, under the name Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina
Bernina Express
The Bernina Express is an express train connecting Chur in Switzerland with Poschiavo and Tirano in Italy, by crossing the Swiss Alps from north to south. For most of its journey, the train also passes along and through the World Heritage Site known as the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina...
Landscapes. The whole site is regarded as a cross border joint Swiss-Italian heritage area.
The most famous trains operating on the Bernina Railway are known as the Bernina Express
Bernina Express
The Bernina Express is an express train connecting Chur in Switzerland with Poschiavo and Tirano in Italy, by crossing the Swiss Alps from north to south. For most of its journey, the train also passes along and through the World Heritage Site known as the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina...
.
History
In the year following the completion of the Albula RailwayAlbula Railway
In 1890, the Davos hotelier Willem-Jan Holsboer proposed the construction of a rail link from Chur via Davos, and through a tunnel under the Scaletta Pass, to St Moritz, and then onwards via the Maloja Pass, to Chiavenna in Italy. Holsboer later had to abandon this planned Scalettabahn, in favour...
in 1904, the Bernina-Bahngesellschaft (BB) was established, with the objective of opening a railway line between St Moritz and Tirano
Tirano
Tirano is a town in Valtellina, located in the province of Sondrio, Northern Italy. It has about 9,044 inhabitants and is adjacent to the Switzerland-Italy boundary. The river Adda flows through the town....
, via the Bernina Pass. After obtaining a concession
Concession (contract)
A concession is a business operated under a contract or license associated with a degree of exclusivity in business within a certain geographical area. For example, sports arenas or public parks may have concession stands. Many department stores contain numerous concessions operated by other...
for such a line in 1906, the BB opened it from 1908 onwards, in several sections: on 1 July 1908 between Pontresina
Pontresina (Rhaetian Railway station)
Pontresina is a station on the Bernina Railway line from St. Moritz to Tirano. It is also the terminus of the Pontresina-Scuol-Tarasp railway line. Hourly services operate on each line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tp*R7 - 1tph...
and Morteratasch
Morteratsch (Rhaetian Railway station)
Morteratsch is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, and between Tirano
Tirano (Rhaetian Railway station)
Tirano is one of two stations in Tirano, Italy. It is the southern terminus of the metre gauge Bernina Railway line from St. Moritz. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph-See also:...
and Poschiavo
Poschiavo (Rhaetian Railway station)
Poschiavo is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
; on 18 August of the same year between Pontresina and Celerina
Celerina (Rhaetian Railway station)
Celerina is a railway station in Celerina, Switzerland. It is located on the Albula Railway line between Chur and St.Moritz. Hourly services operate on this section of the line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*RE1/R11 - 1tph...
; and on 1 July 1909 between Celerina and St Moritz, and between Morteratsch and Bernina Suot
Bernina Suot (Rhaetian Railway station)
Bernina Suot is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
. It was only on 5 July 1910 that the whole line could be opened, upon completion of the most difficult section, between Bernina Suot and Poschiavo. From the beginning, the line was electrically operated with DC current, although in 1935 the voltage was increased from 750 V to 1000 V.
Originally, the Bernina Railway was intended for use only in summer, but in 1913/14 the BB commenced winter operations as well. This development was associated with major weather related problems, necessitating further erection of avalanche barriers.
In the first years of its existence, the BB was always on the verge of bankruptcy. The costs of construction expenditure on the line to 1915 amounted to around 15 million Swiss francs. Even the introduction of a restaurant car
Dining car
A dining car or restaurant carriage , also diner, is a railroad passenger car that serves meals in the manner of a full-service, sit-down restaurant....
in 1928, and packages for tourists, could not save the little railway from ruin. Due to its difficult financial situation, it was taken over by the Rhaetian Railway in the middle of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in 1943.
The RhB modernised the line fundamentally, also for military reasons, and completely renewed the section at the top of the pass. Previously, the line formation on the north ramp of the Bernina Pass had been laid out in curves giving passengers spectacular views, but also lying in the path of avalanche
Avalanche
An avalanche is a sudden rapid flow of snow down a slope, occurring when either natural triggers or human activity causes a critical escalating transition from the slow equilibrium evolution of the snow pack. Typically occurring in mountainous terrain, an avalanche can mix air and water with the...
courses. The new parts of the line cut off those curves, the catenary
Overhead lines
Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains at a distance from the energy supply point...
and the flat bottomed rails of the old formation were removed, but the substructure
Substructure
In mathematical logic, an substructure or subalgebra is a structure whose domain is a subset of that of a bigger structure, and whose functions and relations are the traces of the functions and relations of the bigger structure...
is still visible in the high mountains.
Since the mid 1980s, the Rhaetian Railway has been marketing the natural and technical attractions of the Bernina Railway specifically to tourists. Thus, the section from Pontresina to Tirano forms part of the route of the Bernina Express
Bernina Express
The Bernina Express is an express train connecting Chur in Switzerland with Poschiavo and Tirano in Italy, by crossing the Swiss Alps from north to south. For most of its journey, the train also passes along and through the World Heritage Site known as the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina...
. In October 2011, Google photographed the Bernina Railway for Google Street View
Google Street View
Google Street View is a technology featured in Google Maps and Google Earth that provides panoramic views from various positions along many streets in the world...
.
Description of the railway
St Moritz is the terminus of both the Albula RailwayAlbula Railway
In 1890, the Davos hotelier Willem-Jan Holsboer proposed the construction of a rail link from Chur via Davos, and through a tunnel under the Scaletta Pass, to St Moritz, and then onwards via the Maloja Pass, to Chiavenna in Italy. Holsboer later had to abandon this planned Scalettabahn, in favour...
and the Bernina Railway. As the two railways are powered by different electrification systems
Railway electrification system
A railway electrification system supplies electrical energy to railway locomotives and multiple units as well as trams so that they can operate without having an on-board prime mover. There are several different electrification systems in use throughout the world...
, they meet at the same station, but operate on separate lines from separate platforms. The Bernina Railway leaves St Moritz station in an easterly direction, and crosses the Inn River
Inn River
The Inn is a river in Switzerland, Austria and Germany. It is a right tributary of the Danube and is approximately 500km long. The highest point of its drainage basin is the summit of Piz Bernina, at 4,049 metres.- Geography :...
on a 64 m (210 ft) long viaduct
Viaduct
A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...
. It then passes through the 689 m (2,260.5 ft) long Charnadüra-Tunnel II, the longest tunnel on the entire route. The next station, Celerina Staz
Celerina Staz (Rhaetian Railway station)
Celerina Staz is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, is, at 1716 m (5,629.9 ft) above sea level, the lowest point on the north side of the Bernina Pass
Bernina Pass
The Bernina Pass is a high mountain pass in the Bernina Range of the Alps, in the canton of Graubünden in eastern Switzerland. It connects the famous resort town of St. Moritz in the Engadin valley with the Italian-speaking Val Poschiavo, which ends in the Italian town of Tirano in Valtellina....
. From there until Ospizio Bernina
Ospizio Bernina (Rhaetian Railway station)
Ospizio Bernina is a station on the Bernina Railway line between St. Moritz in Switzerland and Tirano in Italy. Hourly services operate on this line....
, the line will now climb almost continuously. After returning to the banks of the Inn, the line reaches the small station Punt Muragl Staz
Punt Muragl Staz (Rhaetian Railway station)
Punt Muragl Staz is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
. At this point is the valley station of the funicular
Funicular
A funicular, also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope; the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalance each other.-Operation:The basic principle of funicular...
to Muottas Muragl
Muottas Muragl
Muottas Muragl is a minor summit situated near St. Moritz in Switzerland. It is accessible by funicular railway from a train station between Samedan-St. Moritz and Pontresina on the Bernina Express line.-External links:*...
, opened in 1907.
The next station in Pontresina
Pontresina (Rhaetian Railway station)
Pontresina is a station on the Bernina Railway line from St. Moritz to Tirano. It is also the terminus of the Pontresina-Scuol-Tarasp railway line. Hourly services operate on each line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tp*R7 - 1tph...
represents, together with St Moritz station, a curiosity in the network of the RhB: two completely different electrification systems meet here. The 11 kV AC
Alternating current
In alternating current the movement of electric charge periodically reverses direction. In direct current , the flow of electric charge is only in one direction....
powered trains, which enter the station on the line from Samedan
Samedan (Rhaetian Railway station)
Samedan is a railway station in Samedan, Switzerland. It is an important interchange station between the Albula Railway line and the Pontresina-Scuol-Tarasp line. Hourly services operate on each line....
, use tracks 1 to 3, while the 1,000 V DC
Direct current
Direct current is the unidirectional flow of electric charge. Direct current is produced by such sources as batteries, thermocouples, solar cells, and commutator-type electric machines of the dynamo type. Direct current may flow in a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through...
powered Bernina trains use tracks 3 to 7. Track 3 has a catenary that can be switched from alternating current to direct current, and a special signal to display to train crews the type of current being used. By means of track 3, the trains using the core network (from Samedan) and the Bernina line trains can use the same line, despite their differing electrification systems. On track 3 is also the exchange of locomotives for the famous Bernina Express
Bernina Express
The Bernina Express is an express train connecting Chur in Switzerland with Poschiavo and Tirano in Italy, by crossing the Swiss Alps from north to south. For most of its journey, the train also passes along and through the World Heritage Site known as the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina...
, which operates between Chur or Davos Platz
Davos Platz (Rhaetian Railway station)
Davos Platz station is located in the municipality of Davos in the district of Prattigau/Davos in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.It is the terminus of the Landquart-Davos railway line. Northbound, there is an hourly service towards Landquart. Southbound, there is an hourly service to Filisur. The...
and Tirano
Tirano (Rhaetian Railway station)
Tirano is one of two stations in Tirano, Italy. It is the southern terminus of the metre gauge Bernina Railway line from St. Moritz. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph-See also:...
.
The line now turns to the south east. After crossing the Rosegbach, passing through the Surovas
Surovas (Rhaetian Railway station)
Surovas is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
station (which was previously called "Sans Souci" (Carefree)), and crossing the Berninabach, it finally reaches Morteratsch
Morteratsch (Rhaetian Railway station)
Morteratsch is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
station, about 2 km (1.2 mi) below the Morteratsch Glacier
Morteratsch Glacier
The Morteratsch Glacier is the largest glacier by area in the Bernina Range of the Bündner Alps in Switzerland....
. Past the other end of the station is the world famous Montebello Curve, where the line meets the road over the pass. The line and the road will now accompany each other as far as Ospizio Bernina. At the recently modernised Bernina Suot
Bernina Suot (Rhaetian Railway station)
Bernina Suot is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
passing loop, the tree line has already been reached. The next stations are Diavolezza
Bernina Diavolezza (Rhaetian Railway station)
Bernina Diavolezza is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line. It is located at the foot of the Diavolezza mountain, as well as the Diavolezza and Lagalb ski regions. In the summer trailhead for hiking are located nearby....
and Bernina Lagalb
Bernina Lagalb (Rhaetian Railway station)
Bernina Lagalb is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
; both are departure points of cableways.
The next section is probably the most interesting on the north side of the pass. Here, the route is very winding, and moves from one side of the valley to the other. First, the Berninabach is crossed, using the 37 m (121.4 ft) long Lower Berninabach Bridge, and then the line crosses the Arlasbach, a tributory of the Berninabach. On the Upper Berninabach Bridge, the line moves back to the eastern side of the valley. Southwest of here, the Piz Bernina
Piz Bernina
Piz Bernina is the highest mountain of the Eastern Alps and the highest point of the Bernina Range the highest peak in south Rhetic Alps. It is also the farthest easterly mountain higher than 4,000 m in the Alps, the highest point of the Swiss canton of Graubünden, and the fifth-most prominent...
and the Piz Palü
Piz Palü
Piz Palü is a mountain in the Bernina Range in Switzerland and Italy. There are three summits on its main ridge, which runs from east to west...
rise majestically. Next follows the 175 m (574.1 ft) long Arlas Gallery, which provides protection against snow drifts. On the southwestern side are the small lakes known as Lej Pitschen and Lej Nair. Directly behind them towers the 15 m (49.2 ft) high and 283 m (928.5 ft) long Lago Bianco
Lago Bianco
Lago Bianco is a lake at the Bernina pass in the Grisons, Switzerland. Its surface area is 1.50 km². The current reservoir was formed by the two dams Scala and Arlas on the site of two natural lakes ....
dam, which also marks the watershed
European Watershed
The European Watershed is the line which divides the drainage basins of the major rivers of Germany: the Rhine, which originates in the Swiss Alps and empties into the North Sea via the Netherlands, and the Danube, which originates in the Black Forest and flows eastward emptying into the Black...
between the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
and the Po.
The railway now runs along the eastern bank of the lake, and, near Ospizio Bernina
Ospizio Bernina (Rhaetian Railway station)
Ospizio Bernina is a station on the Bernina Railway line between St. Moritz in Switzerland and Tirano in Italy. Hourly services operate on this line....
, reaches its highest point, at 2253 m (7,391.7 ft) above sea level. The Bernina Railway is thereby (mountainside railways excluded) the highest railway line in the Alps, operating as a public railway with year round traffic. As the section from here to Poschiavo
Poschiavo (Rhaetian Railway station)
Poschiavo is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
is particularly badly affected by drifting snow, countless engineering structures have been erected from the southern dam wall onwards: the 140 m (459.3 ft) long Scala Gallery, the 192 m (629.9 ft) long Scala Tunnel, the Sassal Mason Gallery, even longer at 348 m (1,141.7 ft), and the 54 m (177.2 ft) long Drago Tunnel.
After the Grüm Gallery, the attractive Alp Grüm
Alp Grüm (Rhaetian Railway station)
Alp Grüm railway station is situated on the Bernina Railway, between Pontresina, in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland, and Tirano, in the Province of Sondrio, Italy....
station is reached. It not only is located at the tree line, but also marks the last station before the Italian linguistic border. From here onwards, the line clambers, with a gradient of up to 7%, and via multiple s-bends, downwards into the Poschiavo
Poschiavo
Poschiavo is a municipality in the district of Bernina in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland.-History:Poschiavo is first mentioned in 824 as in Postclave though this comes from a later copy of the original document.. In 1140 it was mentioned as de Pusclauio. It was formerly known by the...
valley. That this occurs without the assistance of a rack railway
Rack railway
A rack-and-pinion railway is a railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with this rack rail...
system makes the Bernina Railway one of the steepest adhesion railways in the world.
Immediately behind the Alp Grüm station, the line winds in a tight 180° bend, and passes below Alp Grüm through the Upper Palü Gallery. In a further 180° bend, it heads through the Palü Tunnel and subsequently through the Lower Palü Gallery. A further four half circle loops follow, until the line reaches the Cavaglia
Cavaglia (Rhaetian Railway station)
Cavaglia is a station on the Bernina Railway line, in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
station. Since about 2000, there has also been a new automatic passing loop, Stablini, between Alp Grüm and Cavaglia. It bisects a portion of the line that was previously prone to traffic delays. In zigzag fashion, the line continues from Cavaglia further down into the valley via Cadera
Cadera (Rhaetian Railway station)
Cadera is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
to Privilasco
Privilasco (Rhaetian Railway station)
Privilasco is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
. From there, the line leaves the tight bends behind, and, still at its maximum gradient, reaches the Poschiavo Valley. In Poschiavo
Poschiavo (Rhaetian Railway station)
Poschiavo is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
it finally meets up once again with the Bernina Pass road.
At the request of the Poschiavo community, the station at Poschiavo was built just outside the village boundaries. It has a railway depot and workshop, in which a few historic railcars of the Bernina Railway are also stored. The remaining section of line of approximately 17 km (10.6 mi) to Tirano are laid partially still as a mountain railway, but also partially in the manner of a tramway system. After the stopping point Li Curt
Li Curt (Rhaetian Railway station)
Li Curt is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, erected only in 1977, the line reaches the village of Le Prese
Le Prese (Rhaetian Railway station)
Le Prese is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, the stopping point of which is located in the middle of the street. Between Le Prese and Miralago
Miralago (Rhaetian Railway station)
Miralago is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph-External links:* *...
the line passes along the banks of the Poschiavo Lake, thus remaining at the lake's altitude of 965 m (3,166 ft) above sea level.
Below Brusio
Brusio (Rhaetian Railway station)
Brusio is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, the railway has, as its last highlight, the Brusio spiral viaduct
Brusio spiral viaduct
The Brusio spiral viaduct is a single track nine-arched stone spiral railway viaduct.A signature structure of the World Heritage-listed Bernina Railway, it is located in Brusio, in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland, and serves only to adjust the railway's altitude.-Location:The Brusio spiral...
, which serves only to adjust the altitude of the line. The spiral viaduct is followed by the stopping point for the village of Campascio
Campascio (Rhaetian Railway station)
Campascio is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, which still belongs to Brusio. Beyond the border station of Campocologno
Campocologno (Rhaetian Railway station)
Campocologno is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, which is unusually large due to its customs facilities, the line finally reaches Italy, and, after crossing the main square of Tirano, its terminal station. Here, the Bernina Railway meets the standard gauge station
Tirano railway station (RFI)
Tirano railway station is one of two railway stations within the town and comune of Tirano, in the region of Lombardy, northern Italy. Opened in 1902, it is the terminus of the standard gauge Alta Valtellina railway from Sondrio....
and line of the Italian state rail infrastructure company Rete Ferroviaria Italiana
Rete Ferroviaria Italiana
Rete Ferroviaria Italiana is an Italian company fully owned by Ferrovie dello Stato . RFI is the owner of Italy's railway network, it sets train paths, provides signalling, provides maintenance and other services for the railway network...
(RFI), which links Tirano through Valtellina
Valtellina
Valtellina or the Valtelline valley ; is a valley in the Lombardy region of northern Italy, bordering Switzerland. Today it is known for its skiing, its hot spring spas, its cheeses and its wines...
to Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
.
Rolling stock and traffic
Today, the following classes of railcar and locomotive are used in scheduled commercial services on the Bernina Railway: four ABe 4/4IRhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 I
The Rhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 I is a class of metre gauge railcars of the Rhaetian Railway , which is the main railway network in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland....
, nine ABe 4/4II
Rhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 II
The Rhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 II is a class of metre gauge railcars of the Rhaetian Railway , which is the main railway network in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland....
, six ABe 4/4III
Rhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 III
The Rhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 III is a class of metre gauge electric multiple unit railcars of the Rhaetian Railway , which is the main railway network in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland....
und two Gem 4/4
Rhaetian Railway Gem 4/4
The Rhaetian Railway Gem 4/4 is a two member class of metre gauge Bo'Bo' electro-diesel locomotives operated since 1968 by the Rhaetian Railway , which is the main railway network in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland....
.
This fleet, consisting predominantly of railcar
Railcar
A railcar, in British English and Australian English, is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coach , with a driver's cab at one or both ends. Some railways, e.g., the Great Western...
s, also carries freight traffic. Some freight cars are added to passenger trains until the maximum towing capacity of such trains of 140 tonnes is reached. For reasons of safety, due to the presence of dangerous goods, other freight cars are operated in pure freight trains. Despite being set up originally only for tourist traffic, the Bernina Railway now also assists trade
Trade
Trade is the transfer of ownership of goods and services from one person or entity to another. Trade is sometimes loosely called commerce or financial transaction or barter. A network that allows trade is called a market. The original form of trade was barter, the direct exchange of goods and...
with Italy by carrying not inconsiderable quantities of freight, consisting mostly of heating oil
Heating oil
Heating oil, or oil heat, is a low viscosity, flammable liquid petroleum product used as a fuel for furnaces or boilers in buildings. Home heating oil is often abbreviated as HHO...
, fuel
Fuel
Fuel is any material that stores energy that can later be extracted to perform mechanical work in a controlled manner. Most fuels used by humans undergo combustion, a redox reaction in which a combustible substance releases energy after it ignites and reacts with the oxygen in the air...
s and timber. Additionally, the regional shopping businesses of the Poschiavo valley are served partly by rail.
The timetable is tightly designed, with year round services of one passenger train per hour in each direction. The flagship services are the now fully panorama car equipped Bernina Express
Bernina Express
The Bernina Express is an express train connecting Chur in Switzerland with Poschiavo and Tirano in Italy, by crossing the Swiss Alps from north to south. For most of its journey, the train also passes along and through the World Heritage Site known as the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina...
and the Trenino Rosso travelling in the opposite direction.
In winter, a steam snow blower
Snow blower
A snow blower or snow thrower is a machine for removing snow from an area where it is not wanted, such as a driveway, sidewalk, roadway, railroad track, rink, runway, or houses...
is regularly in service. Its operation is also a tourist attraction
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
that draws in railway enthusiasts from all over the world.
In connection with the danger of avalanche
Avalanche
An avalanche is a sudden rapid flow of snow down a slope, occurring when either natural triggers or human activity causes a critical escalating transition from the slow equilibrium evolution of the snow pack. Typically occurring in mountainous terrain, an avalanche can mix air and water with the...
s on the Bernina Railway, the Rhaetian Railway has developed an unusual procedure for the removal of these high alpine hazards. In late winter, when the risk of avalanche is greatest, artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
is fired at the points of origin of avalanches, to bring some control to their occurrence.
This article was translated from the German language version as at November 2009. It is now out of date, and needs updating to mention the Allegra units.
Literature
- Gion Caprez, Peter Pfeiffer: Die Goldenen Jahre der Berninabahn. AS Verlag & Buchkonzept AG, Zürich 2000, ISBN 3-905111-48-9.
- Beat Moser, Peter Pfeiffer: Die RhB. Teil 2. Berninabahn und Bellinzona-Mesocco. Eisenbahn Journal. Special. Hermann Merker, Fürstenfeldbruck 1996,4. ISBN 3-922404-95-2, .
- Mit der Rhätischen Bahn von St. Moritz nach Tirano. A photographic description of probably one of the most beautiful alpine railways. Published by BahnGalerie. FotoReise-CD Bernina 2002.
- Christian Tarnuzzer: Die Bernina-Bahn. Illustrated with original photographs by D. Mischol, with a 1:100,000 map of the Bernina Railway. Ebner & Cie, Chur und St. Moritz. [1909]
- Paul Caminada: "Der Bau der Rhätischen Bahn", Orell Füssli Verlag, Zürich, 1980.
- Andrea Tognina: Arbeiter am Bernina. Sozialgeschichte eines Bahnbaus, 1906–1910, Chur, Desertina, 2010; Andrea Tognina: Gli operai del Bernina. Storia sociale di un cantiere ferroviario, Coira, Desertina, 2010).
Film
- "Von Pontresina, Oberengadin, nach Bernina Hospiz", Welt-Kinematograph, Freiburg i. Br., Germany 1909 or 1910.
- "Mit der Berninabahn", Welt-Kinematograph, Freiburg i. Br., Germany 1910.
- "Le Ferrovie del Bernina", Pasquali e C., Turin, Italy 1911.
- "The Bernina Railway (Switzerland)", Urbanora, Great Britain 1912.
- "La Ferrovia del Bernina", Regie: Giovanni Vitrotti, Società Anonima Ambrosio, Turin, Italy 1913.
- "Europe's Winter Playground", Director: Frederick Burlingham, British & Colonial Kinematograph CompanyBritish and Colonial FilmsBritish and Colonial Films was a British company making predominantly silent films, which operated in London between 1908 and 1924. It was also known by the abbreviation B & C....
, Great Britain 1913. - "Dallo Spluga al Bernina", Luca Comerio, Milan, Italy 1914.
- "Eine Fahrt mit der Bernina-Bahn (Schweiz)", Sascha-Filmfabrik, Vienna, Austria 1914.
- The TV program "Die schönsten Bahnstrecken Europas", which was shown on Germany's ARDARD (broadcaster)ARD is a joint organization of Germany's regional public-service broadcasters...
network (see also Das Erste), included a cab ride on the Bernina Railway.
Images
The Bernina Railway is a single trackSingle track (rail)
A single track railway is where trains in both directions share the same track. Single track is normally used on lesser used rail lines, often branch lines, where the traffic density is not high enough to justify the cost of building double tracks....
metre gauge
Metre gauge
Metre gauge refers to narrow gauge railways and tramways with a track gauge of . In some African, American and Asian countries it is the main gauge. In Europe it has been used for local railways in France, Germany, and Belgium, most of which were closed down in mid 20th century. Only in Switzerland...
railway line forming part of the Rhaetian Railway (RhB). It links the spa resort of St. Moritz
St. Moritz
St. Moritz is a resort town in the Engadine valley in Switzerland. It is a municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden...
, in the Canton
Cantons of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...
of Graubünden
Graubünden
Graubünden or Grisons is the largest and easternmost canton of Switzerland. The canton shares borders with the cantons of Ticino, Uri, Glarus and St. Gallen and international borders with Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, with the town of Tirano
Tirano
Tirano is a town in Valtellina, located in the province of Sondrio, Northern Italy. It has about 9,044 inhabitants and is adjacent to the Switzerland-Italy boundary. The river Adda flows through the town....
, in the Province of Sondrio
Province of Sondrio
The Province of Sondrio is in the Lombardy region of Italy. Its capital is the town of Sondrio.It has an area of 3,212 km², and a total population of 176,856...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, via the Bernina Pass
Bernina Pass
The Bernina Pass is a high mountain pass in the Bernina Range of the Alps, in the canton of Graubünden in eastern Switzerland. It connects the famous resort town of St. Moritz in the Engadin valley with the Italian-speaking Val Poschiavo, which ends in the Italian town of Tirano in Valtellina....
. It also ranks as the highest adhesion railway in the Alps, and - with inclines of up to 7% - as one of the steepest adhesion railways in the world.
On 7 July 2008, the Bernina Railway and the Albula Railway
Albula Railway
In 1890, the Davos hotelier Willem-Jan Holsboer proposed the construction of a rail link from Chur via Davos, and through a tunnel under the Scaletta Pass, to St Moritz, and then onwards via the Maloja Pass, to Chiavenna in Italy. Holsboer later had to abandon this planned Scalettabahn, in favour...
, which also forms part of the RhB, were recorded in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, under the name Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina
Bernina Express
The Bernina Express is an express train connecting Chur in Switzerland with Poschiavo and Tirano in Italy, by crossing the Swiss Alps from north to south. For most of its journey, the train also passes along and through the World Heritage Site known as the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina...
Landscapes. The whole site is regarded as a cross border joint Swiss-Italian heritage area.
The most famous trains operating on the Bernina Railway are known as the Bernina Express
Bernina Express
The Bernina Express is an express train connecting Chur in Switzerland with Poschiavo and Tirano in Italy, by crossing the Swiss Alps from north to south. For most of its journey, the train also passes along and through the World Heritage Site known as the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina...
.
History
In the year following the completion of the Albula RailwayAlbula Railway
In 1890, the Davos hotelier Willem-Jan Holsboer proposed the construction of a rail link from Chur via Davos, and through a tunnel under the Scaletta Pass, to St Moritz, and then onwards via the Maloja Pass, to Chiavenna in Italy. Holsboer later had to abandon this planned Scalettabahn, in favour...
in 1904, the Bernina-Bahngesellschaft (BB) was established, with the objective of opening a railway line between St Moritz and Tirano
Tirano
Tirano is a town in Valtellina, located in the province of Sondrio, Northern Italy. It has about 9,044 inhabitants and is adjacent to the Switzerland-Italy boundary. The river Adda flows through the town....
, via the Bernina Pass. After obtaining a concession
Concession (contract)
A concession is a business operated under a contract or license associated with a degree of exclusivity in business within a certain geographical area. For example, sports arenas or public parks may have concession stands. Many department stores contain numerous concessions operated by other...
for such a line in 1906, the BB opened it from 1908 onwards, in several sections: on 1 July 1908 between Pontresina
Pontresina (Rhaetian Railway station)
Pontresina is a station on the Bernina Railway line from St. Moritz to Tirano. It is also the terminus of the Pontresina-Scuol-Tarasp railway line. Hourly services operate on each line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tp*R7 - 1tph...
and Morteratasch
Morteratsch (Rhaetian Railway station)
Morteratsch is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, and between Tirano
Tirano (Rhaetian Railway station)
Tirano is one of two stations in Tirano, Italy. It is the southern terminus of the metre gauge Bernina Railway line from St. Moritz. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph-See also:...
and Poschiavo
Poschiavo (Rhaetian Railway station)
Poschiavo is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
; on 18 August of the same year between Pontresina and Celerina
Celerina (Rhaetian Railway station)
Celerina is a railway station in Celerina, Switzerland. It is located on the Albula Railway line between Chur and St.Moritz. Hourly services operate on this section of the line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*RE1/R11 - 1tph...
; and on 1 July 1909 between Celerina and St Moritz, and between Morteratsch and Bernina Suot
Bernina Suot (Rhaetian Railway station)
Bernina Suot is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
. It was only on 5 July 1910 that the whole line could be opened, upon completion of the most difficult section, between Bernina Suot and Poschiavo. From the beginning, the line was electrically operated with DC current, although in 1935 the voltage was increased from 750 V to 1000 V.
Originally, the Bernina Railway was intended for use only in summer, but in 1913/14 the BB commenced winter operations as well. This development was associated with major weather related problems, necessitating further erection of avalanche barriers.
In the first years of its existence, the BB was always on the verge of bankruptcy. The costs of construction expenditure on the line to 1915 amounted to around 15 million Swiss francs. Even the introduction of a restaurant car
Dining car
A dining car or restaurant carriage , also diner, is a railroad passenger car that serves meals in the manner of a full-service, sit-down restaurant....
in 1928, and packages for tourists, could not save the little railway from ruin. Due to its difficult financial situation, it was taken over by the Rhaetian Railway in the middle of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in 1943.
The RhB modernised the line fundamentally, also for military reasons, and completely renewed the section at the top of the pass. Previously, the line formation on the north ramp of the Bernina Pass had been laid out in curves giving passengers spectacular views, but also lying in the path of avalanche
Avalanche
An avalanche is a sudden rapid flow of snow down a slope, occurring when either natural triggers or human activity causes a critical escalating transition from the slow equilibrium evolution of the snow pack. Typically occurring in mountainous terrain, an avalanche can mix air and water with the...
courses. The new parts of the line cut off those curves, the catenary
Overhead lines
Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains at a distance from the energy supply point...
and the flat bottomed rails of the old formation were removed, but the substructure
Substructure
In mathematical logic, an substructure or subalgebra is a structure whose domain is a subset of that of a bigger structure, and whose functions and relations are the traces of the functions and relations of the bigger structure...
is still visible in the high mountains.
Since the mid 1980s, the Rhaetian Railway has been marketing the natural and technical attractions of the Bernina Railway specifically to tourists. Thus, the section from Pontresina to Tirano forms part of the route of the Bernina Express
Bernina Express
The Bernina Express is an express train connecting Chur in Switzerland with Poschiavo and Tirano in Italy, by crossing the Swiss Alps from north to south. For most of its journey, the train also passes along and through the World Heritage Site known as the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina...
. In October 2011, Google photographed the Bernina Railway for Google Street View
Google Street View
Google Street View is a technology featured in Google Maps and Google Earth that provides panoramic views from various positions along many streets in the world...
.
Description of the railway
St Moritz is the terminus of both the Albula RailwayAlbula Railway
In 1890, the Davos hotelier Willem-Jan Holsboer proposed the construction of a rail link from Chur via Davos, and through a tunnel under the Scaletta Pass, to St Moritz, and then onwards via the Maloja Pass, to Chiavenna in Italy. Holsboer later had to abandon this planned Scalettabahn, in favour...
and the Bernina Railway. As the two railways are powered by different electrification systems
Railway electrification system
A railway electrification system supplies electrical energy to railway locomotives and multiple units as well as trams so that they can operate without having an on-board prime mover. There are several different electrification systems in use throughout the world...
, they meet at the same station, but operate on separate lines from separate platforms. The Bernina Railway leaves St Moritz station in an easterly direction, and crosses the Inn River
Inn River
The Inn is a river in Switzerland, Austria and Germany. It is a right tributary of the Danube and is approximately 500km long. The highest point of its drainage basin is the summit of Piz Bernina, at 4,049 metres.- Geography :...
on a 64 m (210 ft) long viaduct
Viaduct
A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...
. It then passes through the 689 m (2,260.5 ft) long Charnadüra-Tunnel II, the longest tunnel on the entire route. The next station, Celerina Staz
Celerina Staz (Rhaetian Railway station)
Celerina Staz is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, is, at 1716 m (5,629.9 ft) above sea level, the lowest point on the north side of the Bernina Pass
Bernina Pass
The Bernina Pass is a high mountain pass in the Bernina Range of the Alps, in the canton of Graubünden in eastern Switzerland. It connects the famous resort town of St. Moritz in the Engadin valley with the Italian-speaking Val Poschiavo, which ends in the Italian town of Tirano in Valtellina....
. From there until Ospizio Bernina
Ospizio Bernina (Rhaetian Railway station)
Ospizio Bernina is a station on the Bernina Railway line between St. Moritz in Switzerland and Tirano in Italy. Hourly services operate on this line....
, the line will now climb almost continuously. After returning to the banks of the Inn, the line reaches the small station Punt Muragl Staz
Punt Muragl Staz (Rhaetian Railway station)
Punt Muragl Staz is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
. At this point is the valley station of the funicular
Funicular
A funicular, also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope; the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalance each other.-Operation:The basic principle of funicular...
to Muottas Muragl
Muottas Muragl
Muottas Muragl is a minor summit situated near St. Moritz in Switzerland. It is accessible by funicular railway from a train station between Samedan-St. Moritz and Pontresina on the Bernina Express line.-External links:*...
, opened in 1907.
The next station in Pontresina
Pontresina (Rhaetian Railway station)
Pontresina is a station on the Bernina Railway line from St. Moritz to Tirano. It is also the terminus of the Pontresina-Scuol-Tarasp railway line. Hourly services operate on each line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tp*R7 - 1tph...
represents, together with St Moritz station, a curiosity in the network of the RhB: two completely different electrification systems meet here. The 11 kV AC
Alternating current
In alternating current the movement of electric charge periodically reverses direction. In direct current , the flow of electric charge is only in one direction....
powered trains, which enter the station on the line from Samedan
Samedan (Rhaetian Railway station)
Samedan is a railway station in Samedan, Switzerland. It is an important interchange station between the Albula Railway line and the Pontresina-Scuol-Tarasp line. Hourly services operate on each line....
, use tracks 1 to 3, while the 1,000 V DC
Direct current
Direct current is the unidirectional flow of electric charge. Direct current is produced by such sources as batteries, thermocouples, solar cells, and commutator-type electric machines of the dynamo type. Direct current may flow in a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through...
powered Bernina trains use tracks 3 to 7. Track 3 has a catenary that can be switched from alternating current to direct current, and a special signal to display to train crews the type of current being used. By means of track 3, the trains using the core network (from Samedan) and the Bernina line trains can use the same line, despite their differing electrification systems. On track 3 is also the exchange of locomotives for the famous Bernina Express
Bernina Express
The Bernina Express is an express train connecting Chur in Switzerland with Poschiavo and Tirano in Italy, by crossing the Swiss Alps from north to south. For most of its journey, the train also passes along and through the World Heritage Site known as the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina...
, which operates between Chur or Davos Platz
Davos Platz (Rhaetian Railway station)
Davos Platz station is located in the municipality of Davos in the district of Prattigau/Davos in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.It is the terminus of the Landquart-Davos railway line. Northbound, there is an hourly service towards Landquart. Southbound, there is an hourly service to Filisur. The...
and Tirano
Tirano (Rhaetian Railway station)
Tirano is one of two stations in Tirano, Italy. It is the southern terminus of the metre gauge Bernina Railway line from St. Moritz. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph-See also:...
.
The line now turns to the south east. After crossing the Rosegbach, passing through the Surovas
Surovas (Rhaetian Railway station)
Surovas is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
station (which was previously called "Sans Souci" (Carefree)), and crossing the Berninabach, it finally reaches Morteratsch
Morteratsch (Rhaetian Railway station)
Morteratsch is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
station, about 2 km (1.2 mi) below the Morteratsch Glacier
Morteratsch Glacier
The Morteratsch Glacier is the largest glacier by area in the Bernina Range of the Bündner Alps in Switzerland....
. Past the other end of the station is the world famous Montebello Curve, where the line meets the road over the pass. The line and the road will now accompany each other as far as Ospizio Bernina. At the recently modernised Bernina Suot
Bernina Suot (Rhaetian Railway station)
Bernina Suot is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
passing loop, the tree line has already been reached. The next stations are Diavolezza
Bernina Diavolezza (Rhaetian Railway station)
Bernina Diavolezza is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line. It is located at the foot of the Diavolezza mountain, as well as the Diavolezza and Lagalb ski regions. In the summer trailhead for hiking are located nearby....
and Bernina Lagalb
Bernina Lagalb (Rhaetian Railway station)
Bernina Lagalb is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
; both are departure points of cableways.
The next section is probably the most interesting on the north side of the pass. Here, the route is very winding, and moves from one side of the valley to the other. First, the Berninabach is crossed, using the 37 m (121.4 ft) long Lower Berninabach Bridge, and then the line crosses the Arlasbach, a tributory of the Berninabach. On the Upper Berninabach Bridge, the line moves back to the eastern side of the valley. Southwest of here, the Piz Bernina
Piz Bernina
Piz Bernina is the highest mountain of the Eastern Alps and the highest point of the Bernina Range the highest peak in south Rhetic Alps. It is also the farthest easterly mountain higher than 4,000 m in the Alps, the highest point of the Swiss canton of Graubünden, and the fifth-most prominent...
and the Piz Palü
Piz Palü
Piz Palü is a mountain in the Bernina Range in Switzerland and Italy. There are three summits on its main ridge, which runs from east to west...
rise majestically. Next follows the 175 m (574.1 ft) long Arlas Gallery, which provides protection against snow drifts. On the southwestern side are the small lakes known as Lej Pitschen and Lej Nair. Directly behind them towers the 15 m (49.2 ft) high and 283 m (928.5 ft) long Lago Bianco
Lago Bianco
Lago Bianco is a lake at the Bernina pass in the Grisons, Switzerland. Its surface area is 1.50 km². The current reservoir was formed by the two dams Scala and Arlas on the site of two natural lakes ....
dam, which also marks the watershed
European Watershed
The European Watershed is the line which divides the drainage basins of the major rivers of Germany: the Rhine, which originates in the Swiss Alps and empties into the North Sea via the Netherlands, and the Danube, which originates in the Black Forest and flows eastward emptying into the Black...
between the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
and the Po.
The railway now runs along the eastern bank of the lake, and, near Ospizio Bernina
Ospizio Bernina (Rhaetian Railway station)
Ospizio Bernina is a station on the Bernina Railway line between St. Moritz in Switzerland and Tirano in Italy. Hourly services operate on this line....
, reaches its highest point, at 2253 m (7,391.7 ft) above sea level. The Bernina Railway is thereby (mountainside railways excluded) the highest railway line in the Alps, operating as a public railway with year round traffic. As the section from here to Poschiavo
Poschiavo (Rhaetian Railway station)
Poschiavo is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
is particularly badly affected by drifting snow, countless engineering structures have been erected from the southern dam wall onwards: the 140 m (459.3 ft) long Scala Gallery, the 192 m (629.9 ft) long Scala Tunnel, the Sassal Mason Gallery, even longer at 348 m (1,141.7 ft), and the 54 m (177.2 ft) long Drago Tunnel.
After the Grüm Gallery, the attractive Alp Grüm
Alp Grüm (Rhaetian Railway station)
Alp Grüm railway station is situated on the Bernina Railway, between Pontresina, in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland, and Tirano, in the Province of Sondrio, Italy....
station is reached. It not only is located at the tree line, but also marks the last station before the Italian linguistic border. From here onwards, the line clambers, with a gradient of up to 7%, and via multiple s-bends, downwards into the Poschiavo
Poschiavo
Poschiavo is a municipality in the district of Bernina in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland.-History:Poschiavo is first mentioned in 824 as in Postclave though this comes from a later copy of the original document.. In 1140 it was mentioned as de Pusclauio. It was formerly known by the...
valley. That this occurs without the assistance of a rack railway
Rack railway
A rack-and-pinion railway is a railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with this rack rail...
system makes the Bernina Railway one of the steepest adhesion railways in the world.
Immediately behind the Alp Grüm station, the line winds in a tight 180° bend, and passes below Alp Grüm through the Upper Palü Gallery. In a further 180° bend, it heads through the Palü Tunnel and subsequently through the Lower Palü Gallery. A further four half circle loops follow, until the line reaches the Cavaglia
Cavaglia (Rhaetian Railway station)
Cavaglia is a station on the Bernina Railway line, in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
station. Since about 2000, there has also been a new automatic passing loop, Stablini, between Alp Grüm and Cavaglia. It bisects a portion of the line that was previously prone to traffic delays. In zigzag fashion, the line continues from Cavaglia further down into the valley via Cadera
Cadera (Rhaetian Railway station)
Cadera is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
to Privilasco
Privilasco (Rhaetian Railway station)
Privilasco is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
. From there, the line leaves the tight bends behind, and, still at its maximum gradient, reaches the Poschiavo Valley. In Poschiavo
Poschiavo (Rhaetian Railway station)
Poschiavo is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
it finally meets up once again with the Bernina Pass road.
At the request of the Poschiavo community, the station at Poschiavo was built just outside the village boundaries. It has a railway depot and workshop, in which a few historic railcars of the Bernina Railway are also stored. The remaining section of line of approximately 17 km (10.6 mi) to Tirano are laid partially still as a mountain railway, but also partially in the manner of a tramway system. After the stopping point Li Curt
Li Curt (Rhaetian Railway station)
Li Curt is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, erected only in 1977, the line reaches the village of Le Prese
Le Prese (Rhaetian Railway station)
Le Prese is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, the stopping point of which is located in the middle of the street. Between Le Prese and Miralago
Miralago (Rhaetian Railway station)
Miralago is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph-External links:* *...
the line passes along the banks of the Poschiavo Lake, thus remaining at the lake's altitude of 965 m (3,166 ft) above sea level.
Below Brusio
Brusio (Rhaetian Railway station)
Brusio is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, the railway has, as its last highlight, the Brusio spiral viaduct
Brusio spiral viaduct
The Brusio spiral viaduct is a single track nine-arched stone spiral railway viaduct.A signature structure of the World Heritage-listed Bernina Railway, it is located in Brusio, in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland, and serves only to adjust the railway's altitude.-Location:The Brusio spiral...
, which serves only to adjust the altitude of the line. The spiral viaduct is followed by the stopping point for the village of Campascio
Campascio (Rhaetian Railway station)
Campascio is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, which still belongs to Brusio. Beyond the border station of Campocologno
Campocologno (Rhaetian Railway station)
Campocologno is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, which is unusually large due to its customs facilities, the line finally reaches Italy, and, after crossing the main square of Tirano, its terminal station. Here, the Bernina Railway meets the standard gauge station
Tirano railway station (RFI)
Tirano railway station is one of two railway stations within the town and comune of Tirano, in the region of Lombardy, northern Italy. Opened in 1902, it is the terminus of the standard gauge Alta Valtellina railway from Sondrio....
and line of the Italian state rail infrastructure company Rete Ferroviaria Italiana
Rete Ferroviaria Italiana
Rete Ferroviaria Italiana is an Italian company fully owned by Ferrovie dello Stato . RFI is the owner of Italy's railway network, it sets train paths, provides signalling, provides maintenance and other services for the railway network...
(RFI), which links Tirano through Valtellina
Valtellina
Valtellina or the Valtelline valley ; is a valley in the Lombardy region of northern Italy, bordering Switzerland. Today it is known for its skiing, its hot spring spas, its cheeses and its wines...
to Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
.
Rolling stock and traffic
Today, the following classes of railcar and locomotive are used in scheduled commercial services on the Bernina Railway: four ABe 4/4IRhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 I
The Rhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 I is a class of metre gauge railcars of the Rhaetian Railway , which is the main railway network in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland....
, nine ABe 4/4II
Rhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 II
The Rhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 II is a class of metre gauge railcars of the Rhaetian Railway , which is the main railway network in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland....
, six ABe 4/4III
Rhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 III
The Rhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 III is a class of metre gauge electric multiple unit railcars of the Rhaetian Railway , which is the main railway network in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland....
und two Gem 4/4
Rhaetian Railway Gem 4/4
The Rhaetian Railway Gem 4/4 is a two member class of metre gauge Bo'Bo' electro-diesel locomotives operated since 1968 by the Rhaetian Railway , which is the main railway network in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland....
.
This fleet, consisting predominantly of railcar
Railcar
A railcar, in British English and Australian English, is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coach , with a driver's cab at one or both ends. Some railways, e.g., the Great Western...
s, also carries freight traffic. Some freight cars are added to passenger trains until the maximum towing capacity of such trains of 140 tonnes is reached. For reasons of safety, due to the presence of dangerous goods, other freight cars are operated in pure freight trains. Despite being set up originally only for tourist traffic, the Bernina Railway now also assists trade
Trade
Trade is the transfer of ownership of goods and services from one person or entity to another. Trade is sometimes loosely called commerce or financial transaction or barter. A network that allows trade is called a market. The original form of trade was barter, the direct exchange of goods and...
with Italy by carrying not inconsiderable quantities of freight, consisting mostly of heating oil
Heating oil
Heating oil, or oil heat, is a low viscosity, flammable liquid petroleum product used as a fuel for furnaces or boilers in buildings. Home heating oil is often abbreviated as HHO...
, fuel
Fuel
Fuel is any material that stores energy that can later be extracted to perform mechanical work in a controlled manner. Most fuels used by humans undergo combustion, a redox reaction in which a combustible substance releases energy after it ignites and reacts with the oxygen in the air...
s and timber. Additionally, the regional shopping businesses of the Poschiavo valley are served partly by rail.
The timetable is tightly designed, with year round services of one passenger train per hour in each direction. The flagship services are the now fully panorama car equipped Bernina Express
Bernina Express
The Bernina Express is an express train connecting Chur in Switzerland with Poschiavo and Tirano in Italy, by crossing the Swiss Alps from north to south. For most of its journey, the train also passes along and through the World Heritage Site known as the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina...
and the Trenino Rosso travelling in the opposite direction.
In winter, a steam snow blower
Snow blower
A snow blower or snow thrower is a machine for removing snow from an area where it is not wanted, such as a driveway, sidewalk, roadway, railroad track, rink, runway, or houses...
is regularly in service. Its operation is also a tourist attraction
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
that draws in railway enthusiasts from all over the world.
In connection with the danger of avalanche
Avalanche
An avalanche is a sudden rapid flow of snow down a slope, occurring when either natural triggers or human activity causes a critical escalating transition from the slow equilibrium evolution of the snow pack. Typically occurring in mountainous terrain, an avalanche can mix air and water with the...
s on the Bernina Railway, the Rhaetian Railway has developed an unusual procedure for the removal of these high alpine hazards. In late winter, when the risk of avalanche is greatest, artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
is fired at the points of origin of avalanches, to bring some control to their occurrence.
This article was translated from the German language version as at November 2009. It is now out of date, and needs updating to mention the Allegra units.
Literature
- Gion Caprez, Peter Pfeiffer: Die Goldenen Jahre der Berninabahn. AS Verlag & Buchkonzept AG, Zürich 2000, ISBN 3-905111-48-9.
- Beat Moser, Peter Pfeiffer: Die RhB. Teil 2. Berninabahn und Bellinzona-Mesocco. Eisenbahn Journal. Special. Hermann Merker, Fürstenfeldbruck 1996,4. ISBN 3-922404-95-2, .
- Mit der Rhätischen Bahn von St. Moritz nach Tirano. A photographic description of probably one of the most beautiful alpine railways. Published by BahnGalerie. FotoReise-CD Bernina 2002.
- Christian Tarnuzzer: Die Bernina-Bahn. Illustrated with original photographs by D. Mischol, with a 1:100,000 map of the Bernina Railway. Ebner & Cie, Chur und St. Moritz. [1909]
- Paul Caminada: "Der Bau der Rhätischen Bahn", Orell Füssli Verlag, Zürich, 1980.
- Andrea Tognina: Arbeiter am Bernina. Sozialgeschichte eines Bahnbaus, 1906–1910, Chur, Desertina, 2010; Andrea Tognina: Gli operai del Bernina. Storia sociale di un cantiere ferroviario, Coira, Desertina, 2010).
Film
- "Von Pontresina, Oberengadin, nach Bernina Hospiz", Welt-Kinematograph, Freiburg i. Br., Germany 1909 or 1910.
- "Mit der Berninabahn", Welt-Kinematograph, Freiburg i. Br., Germany 1910.
- "Le Ferrovie del Bernina", Pasquali e C., Turin, Italy 1911.
- "The Bernina Railway (Switzerland)", Urbanora, Great Britain 1912.
- "La Ferrovia del Bernina", Regie: Giovanni Vitrotti, Società Anonima Ambrosio, Turin, Italy 1913.
- "Europe's Winter Playground", Director: Frederick Burlingham, British & Colonial Kinematograph CompanyBritish and Colonial FilmsBritish and Colonial Films was a British company making predominantly silent films, which operated in London between 1908 and 1924. It was also known by the abbreviation B & C....
, Great Britain 1913. - "Dallo Spluga al Bernina", Luca Comerio, Milan, Italy 1914.
- "Eine Fahrt mit der Bernina-Bahn (Schweiz)", Sascha-Filmfabrik, Vienna, Austria 1914.
- The TV program "Die schönsten Bahnstrecken Europas", which was shown on Germany's ARDARD (broadcaster)ARD is a joint organization of Germany's regional public-service broadcasters...
network (see also Das Erste), included a cab ride on the Bernina Railway.
Images
The Bernina Railway is a single trackSingle track (rail)
A single track railway is where trains in both directions share the same track. Single track is normally used on lesser used rail lines, often branch lines, where the traffic density is not high enough to justify the cost of building double tracks....
metre gauge
Metre gauge
Metre gauge refers to narrow gauge railways and tramways with a track gauge of . In some African, American and Asian countries it is the main gauge. In Europe it has been used for local railways in France, Germany, and Belgium, most of which were closed down in mid 20th century. Only in Switzerland...
railway line forming part of the Rhaetian Railway (RhB). It links the spa resort of St. Moritz
St. Moritz
St. Moritz is a resort town in the Engadine valley in Switzerland. It is a municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden...
, in the Canton
Cantons of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...
of Graubünden
Graubünden
Graubünden or Grisons is the largest and easternmost canton of Switzerland. The canton shares borders with the cantons of Ticino, Uri, Glarus and St. Gallen and international borders with Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, with the town of Tirano
Tirano
Tirano is a town in Valtellina, located in the province of Sondrio, Northern Italy. It has about 9,044 inhabitants and is adjacent to the Switzerland-Italy boundary. The river Adda flows through the town....
, in the Province of Sondrio
Province of Sondrio
The Province of Sondrio is in the Lombardy region of Italy. Its capital is the town of Sondrio.It has an area of 3,212 km², and a total population of 176,856...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, via the Bernina Pass
Bernina Pass
The Bernina Pass is a high mountain pass in the Bernina Range of the Alps, in the canton of Graubünden in eastern Switzerland. It connects the famous resort town of St. Moritz in the Engadin valley with the Italian-speaking Val Poschiavo, which ends in the Italian town of Tirano in Valtellina....
. It also ranks as the highest adhesion railway in the Alps, and - with inclines of up to 7% - as one of the steepest adhesion railways in the world.
On 7 July 2008, the Bernina Railway and the Albula Railway
Albula Railway
In 1890, the Davos hotelier Willem-Jan Holsboer proposed the construction of a rail link from Chur via Davos, and through a tunnel under the Scaletta Pass, to St Moritz, and then onwards via the Maloja Pass, to Chiavenna in Italy. Holsboer later had to abandon this planned Scalettabahn, in favour...
, which also forms part of the RhB, were recorded in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, under the name Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina
Bernina Express
The Bernina Express is an express train connecting Chur in Switzerland with Poschiavo and Tirano in Italy, by crossing the Swiss Alps from north to south. For most of its journey, the train also passes along and through the World Heritage Site known as the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina...
Landscapes. The whole site is regarded as a cross border joint Swiss-Italian heritage area.
The most famous trains operating on the Bernina Railway are known as the Bernina Express
Bernina Express
The Bernina Express is an express train connecting Chur in Switzerland with Poschiavo and Tirano in Italy, by crossing the Swiss Alps from north to south. For most of its journey, the train also passes along and through the World Heritage Site known as the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina...
.
History
In the year following the completion of the Albula RailwayAlbula Railway
In 1890, the Davos hotelier Willem-Jan Holsboer proposed the construction of a rail link from Chur via Davos, and through a tunnel under the Scaletta Pass, to St Moritz, and then onwards via the Maloja Pass, to Chiavenna in Italy. Holsboer later had to abandon this planned Scalettabahn, in favour...
in 1904, the Bernina-Bahngesellschaft (BB) was established, with the objective of opening a railway line between St Moritz and Tirano
Tirano
Tirano is a town in Valtellina, located in the province of Sondrio, Northern Italy. It has about 9,044 inhabitants and is adjacent to the Switzerland-Italy boundary. The river Adda flows through the town....
, via the Bernina Pass. After obtaining a concession
Concession (contract)
A concession is a business operated under a contract or license associated with a degree of exclusivity in business within a certain geographical area. For example, sports arenas or public parks may have concession stands. Many department stores contain numerous concessions operated by other...
for such a line in 1906, the BB opened it from 1908 onwards, in several sections: on 1 July 1908 between Pontresina
Pontresina (Rhaetian Railway station)
Pontresina is a station on the Bernina Railway line from St. Moritz to Tirano. It is also the terminus of the Pontresina-Scuol-Tarasp railway line. Hourly services operate on each line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tp*R7 - 1tph...
and Morteratasch
Morteratsch (Rhaetian Railway station)
Morteratsch is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, and between Tirano
Tirano (Rhaetian Railway station)
Tirano is one of two stations in Tirano, Italy. It is the southern terminus of the metre gauge Bernina Railway line from St. Moritz. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph-See also:...
and Poschiavo
Poschiavo (Rhaetian Railway station)
Poschiavo is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
; on 18 August of the same year between Pontresina and Celerina
Celerina (Rhaetian Railway station)
Celerina is a railway station in Celerina, Switzerland. It is located on the Albula Railway line between Chur and St.Moritz. Hourly services operate on this section of the line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*RE1/R11 - 1tph...
; and on 1 July 1909 between Celerina and St Moritz, and between Morteratsch and Bernina Suot
Bernina Suot (Rhaetian Railway station)
Bernina Suot is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
. It was only on 5 July 1910 that the whole line could be opened, upon completion of the most difficult section, between Bernina Suot and Poschiavo. From the beginning, the line was electrically operated with DC current, although in 1935 the voltage was increased from 750 V to 1000 V.
Originally, the Bernina Railway was intended for use only in summer, but in 1913/14 the BB commenced winter operations as well. This development was associated with major weather related problems, necessitating further erection of avalanche barriers.
In the first years of its existence, the BB was always on the verge of bankruptcy. The costs of construction expenditure on the line to 1915 amounted to around 15 million Swiss francs. Even the introduction of a restaurant car
Dining car
A dining car or restaurant carriage , also diner, is a railroad passenger car that serves meals in the manner of a full-service, sit-down restaurant....
in 1928, and packages for tourists, could not save the little railway from ruin. Due to its difficult financial situation, it was taken over by the Rhaetian Railway in the middle of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in 1943.
The RhB modernised the line fundamentally, also for military reasons, and completely renewed the section at the top of the pass. Previously, the line formation on the north ramp of the Bernina Pass had been laid out in curves giving passengers spectacular views, but also lying in the path of avalanche
Avalanche
An avalanche is a sudden rapid flow of snow down a slope, occurring when either natural triggers or human activity causes a critical escalating transition from the slow equilibrium evolution of the snow pack. Typically occurring in mountainous terrain, an avalanche can mix air and water with the...
courses. The new parts of the line cut off those curves, the catenary
Overhead lines
Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains at a distance from the energy supply point...
and the flat bottomed rails of the old formation were removed, but the substructure
Substructure
In mathematical logic, an substructure or subalgebra is a structure whose domain is a subset of that of a bigger structure, and whose functions and relations are the traces of the functions and relations of the bigger structure...
is still visible in the high mountains.
Since the mid 1980s, the Rhaetian Railway has been marketing the natural and technical attractions of the Bernina Railway specifically to tourists. Thus, the section from Pontresina to Tirano forms part of the route of the Bernina Express
Bernina Express
The Bernina Express is an express train connecting Chur in Switzerland with Poschiavo and Tirano in Italy, by crossing the Swiss Alps from north to south. For most of its journey, the train also passes along and through the World Heritage Site known as the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina...
. In October 2011, Google photographed the Bernina Railway for Google Street View
Google Street View
Google Street View is a technology featured in Google Maps and Google Earth that provides panoramic views from various positions along many streets in the world...
.
Description of the railway
St Moritz is the terminus of both the Albula RailwayAlbula Railway
In 1890, the Davos hotelier Willem-Jan Holsboer proposed the construction of a rail link from Chur via Davos, and through a tunnel under the Scaletta Pass, to St Moritz, and then onwards via the Maloja Pass, to Chiavenna in Italy. Holsboer later had to abandon this planned Scalettabahn, in favour...
and the Bernina Railway. As the two railways are powered by different electrification systems
Railway electrification system
A railway electrification system supplies electrical energy to railway locomotives and multiple units as well as trams so that they can operate without having an on-board prime mover. There are several different electrification systems in use throughout the world...
, they meet at the same station, but operate on separate lines from separate platforms. The Bernina Railway leaves St Moritz station in an easterly direction, and crosses the Inn River
Inn River
The Inn is a river in Switzerland, Austria and Germany. It is a right tributary of the Danube and is approximately 500km long. The highest point of its drainage basin is the summit of Piz Bernina, at 4,049 metres.- Geography :...
on a 64 m (210 ft) long viaduct
Viaduct
A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...
. It then passes through the 689 m (2,260.5 ft) long Charnadüra-Tunnel II, the longest tunnel on the entire route. The next station, Celerina Staz
Celerina Staz (Rhaetian Railway station)
Celerina Staz is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, is, at 1716 m (5,629.9 ft) above sea level, the lowest point on the north side of the Bernina Pass
Bernina Pass
The Bernina Pass is a high mountain pass in the Bernina Range of the Alps, in the canton of Graubünden in eastern Switzerland. It connects the famous resort town of St. Moritz in the Engadin valley with the Italian-speaking Val Poschiavo, which ends in the Italian town of Tirano in Valtellina....
. From there until Ospizio Bernina
Ospizio Bernina (Rhaetian Railway station)
Ospizio Bernina is a station on the Bernina Railway line between St. Moritz in Switzerland and Tirano in Italy. Hourly services operate on this line....
, the line will now climb almost continuously. After returning to the banks of the Inn, the line reaches the small station Punt Muragl Staz
Punt Muragl Staz (Rhaetian Railway station)
Punt Muragl Staz is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
. At this point is the valley station of the funicular
Funicular
A funicular, also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope; the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalance each other.-Operation:The basic principle of funicular...
to Muottas Muragl
Muottas Muragl
Muottas Muragl is a minor summit situated near St. Moritz in Switzerland. It is accessible by funicular railway from a train station between Samedan-St. Moritz and Pontresina on the Bernina Express line.-External links:*...
, opened in 1907.
The next station in Pontresina
Pontresina (Rhaetian Railway station)
Pontresina is a station on the Bernina Railway line from St. Moritz to Tirano. It is also the terminus of the Pontresina-Scuol-Tarasp railway line. Hourly services operate on each line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tp*R7 - 1tph...
represents, together with St Moritz station, a curiosity in the network of the RhB: two completely different electrification systems meet here. The 11 kV AC
Alternating current
In alternating current the movement of electric charge periodically reverses direction. In direct current , the flow of electric charge is only in one direction....
powered trains, which enter the station on the line from Samedan
Samedan (Rhaetian Railway station)
Samedan is a railway station in Samedan, Switzerland. It is an important interchange station between the Albula Railway line and the Pontresina-Scuol-Tarasp line. Hourly services operate on each line....
, use tracks 1 to 3, while the 1,000 V DC
Direct current
Direct current is the unidirectional flow of electric charge. Direct current is produced by such sources as batteries, thermocouples, solar cells, and commutator-type electric machines of the dynamo type. Direct current may flow in a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through...
powered Bernina trains use tracks 3 to 7. Track 3 has a catenary that can be switched from alternating current to direct current, and a special signal to display to train crews the type of current being used. By means of track 3, the trains using the core network (from Samedan) and the Bernina line trains can use the same line, despite their differing electrification systems. On track 3 is also the exchange of locomotives for the famous Bernina Express
Bernina Express
The Bernina Express is an express train connecting Chur in Switzerland with Poschiavo and Tirano in Italy, by crossing the Swiss Alps from north to south. For most of its journey, the train also passes along and through the World Heritage Site known as the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina...
, which operates between Chur or Davos Platz
Davos Platz (Rhaetian Railway station)
Davos Platz station is located in the municipality of Davos in the district of Prattigau/Davos in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.It is the terminus of the Landquart-Davos railway line. Northbound, there is an hourly service towards Landquart. Southbound, there is an hourly service to Filisur. The...
and Tirano
Tirano (Rhaetian Railway station)
Tirano is one of two stations in Tirano, Italy. It is the southern terminus of the metre gauge Bernina Railway line from St. Moritz. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph-See also:...
.
The line now turns to the south east. After crossing the Rosegbach, passing through the Surovas
Surovas (Rhaetian Railway station)
Surovas is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
station (which was previously called "Sans Souci" (Carefree)), and crossing the Berninabach, it finally reaches Morteratsch
Morteratsch (Rhaetian Railway station)
Morteratsch is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
station, about 2 km (1.2 mi) below the Morteratsch Glacier
Morteratsch Glacier
The Morteratsch Glacier is the largest glacier by area in the Bernina Range of the Bündner Alps in Switzerland....
. Past the other end of the station is the world famous Montebello Curve, where the line meets the road over the pass. The line and the road will now accompany each other as far as Ospizio Bernina. At the recently modernised Bernina Suot
Bernina Suot (Rhaetian Railway station)
Bernina Suot is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
passing loop, the tree line has already been reached. The next stations are Diavolezza
Bernina Diavolezza (Rhaetian Railway station)
Bernina Diavolezza is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line. It is located at the foot of the Diavolezza mountain, as well as the Diavolezza and Lagalb ski regions. In the summer trailhead for hiking are located nearby....
and Bernina Lagalb
Bernina Lagalb (Rhaetian Railway station)
Bernina Lagalb is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
; both are departure points of cableways.
The next section is probably the most interesting on the north side of the pass. Here, the route is very winding, and moves from one side of the valley to the other. First, the Berninabach is crossed, using the 37 m (121.4 ft) long Lower Berninabach Bridge, and then the line crosses the Arlasbach, a tributory of the Berninabach. On the Upper Berninabach Bridge, the line moves back to the eastern side of the valley. Southwest of here, the Piz Bernina
Piz Bernina
Piz Bernina is the highest mountain of the Eastern Alps and the highest point of the Bernina Range the highest peak in south Rhetic Alps. It is also the farthest easterly mountain higher than 4,000 m in the Alps, the highest point of the Swiss canton of Graubünden, and the fifth-most prominent...
and the Piz Palü
Piz Palü
Piz Palü is a mountain in the Bernina Range in Switzerland and Italy. There are three summits on its main ridge, which runs from east to west...
rise majestically. Next follows the 175 m (574.1 ft) long Arlas Gallery, which provides protection against snow drifts. On the southwestern side are the small lakes known as Lej Pitschen and Lej Nair. Directly behind them towers the 15 m (49.2 ft) high and 283 m (928.5 ft) long Lago Bianco
Lago Bianco
Lago Bianco is a lake at the Bernina pass in the Grisons, Switzerland. Its surface area is 1.50 km². The current reservoir was formed by the two dams Scala and Arlas on the site of two natural lakes ....
dam, which also marks the watershed
European Watershed
The European Watershed is the line which divides the drainage basins of the major rivers of Germany: the Rhine, which originates in the Swiss Alps and empties into the North Sea via the Netherlands, and the Danube, which originates in the Black Forest and flows eastward emptying into the Black...
between the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
and the Po.
The railway now runs along the eastern bank of the lake, and, near Ospizio Bernina
Ospizio Bernina (Rhaetian Railway station)
Ospizio Bernina is a station on the Bernina Railway line between St. Moritz in Switzerland and Tirano in Italy. Hourly services operate on this line....
, reaches its highest point, at 2253 m (7,391.7 ft) above sea level. The Bernina Railway is thereby (mountainside railways excluded) the highest railway line in the Alps, operating as a public railway with year round traffic. As the section from here to Poschiavo
Poschiavo (Rhaetian Railway station)
Poschiavo is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
is particularly badly affected by drifting snow, countless engineering structures have been erected from the southern dam wall onwards: the 140 m (459.3 ft) long Scala Gallery, the 192 m (629.9 ft) long Scala Tunnel, the Sassal Mason Gallery, even longer at 348 m (1,141.7 ft), and the 54 m (177.2 ft) long Drago Tunnel.
After the Grüm Gallery, the attractive Alp Grüm
Alp Grüm (Rhaetian Railway station)
Alp Grüm railway station is situated on the Bernina Railway, between Pontresina, in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland, and Tirano, in the Province of Sondrio, Italy....
station is reached. It not only is located at the tree line, but also marks the last station before the Italian linguistic border. From here onwards, the line clambers, with a gradient of up to 7%, and via multiple s-bends, downwards into the Poschiavo
Poschiavo
Poschiavo is a municipality in the district of Bernina in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland.-History:Poschiavo is first mentioned in 824 as in Postclave though this comes from a later copy of the original document.. In 1140 it was mentioned as de Pusclauio. It was formerly known by the...
valley. That this occurs without the assistance of a rack railway
Rack railway
A rack-and-pinion railway is a railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with this rack rail...
system makes the Bernina Railway one of the steepest adhesion railways in the world.
Immediately behind the Alp Grüm station, the line winds in a tight 180° bend, and passes below Alp Grüm through the Upper Palü Gallery. In a further 180° bend, it heads through the Palü Tunnel and subsequently through the Lower Palü Gallery. A further four half circle loops follow, until the line reaches the Cavaglia
Cavaglia (Rhaetian Railway station)
Cavaglia is a station on the Bernina Railway line, in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
station. Since about 2000, there has also been a new automatic passing loop, Stablini, between Alp Grüm and Cavaglia. It bisects a portion of the line that was previously prone to traffic delays. In zigzag fashion, the line continues from Cavaglia further down into the valley via Cadera
Cadera (Rhaetian Railway station)
Cadera is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
to Privilasco
Privilasco (Rhaetian Railway station)
Privilasco is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
. From there, the line leaves the tight bends behind, and, still at its maximum gradient, reaches the Poschiavo Valley. In Poschiavo
Poschiavo (Rhaetian Railway station)
Poschiavo is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
it finally meets up once again with the Bernina Pass road.
At the request of the Poschiavo community, the station at Poschiavo was built just outside the village boundaries. It has a railway depot and workshop, in which a few historic railcars of the Bernina Railway are also stored. The remaining section of line of approximately 17 km (10.6 mi) to Tirano are laid partially still as a mountain railway, but also partially in the manner of a tramway system. After the stopping point Li Curt
Li Curt (Rhaetian Railway station)
Li Curt is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, erected only in 1977, the line reaches the village of Le Prese
Le Prese (Rhaetian Railway station)
Le Prese is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, the stopping point of which is located in the middle of the street. Between Le Prese and Miralago
Miralago (Rhaetian Railway station)
Miralago is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph-External links:* *...
the line passes along the banks of the Poschiavo Lake, thus remaining at the lake's altitude of 965 m (3,166 ft) above sea level.
Below Brusio
Brusio (Rhaetian Railway station)
Brusio is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, the railway has, as its last highlight, the Brusio spiral viaduct
Brusio spiral viaduct
The Brusio spiral viaduct is a single track nine-arched stone spiral railway viaduct.A signature structure of the World Heritage-listed Bernina Railway, it is located in Brusio, in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland, and serves only to adjust the railway's altitude.-Location:The Brusio spiral...
, which serves only to adjust the altitude of the line. The spiral viaduct is followed by the stopping point for the village of Campascio
Campascio (Rhaetian Railway station)
Campascio is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, which still belongs to Brusio. Beyond the border station of Campocologno
Campocologno (Rhaetian Railway station)
Campocologno is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, which is unusually large due to its customs facilities, the line finally reaches Italy, and, after crossing the main square of Tirano, its terminal station. Here, the Bernina Railway meets the standard gauge station
Tirano railway station (RFI)
Tirano railway station is one of two railway stations within the town and comune of Tirano, in the region of Lombardy, northern Italy. Opened in 1902, it is the terminus of the standard gauge Alta Valtellina railway from Sondrio....
and line of the Italian state rail infrastructure company Rete Ferroviaria Italiana
Rete Ferroviaria Italiana
Rete Ferroviaria Italiana is an Italian company fully owned by Ferrovie dello Stato . RFI is the owner of Italy's railway network, it sets train paths, provides signalling, provides maintenance and other services for the railway network...
(RFI), which links Tirano through Valtellina
Valtellina
Valtellina or the Valtelline valley ; is a valley in the Lombardy region of northern Italy, bordering Switzerland. Today it is known for its skiing, its hot spring spas, its cheeses and its wines...
to Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
.
Rolling stock and traffic
Today, the following classes of railcar and locomotive are used in scheduled commercial services on the Bernina Railway: four ABe 4/4IRhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 I
The Rhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 I is a class of metre gauge railcars of the Rhaetian Railway , which is the main railway network in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland....
, nine ABe 4/4II
Rhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 II
The Rhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 II is a class of metre gauge railcars of the Rhaetian Railway , which is the main railway network in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland....
, six ABe 4/4III
Rhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 III
The Rhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 III is a class of metre gauge electric multiple unit railcars of the Rhaetian Railway , which is the main railway network in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland....
und two Gem 4/4
Rhaetian Railway Gem 4/4
The Rhaetian Railway Gem 4/4 is a two member class of metre gauge Bo'Bo' electro-diesel locomotives operated since 1968 by the Rhaetian Railway , which is the main railway network in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland....
.
This fleet, consisting predominantly of railcar
Railcar
A railcar, in British English and Australian English, is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coach , with a driver's cab at one or both ends. Some railways, e.g., the Great Western...
s, also carries freight traffic. Some freight cars are added to passenger trains until the maximum towing capacity of such trains of 140 tonnes is reached. For reasons of safety, due to the presence of dangerous goods, other freight cars are operated in pure freight trains. Despite being set up originally only for tourist traffic, the Bernina Railway now also assists trade
Trade
Trade is the transfer of ownership of goods and services from one person or entity to another. Trade is sometimes loosely called commerce or financial transaction or barter. A network that allows trade is called a market. The original form of trade was barter, the direct exchange of goods and...
with Italy by carrying not inconsiderable quantities of freight, consisting mostly of heating oil
Heating oil
Heating oil, or oil heat, is a low viscosity, flammable liquid petroleum product used as a fuel for furnaces or boilers in buildings. Home heating oil is often abbreviated as HHO...
, fuel
Fuel
Fuel is any material that stores energy that can later be extracted to perform mechanical work in a controlled manner. Most fuels used by humans undergo combustion, a redox reaction in which a combustible substance releases energy after it ignites and reacts with the oxygen in the air...
s and timber. Additionally, the regional shopping businesses of the Poschiavo valley are served partly by rail.
The timetable is tightly designed, with year round services of one passenger train per hour in each direction. The flagship services are the now fully panorama car equipped Bernina Express
Bernina Express
The Bernina Express is an express train connecting Chur in Switzerland with Poschiavo and Tirano in Italy, by crossing the Swiss Alps from north to south. For most of its journey, the train also passes along and through the World Heritage Site known as the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina...
and the Trenino Rosso travelling in the opposite direction.
In winter, a steam snow blower
Snow blower
A snow blower or snow thrower is a machine for removing snow from an area where it is not wanted, such as a driveway, sidewalk, roadway, railroad track, rink, runway, or houses...
is regularly in service. Its operation is also a tourist attraction
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
that draws in railway enthusiasts from all over the world.
In connection with the danger of avalanche
Avalanche
An avalanche is a sudden rapid flow of snow down a slope, occurring when either natural triggers or human activity causes a critical escalating transition from the slow equilibrium evolution of the snow pack. Typically occurring in mountainous terrain, an avalanche can mix air and water with the...
s on the Bernina Railway, the Rhaetian Railway has developed an unusual procedure for the removal of these high alpine hazards. In late winter, when the risk of avalanche is greatest, artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
is fired at the points of origin of avalanches, to bring some control to their occurrence.
This article was translated from the German language version as at November 2009. It is now out of date, and needs updating to mention the Allegra units.
Literature
- Gion Caprez, Peter Pfeiffer: Die Goldenen Jahre der Berninabahn. AS Verlag & Buchkonzept AG, Zürich 2000, ISBN 3-905111-48-9.
- Beat Moser, Peter Pfeiffer: Die RhB. Teil 2. Berninabahn und Bellinzona-Mesocco. Eisenbahn Journal. Special. Hermann Merker, Fürstenfeldbruck 1996,4. ISBN 3-922404-95-2, .
- Mit der Rhätischen Bahn von St. Moritz nach Tirano. A photographic description of probably one of the most beautiful alpine railways. Published by BahnGalerie. FotoReise-CD Bernina 2002.
- Christian Tarnuzzer: Die Bernina-Bahn. Illustrated with original photographs by D. Mischol, with a 1:100,000 map of the Bernina Railway. Ebner & Cie, Chur und St. Moritz. [1909]
- Paul Caminada: "Der Bau der Rhätischen Bahn", Orell Füssli Verlag, Zürich, 1980.
- Andrea Tognina: Arbeiter am Bernina. Sozialgeschichte eines Bahnbaus, 1906–1910, Chur, Desertina, 2010; Andrea Tognina: Gli operai del Bernina. Storia sociale di un cantiere ferroviario, Coira, Desertina, 2010).
Film
- "Von Pontresina, Oberengadin, nach Bernina Hospiz", Welt-Kinematograph, Freiburg i. Br., Germany 1909 or 1910.
- "Mit der Berninabahn", Welt-Kinematograph, Freiburg i. Br., Germany 1910.
- "Le Ferrovie del Bernina", Pasquali e C., Turin, Italy 1911.
- "The Bernina Railway (Switzerland)", Urbanora, Great Britain 1912.
- "La Ferrovia del Bernina", Regie: Giovanni Vitrotti, Società Anonima Ambrosio, Turin, Italy 1913.
- "Europe's Winter Playground", Director: Frederick Burlingham, British & Colonial Kinematograph CompanyBritish and Colonial FilmsBritish and Colonial Films was a British company making predominantly silent films, which operated in London between 1908 and 1924. It was also known by the abbreviation B & C....
, Great Britain 1913. - "Dallo Spluga al Bernina", Luca Comerio, Milan, Italy 1914.
- "Eine Fahrt mit der Bernina-Bahn (Schweiz)", Sascha-Filmfabrik, Vienna, Austria 1914.
- The TV program "Die schönsten Bahnstrecken Europas", which was shown on Germany's ARDARD (broadcaster)ARD is a joint organization of Germany's regional public-service broadcasters...
network (see also Das Erste), included a cab ride on the Bernina Railway.
Images
The Bernina Railway is a single trackSingle track (rail)
A single track railway is where trains in both directions share the same track. Single track is normally used on lesser used rail lines, often branch lines, where the traffic density is not high enough to justify the cost of building double tracks....
metre gauge
Metre gauge
Metre gauge refers to narrow gauge railways and tramways with a track gauge of . In some African, American and Asian countries it is the main gauge. In Europe it has been used for local railways in France, Germany, and Belgium, most of which were closed down in mid 20th century. Only in Switzerland...
railway line forming part of the Rhaetian Railway (RhB). It links the spa resort of St. Moritz
St. Moritz
St. Moritz is a resort town in the Engadine valley in Switzerland. It is a municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden...
, in the Canton
Cantons of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...
of Graubünden
Graubünden
Graubünden or Grisons is the largest and easternmost canton of Switzerland. The canton shares borders with the cantons of Ticino, Uri, Glarus and St. Gallen and international borders with Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, with the town of Tirano
Tirano
Tirano is a town in Valtellina, located in the province of Sondrio, Northern Italy. It has about 9,044 inhabitants and is adjacent to the Switzerland-Italy boundary. The river Adda flows through the town....
, in the Province of Sondrio
Province of Sondrio
The Province of Sondrio is in the Lombardy region of Italy. Its capital is the town of Sondrio.It has an area of 3,212 km², and a total population of 176,856...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, via the Bernina Pass
Bernina Pass
The Bernina Pass is a high mountain pass in the Bernina Range of the Alps, in the canton of Graubünden in eastern Switzerland. It connects the famous resort town of St. Moritz in the Engadin valley with the Italian-speaking Val Poschiavo, which ends in the Italian town of Tirano in Valtellina....
. It also ranks as the highest adhesion railway in the Alps, and - with inclines of up to 7% - as one of the steepest adhesion railways in the world.
On 7 July 2008, the Bernina Railway and the Albula Railway
Albula Railway
In 1890, the Davos hotelier Willem-Jan Holsboer proposed the construction of a rail link from Chur via Davos, and through a tunnel under the Scaletta Pass, to St Moritz, and then onwards via the Maloja Pass, to Chiavenna in Italy. Holsboer later had to abandon this planned Scalettabahn, in favour...
, which also forms part of the RhB, were recorded in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, under the name Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina
Bernina Express
The Bernina Express is an express train connecting Chur in Switzerland with Poschiavo and Tirano in Italy, by crossing the Swiss Alps from north to south. For most of its journey, the train also passes along and through the World Heritage Site known as the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina...
Landscapes. The whole site is regarded as a cross border joint Swiss-Italian heritage area.
The most famous trains operating on the Bernina Railway are known as the Bernina Express
Bernina Express
The Bernina Express is an express train connecting Chur in Switzerland with Poschiavo and Tirano in Italy, by crossing the Swiss Alps from north to south. For most of its journey, the train also passes along and through the World Heritage Site known as the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina...
.
History
In the year following the completion of the Albula RailwayAlbula Railway
In 1890, the Davos hotelier Willem-Jan Holsboer proposed the construction of a rail link from Chur via Davos, and through a tunnel under the Scaletta Pass, to St Moritz, and then onwards via the Maloja Pass, to Chiavenna in Italy. Holsboer later had to abandon this planned Scalettabahn, in favour...
in 1904, the Bernina-Bahngesellschaft (BB) was established, with the objective of opening a railway line between St Moritz and Tirano
Tirano
Tirano is a town in Valtellina, located in the province of Sondrio, Northern Italy. It has about 9,044 inhabitants and is adjacent to the Switzerland-Italy boundary. The river Adda flows through the town....
, via the Bernina Pass. After obtaining a concession
Concession (contract)
A concession is a business operated under a contract or license associated with a degree of exclusivity in business within a certain geographical area. For example, sports arenas or public parks may have concession stands. Many department stores contain numerous concessions operated by other...
for such a line in 1906, the BB opened it from 1908 onwards, in several sections: on 1 July 1908 between Pontresina
Pontresina (Rhaetian Railway station)
Pontresina is a station on the Bernina Railway line from St. Moritz to Tirano. It is also the terminus of the Pontresina-Scuol-Tarasp railway line. Hourly services operate on each line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tp*R7 - 1tph...
and Morteratasch
Morteratsch (Rhaetian Railway station)
Morteratsch is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, and between Tirano
Tirano (Rhaetian Railway station)
Tirano is one of two stations in Tirano, Italy. It is the southern terminus of the metre gauge Bernina Railway line from St. Moritz. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph-See also:...
and Poschiavo
Poschiavo (Rhaetian Railway station)
Poschiavo is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
; on 18 August of the same year between Pontresina and Celerina
Celerina (Rhaetian Railway station)
Celerina is a railway station in Celerina, Switzerland. It is located on the Albula Railway line between Chur and St.Moritz. Hourly services operate on this section of the line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*RE1/R11 - 1tph...
; and on 1 July 1909 between Celerina and St Moritz, and between Morteratsch and Bernina Suot
Bernina Suot (Rhaetian Railway station)
Bernina Suot is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
. It was only on 5 July 1910 that the whole line could be opened, upon completion of the most difficult section, between Bernina Suot and Poschiavo. From the beginning, the line was electrically operated with DC current, although in 1935 the voltage was increased from 750 V to 1000 V.
Originally, the Bernina Railway was intended for use only in summer, but in 1913/14 the BB commenced winter operations as well. This development was associated with major weather related problems, necessitating further erection of avalanche barriers.
In the first years of its existence, the BB was always on the verge of bankruptcy. The costs of construction expenditure on the line to 1915 amounted to around 15 million Swiss francs. Even the introduction of a restaurant car
Dining car
A dining car or restaurant carriage , also diner, is a railroad passenger car that serves meals in the manner of a full-service, sit-down restaurant....
in 1928, and packages for tourists, could not save the little railway from ruin. Due to its difficult financial situation, it was taken over by the Rhaetian Railway in the middle of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in 1943.
The RhB modernised the line fundamentally, also for military reasons, and completely renewed the section at the top of the pass. Previously, the line formation on the north ramp of the Bernina Pass had been laid out in curves giving passengers spectacular views, but also lying in the path of avalanche
Avalanche
An avalanche is a sudden rapid flow of snow down a slope, occurring when either natural triggers or human activity causes a critical escalating transition from the slow equilibrium evolution of the snow pack. Typically occurring in mountainous terrain, an avalanche can mix air and water with the...
courses. The new parts of the line cut off those curves, the catenary
Overhead lines
Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains at a distance from the energy supply point...
and the flat bottomed rails of the old formation were removed, but the substructure
Substructure
In mathematical logic, an substructure or subalgebra is a structure whose domain is a subset of that of a bigger structure, and whose functions and relations are the traces of the functions and relations of the bigger structure...
is still visible in the high mountains.
Since the mid 1980s, the Rhaetian Railway has been marketing the natural and technical attractions of the Bernina Railway specifically to tourists. Thus, the section from Pontresina to Tirano forms part of the route of the Bernina Express
Bernina Express
The Bernina Express is an express train connecting Chur in Switzerland with Poschiavo and Tirano in Italy, by crossing the Swiss Alps from north to south. For most of its journey, the train also passes along and through the World Heritage Site known as the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina...
. In October 2011, Google photographed the Bernina Railway for Google Street View
Google Street View
Google Street View is a technology featured in Google Maps and Google Earth that provides panoramic views from various positions along many streets in the world...
.
Description of the railway
St Moritz is the terminus of both the Albula RailwayAlbula Railway
In 1890, the Davos hotelier Willem-Jan Holsboer proposed the construction of a rail link from Chur via Davos, and through a tunnel under the Scaletta Pass, to St Moritz, and then onwards via the Maloja Pass, to Chiavenna in Italy. Holsboer later had to abandon this planned Scalettabahn, in favour...
and the Bernina Railway. As the two railways are powered by different electrification systems
Railway electrification system
A railway electrification system supplies electrical energy to railway locomotives and multiple units as well as trams so that they can operate without having an on-board prime mover. There are several different electrification systems in use throughout the world...
, they meet at the same station, but operate on separate lines from separate platforms. The Bernina Railway leaves St Moritz station in an easterly direction, and crosses the Inn River
Inn River
The Inn is a river in Switzerland, Austria and Germany. It is a right tributary of the Danube and is approximately 500km long. The highest point of its drainage basin is the summit of Piz Bernina, at 4,049 metres.- Geography :...
on a 64 m (210 ft) long viaduct
Viaduct
A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...
. It then passes through the 689 m (2,260.5 ft) long Charnadüra-Tunnel II, the longest tunnel on the entire route. The next station, Celerina Staz
Celerina Staz (Rhaetian Railway station)
Celerina Staz is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, is, at 1716 m (5,629.9 ft) above sea level, the lowest point on the north side of the Bernina Pass
Bernina Pass
The Bernina Pass is a high mountain pass in the Bernina Range of the Alps, in the canton of Graubünden in eastern Switzerland. It connects the famous resort town of St. Moritz in the Engadin valley with the Italian-speaking Val Poschiavo, which ends in the Italian town of Tirano in Valtellina....
. From there until Ospizio Bernina
Ospizio Bernina (Rhaetian Railway station)
Ospizio Bernina is a station on the Bernina Railway line between St. Moritz in Switzerland and Tirano in Italy. Hourly services operate on this line....
, the line will now climb almost continuously. After returning to the banks of the Inn, the line reaches the small station Punt Muragl Staz
Punt Muragl Staz (Rhaetian Railway station)
Punt Muragl Staz is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
. At this point is the valley station of the funicular
Funicular
A funicular, also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope; the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalance each other.-Operation:The basic principle of funicular...
to Muottas Muragl
Muottas Muragl
Muottas Muragl is a minor summit situated near St. Moritz in Switzerland. It is accessible by funicular railway from a train station between Samedan-St. Moritz and Pontresina on the Bernina Express line.-External links:*...
, opened in 1907.
The next station in Pontresina
Pontresina (Rhaetian Railway station)
Pontresina is a station on the Bernina Railway line from St. Moritz to Tirano. It is also the terminus of the Pontresina-Scuol-Tarasp railway line. Hourly services operate on each line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tp*R7 - 1tph...
represents, together with St Moritz station, a curiosity in the network of the RhB: two completely different electrification systems meet here. The 11 kV AC
Alternating current
In alternating current the movement of electric charge periodically reverses direction. In direct current , the flow of electric charge is only in one direction....
powered trains, which enter the station on the line from Samedan
Samedan (Rhaetian Railway station)
Samedan is a railway station in Samedan, Switzerland. It is an important interchange station between the Albula Railway line and the Pontresina-Scuol-Tarasp line. Hourly services operate on each line....
, use tracks 1 to 3, while the 1,000 V DC
Direct current
Direct current is the unidirectional flow of electric charge. Direct current is produced by such sources as batteries, thermocouples, solar cells, and commutator-type electric machines of the dynamo type. Direct current may flow in a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through...
powered Bernina trains use tracks 3 to 7. Track 3 has a catenary that can be switched from alternating current to direct current, and a special signal to display to train crews the type of current being used. By means of track 3, the trains using the core network (from Samedan) and the Bernina line trains can use the same line, despite their differing electrification systems. On track 3 is also the exchange of locomotives for the famous Bernina Express
Bernina Express
The Bernina Express is an express train connecting Chur in Switzerland with Poschiavo and Tirano in Italy, by crossing the Swiss Alps from north to south. For most of its journey, the train also passes along and through the World Heritage Site known as the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina...
, which operates between Chur or Davos Platz
Davos Platz (Rhaetian Railway station)
Davos Platz station is located in the municipality of Davos in the district of Prattigau/Davos in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.It is the terminus of the Landquart-Davos railway line. Northbound, there is an hourly service towards Landquart. Southbound, there is an hourly service to Filisur. The...
and Tirano
Tirano (Rhaetian Railway station)
Tirano is one of two stations in Tirano, Italy. It is the southern terminus of the metre gauge Bernina Railway line from St. Moritz. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph-See also:...
.
The line now turns to the south east. After crossing the Rosegbach, passing through the Surovas
Surovas (Rhaetian Railway station)
Surovas is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
station (which was previously called "Sans Souci" (Carefree)), and crossing the Berninabach, it finally reaches Morteratsch
Morteratsch (Rhaetian Railway station)
Morteratsch is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
station, about 2 km (1.2 mi) below the Morteratsch Glacier
Morteratsch Glacier
The Morteratsch Glacier is the largest glacier by area in the Bernina Range of the Bündner Alps in Switzerland....
. Past the other end of the station is the world famous Montebello Curve, where the line meets the road over the pass. The line and the road will now accompany each other as far as Ospizio Bernina. At the recently modernised Bernina Suot
Bernina Suot (Rhaetian Railway station)
Bernina Suot is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
passing loop, the tree line has already been reached. The next stations are Diavolezza
Bernina Diavolezza (Rhaetian Railway station)
Bernina Diavolezza is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line. It is located at the foot of the Diavolezza mountain, as well as the Diavolezza and Lagalb ski regions. In the summer trailhead for hiking are located nearby....
and Bernina Lagalb
Bernina Lagalb (Rhaetian Railway station)
Bernina Lagalb is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
; both are departure points of cableways.
The next section is probably the most interesting on the north side of the pass. Here, the route is very winding, and moves from one side of the valley to the other. First, the Berninabach is crossed, using the 37 m (121.4 ft) long Lower Berninabach Bridge, and then the line crosses the Arlasbach, a tributory of the Berninabach. On the Upper Berninabach Bridge, the line moves back to the eastern side of the valley. Southwest of here, the Piz Bernina
Piz Bernina
Piz Bernina is the highest mountain of the Eastern Alps and the highest point of the Bernina Range the highest peak in south Rhetic Alps. It is also the farthest easterly mountain higher than 4,000 m in the Alps, the highest point of the Swiss canton of Graubünden, and the fifth-most prominent...
and the Piz Palü
Piz Palü
Piz Palü is a mountain in the Bernina Range in Switzerland and Italy. There are three summits on its main ridge, which runs from east to west...
rise majestically. Next follows the 175 m (574.1 ft) long Arlas Gallery, which provides protection against snow drifts. On the southwestern side are the small lakes known as Lej Pitschen and Lej Nair. Directly behind them towers the 15 m (49.2 ft) high and 283 m (928.5 ft) long Lago Bianco
Lago Bianco
Lago Bianco is a lake at the Bernina pass in the Grisons, Switzerland. Its surface area is 1.50 km². The current reservoir was formed by the two dams Scala and Arlas on the site of two natural lakes ....
dam, which also marks the watershed
European Watershed
The European Watershed is the line which divides the drainage basins of the major rivers of Germany: the Rhine, which originates in the Swiss Alps and empties into the North Sea via the Netherlands, and the Danube, which originates in the Black Forest and flows eastward emptying into the Black...
between the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
and the Po.
The railway now runs along the eastern bank of the lake, and, near Ospizio Bernina
Ospizio Bernina (Rhaetian Railway station)
Ospizio Bernina is a station on the Bernina Railway line between St. Moritz in Switzerland and Tirano in Italy. Hourly services operate on this line....
, reaches its highest point, at 2253 m (7,391.7 ft) above sea level. The Bernina Railway is thereby (mountainside railways excluded) the highest railway line in the Alps, operating as a public railway with year round traffic. As the section from here to Poschiavo
Poschiavo (Rhaetian Railway station)
Poschiavo is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
is particularly badly affected by drifting snow, countless engineering structures have been erected from the southern dam wall onwards: the 140 m (459.3 ft) long Scala Gallery, the 192 m (629.9 ft) long Scala Tunnel, the Sassal Mason Gallery, even longer at 348 m (1,141.7 ft), and the 54 m (177.2 ft) long Drago Tunnel.
After the Grüm Gallery, the attractive Alp Grüm
Alp Grüm (Rhaetian Railway station)
Alp Grüm railway station is situated on the Bernina Railway, between Pontresina, in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland, and Tirano, in the Province of Sondrio, Italy....
station is reached. It not only is located at the tree line, but also marks the last station before the Italian linguistic border. From here onwards, the line clambers, with a gradient of up to 7%, and via multiple s-bends, downwards into the Poschiavo
Poschiavo
Poschiavo is a municipality in the district of Bernina in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland.-History:Poschiavo is first mentioned in 824 as in Postclave though this comes from a later copy of the original document.. In 1140 it was mentioned as de Pusclauio. It was formerly known by the...
valley. That this occurs without the assistance of a rack railway
Rack railway
A rack-and-pinion railway is a railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with this rack rail...
system makes the Bernina Railway one of the steepest adhesion railways in the world.
Immediately behind the Alp Grüm station, the line winds in a tight 180° bend, and passes below Alp Grüm through the Upper Palü Gallery. In a further 180° bend, it heads through the Palü Tunnel and subsequently through the Lower Palü Gallery. A further four half circle loops follow, until the line reaches the Cavaglia
Cavaglia (Rhaetian Railway station)
Cavaglia is a station on the Bernina Railway line, in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
station. Since about 2000, there has also been a new automatic passing loop, Stablini, between Alp Grüm and Cavaglia. It bisects a portion of the line that was previously prone to traffic delays. In zigzag fashion, the line continues from Cavaglia further down into the valley via Cadera
Cadera (Rhaetian Railway station)
Cadera is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
to Privilasco
Privilasco (Rhaetian Railway station)
Privilasco is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
. From there, the line leaves the tight bends behind, and, still at its maximum gradient, reaches the Poschiavo Valley. In Poschiavo
Poschiavo (Rhaetian Railway station)
Poschiavo is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
it finally meets up once again with the Bernina Pass road.
At the request of the Poschiavo community, the station at Poschiavo was built just outside the village boundaries. It has a railway depot and workshop, in which a few historic railcars of the Bernina Railway are also stored. The remaining section of line of approximately 17 km (10.6 mi) to Tirano are laid partially still as a mountain railway, but also partially in the manner of a tramway system. After the stopping point Li Curt
Li Curt (Rhaetian Railway station)
Li Curt is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, erected only in 1977, the line reaches the village of Le Prese
Le Prese (Rhaetian Railway station)
Le Prese is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, the stopping point of which is located in the middle of the street. Between Le Prese and Miralago
Miralago (Rhaetian Railway station)
Miralago is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph-External links:* *...
the line passes along the banks of the Poschiavo Lake, thus remaining at the lake's altitude of 965 m (3,166 ft) above sea level.
Below Brusio
Brusio (Rhaetian Railway station)
Brusio is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, the railway has, as its last highlight, the Brusio spiral viaduct
Brusio spiral viaduct
The Brusio spiral viaduct is a single track nine-arched stone spiral railway viaduct.A signature structure of the World Heritage-listed Bernina Railway, it is located in Brusio, in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland, and serves only to adjust the railway's altitude.-Location:The Brusio spiral...
, which serves only to adjust the altitude of the line. The spiral viaduct is followed by the stopping point for the village of Campascio
Campascio (Rhaetian Railway station)
Campascio is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, which still belongs to Brusio. Beyond the border station of Campocologno
Campocologno (Rhaetian Railway station)
Campocologno is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
, which is unusually large due to its customs facilities, the line finally reaches Italy, and, after crossing the main square of Tirano, its terminal station. Here, the Bernina Railway meets the standard gauge station
Tirano railway station (RFI)
Tirano railway station is one of two railway stations within the town and comune of Tirano, in the region of Lombardy, northern Italy. Opened in 1902, it is the terminus of the standard gauge Alta Valtellina railway from Sondrio....
and line of the Italian state rail infrastructure company Rete Ferroviaria Italiana
Rete Ferroviaria Italiana
Rete Ferroviaria Italiana is an Italian company fully owned by Ferrovie dello Stato . RFI is the owner of Italy's railway network, it sets train paths, provides signalling, provides maintenance and other services for the railway network...
(RFI), which links Tirano through Valtellina
Valtellina
Valtellina or the Valtelline valley ; is a valley in the Lombardy region of northern Italy, bordering Switzerland. Today it is known for its skiing, its hot spring spas, its cheeses and its wines...
to Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
.
Rolling stock and traffic
Today, the following classes of railcar and locomotive are used in scheduled commercial services on the Bernina Railway: four ABe 4/4IRhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 I
The Rhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 I is a class of metre gauge railcars of the Rhaetian Railway , which is the main railway network in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland....
, nine ABe 4/4II
Rhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 II
The Rhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 II is a class of metre gauge railcars of the Rhaetian Railway , which is the main railway network in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland....
, six ABe 4/4III
Rhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 III
The Rhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 III is a class of metre gauge electric multiple unit railcars of the Rhaetian Railway , which is the main railway network in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland....
und two Gem 4/4
Rhaetian Railway Gem 4/4
The Rhaetian Railway Gem 4/4 is a two member class of metre gauge Bo'Bo' electro-diesel locomotives operated since 1968 by the Rhaetian Railway , which is the main railway network in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland....
.
This fleet, consisting predominantly of railcar
Railcar
A railcar, in British English and Australian English, is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coach , with a driver's cab at one or both ends. Some railways, e.g., the Great Western...
s, also carries freight traffic. Some freight cars are added to passenger trains until the maximum towing capacity of such trains of 140 tonnes is reached. For reasons of safety, due to the presence of dangerous goods, other freight cars are operated in pure freight trains. Despite being set up originally only for tourist traffic, the Bernina Railway now also assists trade
Trade
Trade is the transfer of ownership of goods and services from one person or entity to another. Trade is sometimes loosely called commerce or financial transaction or barter. A network that allows trade is called a market. The original form of trade was barter, the direct exchange of goods and...
with Italy by carrying not inconsiderable quantities of freight, consisting mostly of heating oil
Heating oil
Heating oil, or oil heat, is a low viscosity, flammable liquid petroleum product used as a fuel for furnaces or boilers in buildings. Home heating oil is often abbreviated as HHO...
, fuel
Fuel
Fuel is any material that stores energy that can later be extracted to perform mechanical work in a controlled manner. Most fuels used by humans undergo combustion, a redox reaction in which a combustible substance releases energy after it ignites and reacts with the oxygen in the air...
s and timber. Additionally, the regional shopping businesses of the Poschiavo valley are served partly by rail.
The timetable is tightly designed, with year round services of one passenger train per hour in each direction. The flagship services are the now fully panorama car equipped Bernina Express
Bernina Express
The Bernina Express is an express train connecting Chur in Switzerland with Poschiavo and Tirano in Italy, by crossing the Swiss Alps from north to south. For most of its journey, the train also passes along and through the World Heritage Site known as the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina...
and the Trenino Rosso travelling in the opposite direction.
In winter, a steam snow blower
Snow blower
A snow blower or snow thrower is a machine for removing snow from an area where it is not wanted, such as a driveway, sidewalk, roadway, railroad track, rink, runway, or houses...
is regularly in service. Its operation is also a tourist attraction
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
that draws in railway enthusiasts from all over the world.
In connection with the danger of avalanche
Avalanche
An avalanche is a sudden rapid flow of snow down a slope, occurring when either natural triggers or human activity causes a critical escalating transition from the slow equilibrium evolution of the snow pack. Typically occurring in mountainous terrain, an avalanche can mix air and water with the...
s on the Bernina Railway, the Rhaetian Railway has developed an unusual procedure for the removal of these high alpine hazards. In late winter, when the risk of avalanche is greatest, artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
is fired at the points of origin of avalanches, to bring some control to their occurrence.
This article was translated from the German language version as at November 2009. It is now out of date, and needs updating to mention the Allegra units.
Literature
- Gion Caprez, Peter Pfeiffer: Die Goldenen Jahre der Berninabahn. AS Verlag & Buchkonzept AG, Zürich 2000, ISBN 3-905111-48-9.
- Beat Moser, Peter Pfeiffer: Die RhB. Teil 2. Berninabahn und Bellinzona-Mesocco. Eisenbahn Journal. Special. Hermann Merker, Fürstenfeldbruck 1996,4. ISBN 3-922404-95-2, .
- Mit der Rhätischen Bahn von St. Moritz nach Tirano. A photographic description of probably one of the most beautiful alpine railways. Published by BahnGalerie. FotoReise-CD Bernina 2002.
- Christian Tarnuzzer: Die Bernina-Bahn. Illustrated with original photographs by D. Mischol, with a 1:100,000 map of the Bernina Railway. Ebner & Cie, Chur und St. Moritz. [1909]
- Paul Caminada: "Der Bau der Rhätischen Bahn", Orell Füssli Verlag, Zürich, 1980.
- Andrea Tognina: Arbeiter am Bernina. Sozialgeschichte eines Bahnbaus, 1906–1910, Chur, Desertina, 2010; Andrea Tognina: Gli operai del Bernina. Storia sociale di un cantiere ferroviario, Coira, Desertina, 2010).
Film
- "Von Pontresina, Oberengadin, nach Bernina Hospiz", Welt-Kinematograph, Freiburg i. Br., Germany 1909 or 1910.
- "Mit der Berninabahn", Welt-Kinematograph, Freiburg i. Br., Germany 1910.
- "Le Ferrovie del Bernina", Pasquali e C., Turin, Italy 1911.
- "The Bernina Railway (Switzerland)", Urbanora, Great Britain 1912.
- "La Ferrovia del Bernina", Regie: Giovanni Vitrotti, Società Anonima Ambrosio, Turin, Italy 1913.
- "Europe's Winter Playground", Director: Frederick Burlingham, British & Colonial Kinematograph CompanyBritish and Colonial FilmsBritish and Colonial Films was a British company making predominantly silent films, which operated in London between 1908 and 1924. It was also known by the abbreviation B & C....
, Great Britain 1913. - "Dallo Spluga al Bernina", Luca Comerio, Milan, Italy 1914.
- "Eine Fahrt mit der Bernina-Bahn (Schweiz)", Sascha-Filmfabrik, Vienna, Austria 1914.
- The TV program "Die schönsten Bahnstrecken Europas", which was shown on Germany's ARDARD (broadcaster)ARD is a joint organization of Germany's regional public-service broadcasters...
network (see also Das Erste), included a cab ride on the Bernina Railway.
Images
File: Berninabahn tirano 1.jpg | A Rhaetian Railway train in Tirano.
File: RhB Regio nach Tirano zwischen Lagalb und Ospizio Bernina.jpg | An RhB Regio train to Tirano between Lagalb and Ospizio Bernina.
File: Tirano-Panoramawagen-Bernina-Express.jpg | Bernina Express panorama cars in Tirano.
File: Berninabahn Lej Pitschen im Winter.jpg | Lei Pitschen in winter.
File: Berninabahn zwischen Lagalb und Ospizio Bernina im Winter.jpg | Bernina Railway between Lagalb and Ospizio Bernina in Winter.
File: Rhb Bernina-Express überquert obere Berninabach-Brücke.jpg | Crossing the upper Berninabach Bridge.
File: Alp Grüm RhB 52.JPG | Grüm Galery at Alp Grüm.
File: Berninabahn Poschiavo 02.jpg | A down valley train at Poschiavo station.
File: Tirano-Rhaetischer Bahnhof.jpg | Rhaetian Railway station in Tirano.
File: Swiss Rail Rhb ABe 4 4.jpg | ABe 4/4 I 30 and 34 below Alp Grüm
Alp Grüm (Rhaetian Railway station)
Alp Grüm railway station is situated on the Bernina Railway, between Pontresina, in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland, and Tirano, in the Province of Sondrio, Italy....
.
File: RhB Regio nach Tirano mit Gem 4-4.jpg | Hybrid loco Gem 4 / 4 in service at the head of a Regio train to Tirano.
File: RhB Xrotd 9213 am Lago Bianco 3.jpg | Rotary snowplow Xrotd 9213 with dual-mode Gem 4 / 802 4 in action