Rail transport in Switzerland

infobox rail transport by country|country=Switzerland|total=5,063|broad=0|broadsize=-|broadelectro=0|standard=3,652|standardsize=1.435
standardelectro=3,641|narrow=1,383|narrowsize=mainly 1.0|narrowelectro=1,353The railways of Switzerland include standard gauge (ie.1435 milimetres (4 ft 8½ ins ) and narrow gauge (usually RailGauge|1, occasionally less).

*Network size: 5,063 km
*standard gauge: 3,652 km 1,435mm gauge (3,641 km electrified)
*narrow gauge: 1,383 km (1,353 km electrified), mostly RailGauge|1 gauge, some RailGauge|800 gauge and one line (Waldenburgerbahn, 13 km) RailGauge|750 gauge.
*street tramways: almost all RailGauge|1 gauge.

(Data 2004, Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications)

tandard gauge lines

Three quarters of the Swiss rail network is at standard gauge, comprising 3,652 km, administered mostly by two companies.

wiss Federal Railways

SBB-CFF-FFS (Swiss Federal Railways) is the largest rail company in Switzerland, and handles the majority of national and international traffic. It holds the main east-west track in the central valley area, and the north-south route through he Alps via the Gotthard tunnel.Total route length: 3000 km of track.

BLS

BLS (Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon) is the other main company, with 10% of the standard gauge network. It manages the other major Alpine route via the Lötschberg and Simplon tunnels. Total route length: 345 km.

Deutsche Bahn

DB operates some InterCityExpress services to, from, and within Switzerland but doesn't operate any track.

Narrow gauge lines

RhB, FO, and BVZ

The Rhaetian Railway (RhB) is the longest narrow gauge railway in Switzerland, linking Disentis, Davos and St. Moritz in the high Alps with Chur, a rail junction with the SBB. It passes through the upper Rhine Valley and several side valleys, as well as the Engadin, the upper valley of the Inn River. Total length: 366 kilometres.

The Furka-Oberalp-Bahn (FO) is a narrow gauge railway in the high southern alps. Its name refers to two passes, the Furka Pass and the Oberalp Pass. The Furka pass lies at the upper end of the Rhone valley. The Oberalp is the highest railway pass in the Alps at 2033 metres, and lies at the upper end of the Rhine valley. Total length of the railway is 100 kilometres, and the line runs from Brig to Disentis.

The Brig-Visp-Zermatt (BVZ) railway, commonly known as the BVZ Zermatt-Bahn, is a short line between Brig and Zermatt. It passes through the Visp and Matt Valleys, tributaries of the Rhone River. Total length: 43 kilometres.

In 2003, the FO and BVZ merged to form the Matterhorn-Gotthard-Bahn.

The Glacier Express runs on the three lines. A one-day trip in panoramic view cars takes tourists from Zermatt to St. Moritz, through some of the most spectacular scenery of the Alps.

Further lines

The Gornergratbahn climbs for 9 kilometres from an elevation of 1600 metres near the Zermatt station of the Zermatt RR to a 3000 metre high end station on the shoulder of the Monte Rosa Mountain. The entire route is a rack-and-pinion railway.

The Berner Oberland Bahn is a 24 kilometre line from Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald. It begins at Interlaken Ost station and divides at Zweiluetschinen, about 10 kilometres south of Interlaken. The western branch leads to Lauterbrunnen, while the eastern branch leads to Grindelwald. It is possible to make a loop by taking the Lauterbrunnen branch and returning via the Grindelwald branch. The two branches are connected by the Wengernalp Bahn.

The Wengernalpbahn is a 19 kilometre line from Lauterbrunnen to Grindelwald, leading over the Eiger ridge at the junction station of Kleine Scheidegg. In the winter, this junction is a ski resort served by many lifts and trails, as well as the rail line. Skiers can ride the train from the valleys below to return to the top of the runs.

The Jungfraubahn, which is also rack-and-pinion throughout, starts at Kleine Scheidegg and runs 9 kilometres through tunnels in the Eiger and Mönch, leading to the "Jungfraujoch," a saddle between the Mönch and the Jungfrau summits. At the saddle are a visitor center and an observatory. The Aletsch Glacier, largest in Europe, runs to the south toward the Rhone valley.

The Bergbahn Lauterbrunnen-Mürren (BLM) is 6 km long, divided into two independent parts, the first part being a cable car (which runs above the old funicular railway, which was replaced in 2006), the second adhesion railway.

The Montreux-Oberland Bernois line runs 75 kilometres from Montreux on Lake Geneva to Zweisimmen, with a connecting line to Lenk in the Simmental. The section from Montreux to Zweisimmen, approximately 63 kilometres long, is part of the "Golden Pass Panorama" trip from Montreux to Lucerne, a trip which combines rides on the MOB, the BLS and the Brunig lines.

From Interlaken, the narrow gauge Brünigbahn section of the Zentralbahn runs 74 kilometres further to Lucerne. It skirts Lake Brienz and passes through the range of mountains to the north of the lake via Brunig pass, and then drops into the Sarner Aa valley to Lucerne.

At Brienz the Brienz Rothorn Bahn (BRB), a steam hauled rack railway, ascends to near the summit of the Brienzer Rothorn.

Trams

Street running tramways are nearly all metre gauge, see List of town tramway systems in Switzerland

ee also

* Transportation in Switzerland
* List of railway companies in Switzerland

External links

* [http://www.rail-info.ch/index.en.html Swiss narrow gauge railways]