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48-404: Prior to its construction, all traffic had to use the historic high-level route via the 1.8 km (1.1 mi) long Furka Summit Tunnel , which was only available seasonally due to the threat posed by heavy snowfalls. Construction commenced during 1971, taking ten years to complete. An innovative permanent support system was used, comprising rock anchors and a shotcrete coating, which included

96-524: A base tunnel had long been identified as an attractive solution, but the prospects for constructing such a tunnel were complicated by multiple factors in both its design and construction. Initial authorisation from the Federal Council for preparatory work was given in 1971. During 1976, the Parliament of Switzerland passed a comprehensive bill for the base tunnel's construction, sponsored by Roger Bonvin ;

144-619: A few scenes of the documentary film The Alps were shot inside the train, and further new panorama cars were added to the Glacier Express passenger car fleet. On 7 July 2008, the Albula Railway and the Bernina Railway were jointly recorded in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites , under the name Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes . Currently, the Glacier Express

192-584: A hot lunch in a Mitropa dining car . From 1933, the Glacier Express through coaches were attached to normal passenger trains between Brig and Zermatt. In the earliest years of the Glacier Express, electric locomotives were used to haul the Glacier Express on the BVZ and the RhB, but steam locomotives were used on the FO. That changed in 1941-1942, when overhead catenary was installed on the FO, enabling completely electric operation for

240-531: A merger between the BVZ and the FO. The entire line is metre gauge ( narrow gauge ), with 23.9 kilometres (14.9 mi) using the rack-and-pinion system both for ascending steep grades and to control descent. The completion of the final portion of the FO in 1926 opened up the cantons of Valais and Graubünden to further tourist development. In particular, a pathway was laid for the introduction of Kurswagen ( through coaches ) between Brig and Chur , and between Brig and St. Moritz. In early June 1930,

288-518: A new ventilation system for the Furka tunnel, intended to supply fresh air in the event of a major fire within the latter tunnel. The construction techniques used for the Furka Base Tunnel were relatively innovative for the era. One such technique involved the application of a recently developed polyurethane -based grouting to make the rock surrounding the tunnel portals impermeable. It was reportedly

336-538: A short distance (400 m [1,300 ft] for 5 km [3.1 mi]). After another spiral, the train reaches Filisur at the end of the valley at (1,032 m or 3,386 ft). From there, the train passes on the Landwasser Viaduct , the most emblematic landmark of the railway line and continues toward Thusis (720 m or 2,360 ft) where it reaches the Posterior Rhine and follows it to

384-470: A single track throughout, its cross section varying between 26 and 42 m throughout its length. This often narrow cross section has been attributed as one reason for the tunnel's construction requiring ten years, as it hindered the movement of bulky construction equipment. During 1982, the Furka Base Tunnel was opened to traffic. During its initial year of operation, the tunnel was used to transport in excess of 75,000 passenger cars, trucks and buses. As of 2009,

432-468: Is 15,407 m (16,849 yd) in length, and replaced the previous track that climbed to an apex of 2,160 m (7,090 ft) above sea level, thus allowing year-round service through service on the Furka–Oberalp line. In the middle of the base tunnel, is a 5,221-metre-long (5,710 yd) access tunnel to Bedretto in the canton of Ticino (elevation 1,480 m (4,860 ft)); some proponents of

480-434: Is a direct train connecting railway stations of the two major mountain resorts of Zermatt and St. Moritz via Andermatt in the central Swiss Alps . The train provides a one-seat ride for an 8-hour end-to-end 291-kilometre (181 mi) journey, and omits stops made by local trains. The Glacier Express has been called the 'slowest express train in the world'. As St. Moritz and Zermatt are home to two well-known mountains,

528-424: Is especially popular with tourists from Germany , Japan , and, increasingly, India . In 2013, the direct service to Davos was discontinued because of decreasing passenger numbers and unfavourable economic circumstances. In 2018, two additional summer services were introduced. Each morning one service departs from Zermatt to Chur, and one service departs from St. Moritz to Brig. These services then travel back in

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576-542: The Furka Heritage Railway , which routinely put on tourist trains through the historic Furka Pass, including the Furka Summit Tunnel. During August 2018, a comprehensive modernisation of the Furka Base Tunnel's infrastructure commenced. This programme, costed at CHF 190 million, largely revolves around the refurbishment of the tunnel's structure, the wholesale replacement of the track and trackbed, as well as

624-831: The Furka Pass (operated today by the Furka Cogwheel Steam Railway ), to emerge in Oberwald (1,368 m or 4,488 ft) in the Goms Valley, in the Canton of Valais . The train then continues toward Brig , following the course of the Rhone , and passes along the villages of Ulrichen (1,346 m or 4,416 ft), Münster-Geschinen (1,359 m or 4,459 ft) and Fiesch (1,049 m or 3,442 ft), before going through another spiral. From Brig, (678 m or 2,224 ft)

672-673: The Muttbach-Belvédère halting point , in Valais . Until 1982, when the summit tunnel was replaced by the Furka Base Tunnel , the railway line passing through the summit tunnel was part of the Furka Oberalp Bahn (FO). However, that line, which, along with the summit tunnel, was closed in 1981 and reopened in 2000, is now part of the Furka Cogwheel Steam Railway , a heritage railway operating in summer only. Between 1926 and 1981,

720-589: The Rhone Glacier , which is near Gletsch , on the Furka Pass . Until 1982, the Glacier Express operated only in the summer months, because the Furka Pass and the Oberalp Pass were both snowed over in winter. Initially, the train was made up of first to third class salon and passenger coaches , supplied by all three of the participating railway companies. Between Chur and Disentis/Mustér , passengers could enjoy

768-787: The World Heritage Site known as the " Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes". The first Glacier Express started on 30 June 1930 at 07:30 in Zermatt. Initially, it was operated by three railway companies: the Visp-Zermatt-Bahn (VZ), the Furka Oberalp Bahn (FO), and the Rhätische Bahn (RhB). From 2003 to 2017, the train was operated by Rhätische Bahn (RhB) and the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (MGB), which arose from

816-425: The 15.4 km-long (9.6 mi) Furka Tunnel at an elevation of 1,500 m (4,900 ft), which circumvents the Furka Pass — makes an intermediate stop at Andermatt in a secluded high Alpine valley, and traverses its high point on the Oberalp Pass at 2,033 m (6,670 ft) before descending to its low point at Chur at 585 m (1,919 ft). From Chur, the capital of the canton of Graubünden ,

864-479: The FO allocated three schedule periods to the line passing through the summit tunnel. The summer schedule corresponded with the then European summer timetable. The other seasons, covered by the then European winter timetable, were divided by the FO into autumn and winter periods, because traffic over the Furka Pass could be operated only until mid October. As soon as snow started falling, the FO had to be ready to place individual items of rolling stock on either side of

912-616: The Furka Base Tunnel. In 1982, the original portion of the FO between Oberwald in Valais and Realp in Uri, including the summit tunnel, was replaced by an FO line passing through the then new Furka Base Tunnel. The superseded portion of the FO line was abandoned. However, strong public protests against the removal of the abandoned tracks led to the foundation 2 years later of the Furka Cogwheel Steam Railway (DFB), to preserve and operate

960-417: The Furka, according to demand. Then, during the years commencing with electrification of the line in 1942, the electrical contact wire had to be dismantled over a nearly 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) long section of line, and the line made "avalanche ready". Everything more than 1 metre (3 ft 3 in) above ground level had to be removed, necessitating a huge annual expenditure. The Steffenbach bridge, on

1008-635: The Glacier Express is also said to travel from Matterhorn to Piz Bernina . The journey from Zermatt starts at the dead end of an Alpine valley, the Mattertal , just below the Matterhorn at an elevation of 1,606 m (5,269 ft) before it descends to the huge valley of the Valais in Brig . It journeys 291 kilometres (181 mi) through the center of the Swiss Alps, over 291 bridges, through 91 tunnels — such as

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1056-643: The Glacier Express regains altitude, stopping at Filisur — where travelers can change for a connecting train to reach Davos to the east — and then traverses the Albula Range via a tunnel at 1,800 metres (5,900 ft) to reach the resort St. Moritz in a valley to the south. Since 2017, the train has been operated by the Glacier Express AG, a cooperation jointly owned by the former operators Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (MGB) and Rhaetian Railway (RhB). For much of its journey, it also passes along and through

1104-492: The Uri side of the summit tunnel, was built initially as a viaduct. However, as early as the first year following its construction, it became the victim of an avalanche. A folding bridge was then installed in its place. To this day, the 30 tonne folding bridge, which can carry a payload of up to 200 tonnes (200 long tons; 220 short tons), is made safe each autumn by drawing it back to its abutments, in three pieces. Originally it took 20 men 8 hours to set it up or withdraw it but with

1152-652: The abandoned line. Since 11 July 1992  ( 1992-07-11 ) , the abandoned line has been progressively reopened from Realp, as a heritage railway operated by the DFB. On 14 July 2000  ( 2000-07-14 ) , the DFB was extended from its then temporary terminus at Furka to Gletsch , via the Summit Tunnel, which was simultaneously reopened, and Muttbach-Belvédère. Glacier Express 46°35′42″N 9°45′36″E  /  46.59500°N 9.76000°E  / 46.59500; 9.76000 The Glacier Express

1200-460: The afternoon. On 23 July 2010, a Glacier Express train derailed near Fiesch on the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn line. One passenger was killed and 42 other passengers were injured. The accident was caused by the train traveling too fast as a result of human error . Shortly after leaving St. Moritz station (1,775 m or 5,823 ft) in Graubünden , the train passes Samedan and Bever on

1248-415: The bare rock. It was used during the Furka Base Tunnel's construction for the removal of excavating spoil as well as to convey supplies into the construction site. The Bedretto tunnel was abandoned for a time following the completion of the Furka tunnel, being used neither for emergency access nor for maintenance purposes, in part due to three separate collapses. During the 2010s, it was restored to accommodate

1296-431: The base tunnel serves both an hourly regional train and ten daily Glacier Express trains between Zermatt and the ski resort town of St. Moritz . During the winter skiing season, traffic in the tunnel has consistently approached its maximum capacity. While the older high level route was initially closed following the diversion of all regular services through the new Furka Base Tunnel, this line has since been reopened by

1344-544: The city of Chur (585 m or 1,919 ft). From Chur, the train follows back the course of the Rhine through the gorge of Ruinaulta and climbs slowly the valley toward Ilanz (698 m or 2,290 ft), Disentis/Mustér (1,142 m or 3,747 ft) and Sedrun (1,404 m or 4,606 ft). From Sedrun the line becomes steeper to finally reach its summit, the Oberalp Pass at 2,033 m (6,670 ft). From there

1392-526: The dining car service was extended further, to Andermatt . In 1981, a Glacier Express era came to an end with the final closure for the winter of the FO line over the Furka Pass and through the Furka Summit Tunnel , between Oberwald , Gletsch and Realp. In June 1982, that FO line was replaced by the newly opened Furka Base Tunnel . As a consequence, the Glacier Express not only became disconnected from its namesake Rhone Glacier, but also could now, for

1440-513: The end of the project; Bonvin died just prior to its opening in 1982. A plaque commemorating Roger Bonvin is installed as the base tunnel's entrance in Oberwald. During 1971, work commenced on the boring of the Bedretto tunnel, which functioned as an annex tunnel for the Furka Base Tunnel. Excavated by conventional techniques, including both drilling and blasting, it was a relatively narrow tunnel through

1488-425: The first time, be operated on a year-round basis. At that time, the BVZ, FO and RhB took the opportunity to relaunch the Glacier Express as a tourist attraction. Promotional material focused on the train's status as "the slowest express train in the world", covering 291 km (181 mi), 91 tunnels, and over 291 bridges. A special promotional wine glass on a sloping base emphasised the steepness of some parts of

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1536-426: The first use of polyurethane -based grouting within a railway tunnel. The tunnel has a relatively narrow cross section, which has been attributed with slowing the construction effort somewhat. The interconnecting Bedretto tunnel was used during the Furka Base Tunnel's construction for the removal of excavating spoil as well as to moving supplies inwards; it has since been reused for ventilation. The Furka Base Tunnel

1584-516: The first use of such material within a railway tunnel. The permanent support for the tunnel consisted only of rock anchors and a shotcrete lining along the majority of its length. Areas of particularly high rock pressure were addressed via the excavation of an elliptical or circular profile and the application of steel ribs. Engineers were guided in the use of support measures by a series of geological studies, along with construction experience, to predict and monitor systematic deformation. In spite of

1632-448: The full length of the route. However, no through trains were operated between 1943 and 1946, due to World War II . Upon the resumption of daily through trains in 1948, the dining car service was extended from Disentis/Mustér to the top of the Oberalp Pass. Between the 1950s and the 1970s, both the BVZ and the RhB introduced new locomotive classes that, when attached to the Glacier Express, enabled reductions in schedule times. Meanwhile,

1680-627: The high Engadin plateau. There it continues in the Val Bever before entering the Albula Tunnel at 1,815 m (5,955 ft) under the Albula Pass . After the tunnel, the train passes through Preda , the first station in the Albula Valley and continues toward Bergün/Bravuogn . Between these two villages, the train has to go through many spirals because of the high difference of altitude within

1728-406: The incorporation of various safety measures. The tunnel is typically kept operational throughout the process by performing the majority of the work at night. Particular attention has been paid to the tunnel ventilation, intended to control threats such as fires. However, the study of several operational scenarios points out the weaknesses of the existing ventilation system and difficulties to dissipate

1776-583: The installation of hydraulic winches after the restoration of the railway it takes 10 men six hours. Some early onsets of winter brought distress to the FO. On those occasions, staff members had to clear the track. For that work, steam locomotives of type HG 3/4 were used until 1968. They were then replaced with modern diesel electric locomotives of class HGm 4/4 . In the years when winter came early, locomotives and railcars sometimes had to be loaded onto standard gauge vehicles, to be transported from either Göschenen or Chur to Brig or vice versa, on

1824-401: The line was particularly challenging to operate, its closure being necessary during the winter months due to the risks associated with heavy snowfalls. These seasonal cycles of closures and reopenings required civil engineering works each time, as large sections of the railway's overhead electrical lines had to be dismantled and reinstated as well. The replacement of the Furka Summit Tunnel with

1872-414: The places where they were required. By these means, the line could be reopened two weeks earlier, but at a high price. In 1963, the FO endured the most difficult of all its reopenings of the line. A team working with a steam locomotive on the snow front was hit and swept away by an avalanche. The incident cost several lives, including that of a journalist who had been along, which spurred the construction of

1920-460: The presence of multiple complex geological features along the bore, work typically proceeded at a steady pace. Typically 400 metres of the tunnel were lined each month, this rate being supported via five individual shotcrete machines that were operated simultaneously. By the end of its construction, roughly 70,000 m of dry aggregate and cement mixture had been used, while 115,000 rock bolts have been applied. The completed Furka Base Tunnel accommodates

1968-485: The project hoped to eventually build a Y-shaped tunnel connecting all three locations. The Furka Base Tunnel is completed by a bypass tunnel around Oberwald. Prior to the opening of the Furka Base Tunnel, all railway traffic on the Furka–Oberalp line traversed the challenging terrain between Valais and Uri via the historic high-level route using the 1.8 km (1.1 mi) long Furka Summit Tunnel . This section of

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2016-426: The route. Passenger numbers rose from 20,000 in 1982 to over 53,000 in 1983, and to just over 80,000 in 1984. In 1985, the Glacier Express timetable was completely revised. Between 1986 and 1993, the BVZ and the FO invested nearly 40 million Swiss francs in constructing 18 new first class panorama cars for the train. By 2005, more than 250,000 passengers were travelling on the Glacier Express each year. In 2006,

2064-466: The side of the pass where they were needed. At the start of June each year, the line could be reopened. Snow ploughs and blowers needed to be used for that purpose. On many occasions, the snow depths in the narrow alpine valleys were so great that the snow had to be removed by hand over many shifts, and with heavy construction equipment, until the FO's snow removal vehicles could be used. The construction equipment had to be transported on open rail wagons to

2112-515: The smokes without modifying the ventilation system. Furka Summit Tunnel The Furka Summit Tunnel ( German : Furka-Scheiteltunnel ) is a 1.86 kilometres (1.16 mi) long railway tunnel in southern Switzerland . It lies at an altitude of 2,160 metres (7,090 ft). The summit tunnel was completed in 1925, and first opened on 3 July 1926. It links the Furka railway station , in Uri , with

2160-487: The then Visp–Zermatt Bahn was extended to Brig by the opening of a metre gauge line along the Rhone Valley between Visp and Brig. For the first time, it was feasible to operate through coaches all the way from Zermatt to St. Moritz and return. On 25 June 1930  ( 1930-06-25 ) , the first train of such coaches set out from Zermatt to St. Moritz, under the name Glacier Express . The new train's name honoured

2208-432: The total cost of its construction had been initially estimated to be 76 million francs . However, these estimates proved to be drastically inadequate as the project proceeded, with figures in excess of 300 million francs being reached prior to the base tunnel's completion. There was substantial political tensions surrounding these cost overruns , which have been said to have contributed to Bonvin's ill health toward

2256-400: The train continues to Visp (651 m or 2,136 ft), then enters the valley of Mattertal and goes up, passing the villages of Stalden (799 m or 2,621 ft), St. Niklaus (1,127 m or 3,698 ft) and Randa (1,408 m or 4,619 ft), where a spectacular debris avalanche completely disconnected the railway and road in 1991. Täsch (1,450 m or 4,760 ft)

2304-469: The train enters the Canton of Uri in Central Switzerland and continues down to Andermatt (1,447 m or 4,747 ft). From Andermatt, the train goes forward in the valley called Urseren passing the villages of Hospental (1,452 m or 4,764 ft) and Realp (1,538 m or 5,046 ft). From there the train enters the Furka Base Tunnel , leaving the old railway line which climbs

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