First published: 08/06/12.

Klaus Freisinger 3.5

Rhaetian Railway

Rhaetian Railway (Inscribed)

Rhaetian Railway by Els Slots

This is really a fantastic site not only for WH collectors, but for anyone who enjoys travelling by train and admiring scenic landscapes. After visiting the WH-listed convent at Müstair, I got on the Bernina line at Pontresina (from Müstair, take the bus to Zernez and continue by train) and took a southbound train to Tirano, just across the border in Italy. Tirano is quite a pretty town, with a famous pilgrimage church and the unique sight of a train passing right through the streets and squares. The next day, I took the same route back and continued until St. Moritz, where I changed into the Albula Train to Chur (the WH part only stretches to Thusis, but trains continue without the need to change). The lines were inscribed as a masterpiece of engineering, and rightly so. There is an endless line of bridges, tunnels, and viaducts, and the Bernina line is one of the steepest railway lines in the world, and one of the few that crosses the Alps not through a tunnel, but goes over a pass (at Ospizio Bernina, which is the highest point of the line at 2,250 metres). Technical features aside, the lines pass through a sequence of varied and beautiful landscapes (including a glacial lake that was still covered with ice in late May) and through German-, Romansh- and Italian-speaking regions, which makes for interesting linguistic diversity. Technically speaking, the Rhaetian Railway is a network covering all railway lines in the Canton of Grisons (the Swiss Federal Railways only go to Chur), and the Albula and Bernina lines are only 2 of them. It should also be noted that there are hourly trains on both lines, and that the famous Trenino Rosso, or Bernina Express, only goes every second or third hour. In my opinion, it is not really necessary to take one, since it is more expensive, reservations are mandatory, and it seemed to be more crowded than the regular regional trains. The major difference is that the Bernina Express cars are completely glass-covered, so the views are certainly better. However, you can see quite a lot on the standard trains as well. A highly recommended site.

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