- Bernina Express
The Bernina Express is an express train which connects
Chur (orDavos ) toPoschiavo andTirano crossing theSwiss Alps from north to south. The train is operated by theRhaetian Railway , it is not an "express" in the sense of being a high-speed train but rather in the sense that it provides a one-seat ride for a long duration travel.The trip on the Bernina Express is a 4 hour railway journey across 196 bridges, through 55 tunnels and across the
Bernina Pass on the highest point at 2,253 metres in altitude. The entire line is metre gaugeThe "Bernina Railway" built the line from 1908-1910 and operated independently until the 1940s. The Bernina Express uses gradients of 7% to achieve a difference in height of about 1800 meters from the summit at Ospizio Bernina to Tirano.
The "Albula line" and "Bernina line" on the Bernina Express route were declared a
World Heritage Site in2008 .Itinerary
Albula line
The train leave the city of
Chur (585 m) inGraubünden and follow the course of theRhine toBonaduz (655 m). From there it enters the Domleschg Valley and follows the Posterior Rhine fromRhäzüns (658 m) toThusis (697 m). The train continues towardTiefencastel (851 m) following theAlbula river and then crosses theLandwasser Viaduct before arriving atFilisur (1032 m). Shortly after Filisur the train passes its first spiral tunnel then continues toBergün . Between Bergün (1373 m) andPreda (1789 m), at the end of the valley, the train has to achieve a difference in height of about 400 meters with an horizontal distance of 5 km without using rack-and-pinion, but with many spirals. Then the train enters the "Albula Tunnel" at 1,815 m under theAlbula Pass . It emerges in the "Val Bever" where it reachesBever (1,708 m) on theEngadin plain. The train continues towardSamedan (1,721 m) and arrives at theSt. Moritz station (1,775 m).Bernina line
The train leaves
St. Moritz and takes the line toPontresina (1,774 m) in the "Val Bernina". It ascends progressively the valley to theBernina Pass passing theMorteratsch station (1,896 m), where the traveler can see the glacier of the same name and the highest summit of theEastern Alps , thePiz Bernina . Before arriving at the pass the train stops at "Bernina Diavolezza" (2,093 m) where an aerial tramway leads toDiavolezza . The Bernina Express reaches the summit at the Ospizio Bernina station at 2,253 meters above theLago Bianco ."Alp Grüm" (2,091 m) is the first station south of the
Alps , situated above theLago Palü and right below thePiz Palü and its glacier. After manyhairpin turn s the train reaches "Cavaglia" (1,693 m) above theVal Poschiavo and finally, the Swiss Italian speaking town ofPoschiavo at 1,014 meters. The train then follows the course of the "Poschiavino" and passes at "Le Prese" (964 m) and "Miralago" (965 m) both on theLake Poschiavo 's shore. After "Miralago" it continues its descent towardBrusio (780 m), where it passes the spiral of the "Brusio Viaduct". Shortly after having passed the Italian border at "Campocologno" (553 m) the Bernina Express ends its journey at theTirano station at 430 meters.ee also
*
Glacier Express
*Swiss Alps External links
* [http://www.rhb.ch/index.php?id=33?&L=4 Official website]
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