Bernina railway line

Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes

UNESCO World Heritage Site
TwoRhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 IIImultiple units with aBernina Expresstrain on the Bernina railway line, passingLago Bianco
Location	Graubünden,Switzerland
Part of	Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes
Criteria	Cultural: (ii), (iv)
Reference	1276
Inscription	2008 (32ndSession)
Coordinates	46°24′32″N10°1′11″E
Location of Bernina railway line in Canton of Grisons Bernina railway line (Switzerland)

TheBernina railway line(German:Berninalinie;Italian:Linea del Bernina;Romansh:Lingia dal Bernina) is asingle-track1,000 mm(3 ft3+3⁄8in)metre gaugerailway line forming part of theRhaetian Railway(RhB). It links the spa resort ofSt. Moritz,in thecantonofGraubünden,Switzerland,with the town ofTirano,in theProvince of Sondrio,Italy,via theBernina Pass.Reaching a height of 2,253 metres (7,392 ft) above sea level, it is thehighest railway crossing in Europeand thethird-highest railway in Switzerland.It also ranks as the highestadhesion railwayof the continent, and – withinclinesof up to 7% – as one of the steepest adhesion railways in the world. The elevation difference on the section between the Bernina Pass and Tirano is 1,824 m (5,984 ft), allowing passengers to view glaciers along the line.

On 7 July 2008, the Bernina line and theAlbula railway line,which also forms part of the RhB, were recorded in the list ofUNESCO World Heritage Sites,under the nameRhaetian Railwayin the Albula /BerninaLandscapes.The whole site is a cross-border joint Swiss-Italian heritage area.

Trains operating on the Bernina line include theBernina Express.

History

Bernina railway line
Winter scene near the top of theBernina Pass
Overview
Status	Open
Owner	Rhaetian Railway
Locale	Engadin/Poschiavo, Graubünden,Switzerland Valtellina, Province of Sondrio,Italy
Termini	St. Moritz,Switzerland Tirano,Italy
Stations	22
Website	Rhaetian Railway
Service
Type	Heavy rail
System	Rhaetian Railway
Services	Bernina Pass
Operator(s)	Rhaetian Railway
Depot(s)	Poschiavo
History
Opened	1 July 1908 / 5 July 1910
Technical
Line length	60.69 km (37.71 mi)
Number of tracks	Single trackwithPassing loops
Track gauge	1,000 mm(3 ft3+3⁄8in)metre gauge
Minimum radius	45 m (148 ft)
Electrification	Overhead catenary, 1,000 V DC
Highest elevation	2,253 m (7,392 ft) above sea level
Maximum incline	7%
Route map km elev(M) or length (m) inmetres 0.000 St. Moritz 1,775 M Albula RailwaytoThusis Inn viaduct 64 m Charnadüra II 689 m 2.028 Celerina Staz 1,716 M 3.509 Punt Muragl Staz 1,728 M Muottas-Muragl-Bahn Samedan–Pontresina railway toSamedan 5.788 Pontresina 1,774 M 7.257 Surovas 1,822 M 12.165 Morteratsch 1,896 M Montebello Curve 15.716 Bernina Suot 2,046 M 16.800 Bernina Diavolezza 2,082 M aerial cable car toDiavolezza 17.866 Bernina Lagalb 2,099 M aerial cable car toLagalb Lower Berninabach bridge 37 m Upper Berninabach bridge 31 m Profile error +357 m Alp Bondo track laying Arlas gallery 175 m 22.324 Ospizio Bernina 2,253 M Scala gallery 140 m Profile error −216 m Scala track laying Sassal Mason gallery I 16 m Scala 192 m Sassal Mason gallery II 348 m Drago 54 m Sassal Mason gallery III 20 m Grüm gallery 264 m 27.086 Alp Grüm 2,091 M Upper Palü gallery 239 m Palü 254 m Lower Palü gallery 347 m Stablini 289 m including galleries 334 m 29.505 Stablinipassing loop 1,934 M Upper Pila gallery 213 m Val Pila 227 m Lower Pila gallery 125 m gallery at Pila Viaduct 88 m 33.074 Cavaglia 1,692 M Puntalto 46 m including gallery 56 m Val Varuna I 149 m 38.179 Cadera 1,383 M Val Varuna II 147 m Cavagliasco I tunnel daylighted1968 32 m Balbalera 122 m Cavagliasco 20 m 42.020 Privilasco 1,119 M 43.618 Poschiavo 1,014 M depot and workshop 45.300 Li Curt 998 M 47.066 Le Prese (incrocio) passing loop 973 M 47.957 Le Prese 965 M Lago di Poschiavo 50.786 Miralago 965 M 53.875 Brusio 780 M Brusio spiral viaduct 116 m 56.162 Campascio 637 M 57.336 to freight yard 57.649 Campocologno 553 M 58.140 Switzerland Italy 530 M 60.688 Tirano 25.957 Tirano RFI Tirano–Lecco railway (standard gauge) toLecco Source: Swiss railway atlas

Bernina railway line with thePalü Glacierin the background. Postcard from ca. 1910

In the year following the completion of theAlbula railway linein 1904, theBernina-Bahngesellschaft(BB) was established, with the objective of opening a railway line betweenSt MoritzandTirano,via the Bernina Pass. Two requirements drove the planning; the need for access tohydro-electric plantson the south side of the Bernina pass, and the provision of access for tourists to tourist attractions of the high mountain area. Theconcessionfor the line was obtained in 1906, and the construction was financed by the investors inKraftwerke Brusio AG,the builders of the hydro-electric works, without the aid of cantonal subsidy.

The line opened from 1908(1908)onwards, in several sections: on 1 July 1908 betweenPontresinaandMorteratasch,and betweenTiranoandPoschiavo;on 18 August of the same year between Pontresina andCelerina;and on 1 July 1909 between Celerina and St Moritz, and between Morteratsch andBernina 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. The line was electrically operated with DC current from the start. In 1935 the voltage was increased from 750 to 1000 volts.

Originally, the Bernina line 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 millionSwiss francs.Even the introduction of arestaurant carin 1928, and packages for tourists, could not save the little railway company from ruin. Due to its difficult financial situation, it was taken over by theRhaetian Railwayin 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 givingpassengersextensive views, but also lying in the path ofavalanchecourses. The new parts of the line cut off those curves, thecatenaryand theflat bottomed railsof the old formation were removed, but thesubstructureis still visible in the high mountains.

Since the mid-1980s, the Rhaetian Railway has been marketing the natural and technical attractions of the Bernina line specifically to tourists. Thus, the section from Pontresina to Tirano forms part of the route of theBernina Express.In October 2011, it was the first railway line in the world to be photographed and put onGoogle Street View.

Description of the railway

St Moritzstation

St Moritz is the terminus of both theAlbula lineand the Bernina line. As the two lines are powered by differentelectrification systems,they meet at the same station, but operate on separate lines from separate platforms. The Bernina line leaves St Moritz station in an easterly direction, and crosses theInn Riveron a 64 m (210 ft) longviaduct.It then passes through the 689 m (2,260 ft) longCharnadüra-Tunnel II,the longest tunnel on the entire route. The next station,Celerina Staz,is, at 1,716 m (5,630 ft) above sea level, the lowest point on the north side of theBernina Pass.From there untilOspizio Bernina,the line will now climb almost continuously. After returning to the banks of the Inn, the line reaches the small stationPunt Muragl Staz.At this point is the valley station ofMuottas-Muragl-Bahn,thefuniculartoMuottas Muragl,opened in 1907.

Pontresina station

The next station inPontresinarepresents, together with St Moritz station, a curiosity in the network of the RhB: two completely different electrification systems meet here. The 11 kVACpowered trains, which enter the station on the line fromSamedan,use tracks 1 to 3, while the 1,000 VDCpowered 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 famousBernina Express,which operates betweenChurorDavos PlatzandTirano.

At "Montebello Curve" railway crossing

The line now turns to the south east. After crossing theRosegbach,passing through theSurovasstation (which was previously called "Sans Souci"(Carefree)), and crossing theBerninabach,it finally reachesMorteratschstation, about 2 km (1.2 mi) below theMorteratsch Glacier.Past the other end of the station is the world-famousMontebello 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 modernisedBernina Suotpassing loop, the tree line has already been reached. The next stations areDiavolezzaandBernina Lagalb;both are departure points ofcableways.

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 ft) longLower Berninabach Bridge,and then the line crosses theArlasbach,a tributary of the Berninabach. On theUpper Berninabach Bridge,the line moves back to the eastern side of the valley. Southwest of here, thePiz Berninaand thePiz Palürise majestically. Next follows the 175 m (574 ft) longArlas Gallery,which provides protection against snow drifts. On the southwestern side are the small lakes known asLej PitschenandLej Nair.Directly behind them towers the 15 m (49 ft) high and 283 m (928 ft) longLago Biancodam, which also marks thewatershedbetween theDanubeand thePo.

The railway now runs along the eastern bank of the lake, and, nearOspizio Bernina,reaches its highest point, at 2,253 m (7,392 ft) above sea level. The Bernina line 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 toPoschiavois particularly badly affected by drifting snow, countless engineering structures have been erected from the southern dam wall onwards: the 140 m (460 ft) longScala Gallery,the 192 m (630 ft) longScala Tunnel,theSassal Mason Gallery,even longer at 348 m (1,142 ft), and the 54 m (177 ft) longDrago Tunnel.

After theGrüm Gallery,the attractiveAlp Grümstation 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 thePoschiavovalley. That this occurs without the assistance of arack railwaysystem makes the Bernina line 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 theUpper Palü Gallery.In a further 180° bend, it heads through thePalü Tunneland subsequently through theLower Palü Gallery.A further four half circle loops follow, until the line reaches theCavagliastation. 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 viaCaderatoPrivilasco.From there, the line leaves the tight bends behind, and, still at its maximum gradient, reaches the Poschiavo Valley. InPoschiavoit 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 line are also stored. The remaining section of line of approximately 17 km (11 mi) to Tirano are laid partially still as a mountain railway, but also partially in the manner of a tramway system. After the stopping pointLi Curt,erected only in 1977, the line ends uprunning on a streetin the village ofLe Prese.Between Le Prese andMiralagothe line passes along the banks of thePoschiavo Lake,thus remaining at the lake's altitude of 965 m (3,166 ft) above sea level.

Brusio spiral viaduct

Slope diagram of the Bernina line

BelowBrusio,the railway has, as its last highlight, theBrusio spiral viaduct,which serves only to adjust the altitude of the line. The spiral viaduct is followed by the stopping point for the village ofCampascio,which still belongs to Brusio. Beyond the border station ofCampocologno,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 line meets thestandard gauge stationand line of the Italian state rail infrastructure companyRete Ferroviaria Italiana(RFI), which links Tirano throughValtellinatoMilan.

Rolling stock and traffic

Today, the following classes of railcar and locomotive are used in scheduled commercial services on the Bernina line: fifteenABe 8/12^Istarting service in 2010, to replace the old series of engines, such as fourABe 4/4^Iand nineABe 4/4^II.Still in service also sixABe 4/4^IIIand twoGem 4/4that can operate without electrical feeding, thanks their diesel-generator inside (double engine locomotives).

This fleet, consisting ofrailcars,also hasfreight cars.Some freight cars are added to passenger trains until the maximum towing capacity of such trains of 140 tonnes (138 long tons; 154 short tons) 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 line now also assiststradewith Italy by carrying considerable quantities of freight, consisting mostly ofheating oil,fuelsandtimber.Additionally, the regional shopping businesses of the Poschiavo valley are served partly by rail.

The timetable is tightly designed, with year-round services of onepassenger trainper hour in each direction. The flagship services are the now fullypanorama car-equippedBernina Expressand theTrenino Rossotravelling in the opposite direction.

In winter, an old 1913 steamrotary snowplowis regularly in service, but also two electricalrotary snowplowsfrom 1968 and also two modern engines from 2010 are used as well. Their operation is also atourist attractionthat draws in railway enthusiasts from all over the world, especially for the steam one. The twoGem 4/4assure the shunt of therotary snowplow.

In connection with the danger ofavalancheson the Bernina line, theRhaetian Railwayhas developed an unusual procedure for the removal of these high alpine hazards. In late winter, when the risk of avalanche is greatest,artilleryis fired at the points of origin of avalanches, to bring some control to their occurrence.

References

Bibliography

• Caminada, Paul (1980).Der Bau der Rhätischen Bahn.Zürich: Orell Füssli Verlag.
• Caprez, Gion; Pfeiffer, Peter (2000).Die Goldenen Jahre der Berninabahn.Zürich: AS Verlag & Buchkonzept AG.ISBN3-905111-48-9.
• Moser, Beat; Pfeiffer, Peter (2004).Die RhB. Teil 2: Berninabahn • St. Moritz – Tirano[The RhB. Part 2: Berninabahn • St. Moritz – Tirano]. Eisenbahn Journal Special-Ausgabe 2/2004. Fürstenfeldbruck: Eisenbahn Journal.ISBN3896101285.(in German)ISSN0171-3671.
• "Mit der Rhätischen Bahn von St. Moritz nach Tirano".BahnGalerie.Bernina. 2002.
• Tarnuzzer, Christian (1909).Die Bernina-Bahn.photographs by D. Mischol. Chur und St. Moritz: Ebner & Cie.
• Tognina, Andrea (2010).Arbeiter am Bernina. Sozialgeschichte eines Bahnbaus, 1906–1910.Chur: Desertina.
• Tognina, Andrea (2010).Gli operai del Bernina. Storia sociale di un cantiere ferroviario.Coira: Desertina.

Audio-visual material

• "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 Company,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'sARDnetwork (see alsoDas Erste), included a cab ride on the Bernina line.

Images

• 
  A Rhaetian Railway train in Tirano
• 
  An RhB Regio train to Tirano between Lagalb and Ospizio Bernina
• 
  Bernina Expresspanorama cars in Tirano
• 
  Lei Pitschen in winter
• 
  Regional train on the Bernina line on the shores of Lake Nero in the Lago Bianco to the Bernina Pass
• 
  Crossing the upper Berninabach Bridge
• 
  Grüm Galery at Alp Grüm
• 
  A down-valley train at Poschiavo station
• 
  Rhaetian Railway station in Tirano
• 
  ABe 4/4^I30 and 34 belowAlp Grüm
• 
  Hybrid loco Gem 4 / 4 in service at the head of a Regio train to Tirano
• 
  Rotary snowplow Xrotd 9213 with dual-mode Gem 4 / 802 4 in action
• 
  RhB EMUs ABe 4/4 III 55 "Diavolezza" and 54 "Hakone" cross the "Am See Brücke"

External links

• Images of the Bernina line
• Photos of the Bernina line inBahnGalerie
• Photos of the Bernina line