SWITZERLAND GLACIER EXPRESS 8

THE GLACIER EXPRESS 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, 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 world-renowned Matterhorn at an elevation of 1606 m (5269 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 the 15.4 km-long (9.6 mi) Furka Tunnel at an elevation of 1500 m (4900 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 2033 m (6670 ft) before descending to its low point at Chur at 585 m (1919 ft)
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)
The first Glacier Express started on 30 June 1930 at 07:30 in Zermatt
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 new train's name honoured 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
YEAR ROUND OPERATIONS
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
A special promotional wine glass on a sloping base emphasised the steepness of some parts of the route
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
ITINERARY
Shortly after leaving St. Moritz station (1775 m or 5823 ft) in Graubünden, the train passes Samedan and Bever on the high Engadin plateau
There it continues in the Val Bever before entering the Albula Tunnel at 1815 m (5955 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 a short distance (400 m [1300 ft] for 5 km [3.1 mi])
After another spiral, the train reaches Filisur at the end of the valley at (1032 m or 3386 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 the city of Chur (585 m or 1919 ft)
OBERALP SECTION
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 2290 ft), Disentis/Mustér (1142 m or 3747 ft) and Sedrun (1404 m or 4606 ft)
From Sedrun the line becomes steeper to finally reach its summit, the Oberalp Pass at 2,033 m (6,670 ft). From there the train enters the Canton of Uri in Central Switzerland and continues down to Andermatt (1,447 m or 4,747 ft)
FURKA SECTION
From Andermatt, the train goes forward in the valley called Urseren passing the villages of Hospental (1452 m or 4764 ft) and Realp (1538 m or 5046 ft)
From there the train enters the Furka Base Tunnel, leaving the old railway line which climbs 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 (1346 m or 4416 ft), Münster-Geschinen (1359 m or 4459 ft) and Fiesch (1049 m or 3442 ft), before going through another spiral
The Glacier Express's route through Switzerland
From Brig-(678 m or 2,224 ft) the train continues to Visp (651 m or 2136 ft), then enters the valley of Mattertal and goes up, passing the villages of Stalden (799 m or 2621 ft), St. Niklaus (1127 m or 3698 ft) and Randa (1408 m or 4619 ft)
Täsch (1450 m or 4760 ft) is an important station as it is the end of the open road, and therefore a terminal for motorists
After a steeper section the train finally arrives in Zermatt at 1616 m (5302 ft), after nearly 8 hours of travel