Rhaetian Railway

Route overview

The Rhaetian Railway is a metre-gauge network centred on the canton of Graubünden in eastern Switzerland, with a cross-border extension into northern Italy. Its main spine runs from Thusis through the Albula valley to St. Moritz and then over the Bernina Pass to Tirano, while other lines radiate from Chur toward Arosa, Disentis, and Scuol. The most celebrated through journey links Chur, the network’s principal city, with St. Moritz and Tirano, combining the Albula and Bernina lines into a single continuous run of roughly 145 kilometres. The full network totals about 384 route kilometres. Trains climb from valley floors at around 600 metres to the Bernina Pass at 2,253 metres, the highest point reached by any railway in the Alps without a rack section. Because the line is metre gauge, curves are tight and gradients steep, allowing the railway to thread through mountain terrain that standard-gauge routes could not easily follow. The route is operated year-round and forms part of the Swiss public transport timetable, with connections to the standard-gauge Swiss Federal Railways network at Chur and to Italian railways at Tirano.

History of the line

The Rhaetian Railway was assembled from a series of privately promoted lines built between the 1880s and the early twentieth century. The Landquart–Davos line opened in 1889, followed by extensions that reached St. Moritz and the Engadin. The Albula line, opened in 1903, provided the decisive link between Chur and the Engadin and included the spiral tunnels and viaducts that remain among the network’s defining structures. The Bernina line, completed in 1910, extended the system southward across the watershed to Tirano in Italy, making the railway an international route. The company has operated under the Rhaetian Railway name since its formation, and the network has been electrified since the early twentieth century, using a single-phase alternating current system that was unusual for its time. In 2008, the Albula and Bernina lines were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula/Bernina Landscapes, recognising their engineering and their integration into the mountain environment. The railway remains a public transport operator as well as a tourist attraction, carrying both local passengers and long-distance travellers.

Landscape and scenery

The Rhaetian Railway traverses a compact but exceptionally varied Alpine landscape. From Chur, the Albula line climbs through the Domleschg valley, passes the Landwasser Viaduct, and enters the Albula tunnel beneath the watershed. Beyond the tunnel, the line descends to the Engadin, a high valley of lakes and larch forests around St. Moritz. The Bernina line then rises again, crossing the Morteratsch glacier viewpoint, the Bernina Pass, and the Lago Bianco reservoir before dropping steeply through the Poschiavo valley to Tirano. Along the way, passengers see deep gorges, stone viaducts, spiral tunnels, and the distinctive dry-stone walls and chestnut groves of the Italian-speaking valleys. The route crosses climatic and linguistic boundaries, moving from German-speaking Graubünden into Romansh and Italian regions. Winter brings snow-covered forests and frozen lakes, while summer reveals wildflower meadows and glacier-fed streams. The combination of high alpine terrain, engineered structures, and small settlements makes the journey a continuous sequence of viewpoints rather than a single highlight.

Key stations and cities

Chur is the largest city on the network and the main interchange with the standard-gauge Swiss Federal Railways, making it the usual starting point for long journeys. Thusis, at the northern end of the Albula line, marks the transition from the Rhine valley into the mountains. St. Moritz, the best-known resort on the line, sits in the Engadin and serves as a hub for the Bernina and Albula routes. Pontresina, nearby, is a junction for the Bernina line and a base for mountain excursions. Along the Bernina line, Alp Grüm offers a celebrated viewpoint above the Poschiavo valley, while Poschiavo itself preserves a distinctive Italian-speaking townscape. Tirano, in Italy, is the southern terminus, where the metre-gauge railway meets the standard-gauge Italian network. Other notable stations include Davos Platz, reached by a branch from Landquart, and Arosa, at the end of a steep line from Chur. These stations combine local transport functions with tourism, and many retain historic station buildings that reflect the railway’s early twentieth-century origins.

Rolling stock and service

The Rhaetian Railway operates electric locomotives and multiple units built for metre gauge, including modern low-floor trains for regional services and older locomotive-hauled sets for peak demand. The flagship tourist service is the Bernina Express, which runs between Chur or Davos and Tirano, using panoramic coaches with large windows and, on the Bernina line, openable windows in some carriages. The Glacier Express also uses Rhaetian Railway tracks between Chur and St. Moritz, although it is marketed jointly with other operators. Regular regional trains connect the main towns throughout the day, and local services serve branch lines such as those to Arosa and Davos. Because the network is fully electrified, trains draw power from overhead lines, and the Bernina line uses the same system as the rest of the network. Services are integrated into the Swiss timetable, with coordinated connections at Chur, St. Moritz, and other junctions. The railway carries commuters, schoolchildren, and tourists, and freight trains also use parts of the network, particularly in the Chur area.

Technical facts and engineering

The Rhaetian Railway is built to metre gauge, with a maximum gradient of about 7 per cent on the Bernina line and somewhat less on the Albula line. The network is electrified at 11 kV, 16.7 Hz alternating current, a system shared with parts of the Swiss Federal Railways but applied here to a narrow-gauge railway. The Albula line includes the 5,865-metre Albula tunnel, opened in 1903 and replaced by a new parallel tunnel in the 2020s, as well as the Landwasser Viaduct, a curved limestone structure that carries the line directly into a tunnel portal. The Bernina line reaches 2,253 metres at the Bernina Pass and includes the Brusio spiral viaduct, a circular viaduct built to manage the steep descent. Because the line has no rack sections, adhesion alone provides traction, which requires powerful locomotives and careful attention to weight and braking. The railway crosses the European watershed between the Rhine and Po drainage basins. Its engineering works are recognised as cultural heritage, and the line remains a working railway rather than a museum.

Frequently asked questions

How long does the journey take? The full run from Chur to Tirano by Bernina Express takes about four hours, depending on the service and stops. Regional trains take longer because they serve more stations. Is the route open all year? Yes, the Rhaetian Railway operates throughout the year, although high-altitude sections can experience heavy snow and occasional disruption in winter. Does the train use a rack? No. The Rhaetian Railway is an adhesion railway throughout, including the steep Bernina line, and does not use rack-and-pinion sections. Where does the route start and end? The most common long-distance journey begins at Chur in Switzerland and ends at Tirano in Italy, passing through St. Moritz and over the Bernina Pass. The network also includes branches to Arosa, Davos, and Scuol, which are served by separate regional trains.