In Switzerland nearly all railways run electrically but it is possible to find many steam railways such as the Brienzer Rothornbahn or the Furka Railway for instance.
There are many interesting mountain railways of all types. In Switzerland most electric trains get their power from a single phase AC network at 15 000V 16 2/3Hz. This network uses its own powerlines run with 66 kV and 132 kV, which have, unlike normal power lines, a number of conductors not divisible by 3. Most powerlines for the single phase AC grid of the traction power grid have four conductors. Railway photography is permitted everywhere provided you don't walk on forbidden areas without permission.
Here is short list of the most remarkable railway lines:
The Bernina Express from Davos / Chur to Tirano, the highest transversal in the Alps, high mountain scenery.
The Jungfraujoch railway, from Interlaken (560 meters) to the Jungfraujoch station (3450 meters) in two hours. Definitely the most impressive journey in the Alps.
The Gornergrat railway, departure from Zermatt to the 3090 meters high Gornergrat.
The Mount Rigi railway, oldest mountain train in Europe.
The Mount Pilatus railway, from Lucerne to the top, the steepest railway in the world.
The Lötschberg is a line connecting Berne and Brig, not considered as a mountain train but still impressive scenery.
The Gotthard with its many spirals connecting Lucerne and Bellinzona
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Switzerland
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Switzerland - updated Apr 2024
SAVE up to 75% on Last Minute deals! Search for discount Switzerland hotels, motels, apartments, hostels, guest accommodations and vacation resorts. Book now and pay at the hotel. Instant email confirmation!
Switzerland Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
