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Across the square and up we go!
We start "low" at 429 meters above sea level. In roughly 1½ hours, we will be up at 2253 meters above sea level.
The Bernina is the only alpine railway crossing that literally goes up to the top of the mountain pass, instead of using long tunnels
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At Campocologno station we officially enter the quadrilingual country with a name in Latin, and obviously, no free roaming.
Confoederatio Helvetica 🇨🇭
[And actually, I'll get to interact with 3 of the 4 languages of CH on this short journey 🤓]
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First main sight of the line is the impressive Brusio spiral viaduct.
A 360 degree loop that enables our little red train to gain (even more) altitude.
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🎥 And obviously the video as we go around? up? the viaduct.
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Bernina moments. The R train to St Moritz waits at Brusio station, as an early morning mixed (passenger/cargo) train enters the station and clears the line.
#Bernina
#RhB
@rhaetischebahn
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One of those "only in Switzerland" moments in Le Prese.
Tram-train, quite literally.
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Short stop in Poschiavo, but with just enough time to take some pics.
From here, it's really up up the mountains, and it will start to get VERY scenic.
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Bernina Pass III
Note that the points are heated to avoid freezing and keep the line operational.
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Bernina Pass IV
Another crossing. The line is single track but efficient timetabling and frequent passing bays, allow for high capacity.
Remember, this may be a super scenic railway, but it's not a tourist attraction in itself. It's a normal railway running hourly services.
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Bernina Pass V
We only get higher and higher. And the views only get even impressive.
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Seeing a glacier from a train window? ✅
(Ok in summer you can see it better 😅)
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Bernina Pass VI
Last tight curve as we approach Alp Grüm station. And the glacier in the background. There's just no words to describe the beauty of this place.
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Alp Grüm, a station at 2091 meters above sea level that is only accessible by railway. And amazing views over the Palü glacier.
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We reached the top! Lago Bianco!
Rather than an hourly regional train, at this moment, at this point the trip feels as if it was a little bit of an adventure. Crossing the Alps at 2253 meters above sea level, and with roughly -15°C outside.
And yet, we're running spot on time.
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Lago Bianco.
The train continues its trip, battling against wind, cold and snow.
And the meanwhile the mountains, so peaceful. So remote.
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Ospizio Bernina. The highest station in the line, in Graubünden, and one of the highest in Europe!
2256 M.ü.M.
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Bernina Pass VII
We approach the actual Pass, which not only is the border between Val Poschiavo & Engadin, and between Italian & German speaking Switzerland.
But also, the watershed border between the Adriatic and the Black Sea (via the Danube). So, willkommen in Mitteleuropa!
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Bernina Pass VIII
Once again, another crossing. Another allegra EMU southbound. Fortunately for me, my Regio train is lead by a pair of retro locos pulling some RhB einheitswagen coaches.
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Bernina Pass X
Last minutes on this train. Stereotypically Swiss scenes at Surovas.
And now that it's not so freezing outside, time for a
#FensterAuf
souvenir selfie 😄
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Pontresina station. Changing trains at 1777 meters above sea level.
Even here, Swiss taktfahrplan works perfectly. In less than 10 minutes, my connecting train to Samedan arrives.
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Short ride on the "shuttle" to Samedan.
This avoids changing trains at St Moritz, where you'd have to wait for almost 1 hour.
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Waiting in Samedan station. Here I'll board the InterRegio to Chur, the canton capital.
And here stars my trip on the Albula Line.
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Parallel running as the R & the IR both leave Samedan at the same time on parallel tracks.
But make sure to turn the sound ON 🔊 and hear this announcement… in Romansh! One of the four national languages of Switzerland, but still a very very small one. Nice language policy RhB!
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Allegra! 👋🏼
Time to continue the trip from Tirano 🇮🇹 to Brussels 🇧🇪 via the
@rhaetischebahn
❤️🚞
After changing train in Samedan, it was goodbye to the Bernina line and into the Albula line. Both are listed as UNESCO World Heritage. And both are simply stunning.
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Unlike in the Bernina, almost all of the trains in the Albula (at least those making the express InterRegio services to Chur) are quite modern
However,
@rhaetischebahn
knows their business, and they included a panoramic "fotoabteil" with windows that open
#FensterAuf
. Perfect 📸
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Albula Line I
It doesnt get more "winter wonderland" than this. 🌲❄️🌲❄️
The Bernina is all about height and epic views, the Albula is more about the viaducts and valleys. Incredibly charmful. As if we were on a winter-themed model railway.
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Albula Line II
The InterRegio to Chur riding down the valley.
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Albula Line III
In Bergün/Bravuogn station there's the "
@bahnmuseum
Albula", a place that I'd love to visit next time I'm on this line.
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Albula Line IV
Roads are fully covered with snow on this remote valley of Graubünden.
The Rhätische Bahn, however, is running perfectly on time.
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Albula Line V
We approach Filisur. A connecting station with the line to Davos.
And also the prelude to the highlight of this line...
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Albula Line VI
⌚ Taktfahrplan once again working perfectly. The three trains meet in Filisur: down the Albula, up the Albula and east to Davos.
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Albula Line VII
In Europe there are many railway viaducts… and then there is THE railway viaduct!
Ladies and gentlemen, the Landwasser Viaduct.
A curved viaduct that enters directly into a tunnel, in the middle of the Alps. One of the jewels of Swiss railway engineering.
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