Presentation curiosities and data on the world’s longest passenger train. Find out more about Switzerland’s extraordinary line-up.
On October 29, there was a successful attempt to break an extraordinary record. In Switzerland, the national train operator Rhaetian Railways (RhB) sent the longest passenger train in history on the road. Moreover, this extremely long train passed the famous route of the Albula, a world heritage site UNESCO. The event was organized to celebrate 175 years of Swiss railways and to celebrate the creation of the famous line leading through the most picturesque and impressive alpine passes. The record length train has already been entered into the famous Guinness Book of Records. Below we describe what the historic ride was like.
The longest train in the world
Until now, the record for the longest trains was held first by the Netherlands, then by Belgium. In the case of these flat and lowland countries, attaching more wagons to the train is not a major problem. However, in mountainous Switzerland, creating the longest passenger train in history was a challenge. The record train had to make a descent with a total altitude of 789.4 m – from Preda (located at an altitude of 1788.7 m above sea level) to Alvaneu, located 999.3 m above sea level. above sea level, which required months of preparation and an excellent crew. team work. Measuring a total of 1,906 meters, the train was completed in the Albula Tunnel at Preda. 25 trains, each consisting of four new “Capricorn” (“Alpine Ibex”) cars, manufactured by Stadler, were brought to this location. At 2:20 p.m., the train of 100 cars sets off on the famous alpine road from Preda to Alvaneu, which is exactly 24,930 km long. During this long descent, the braking energy recovery system (similar to that of electric cars) recovered 4,000 kWh of energy. The route was followed by thousands of Swiss as well as tourists and railway enthusiasts from all over the world. At 3.30 p.m., the record-length train reaches its destination: the famous and imposing Landwasser viaduct, which offers a breathtaking view of the Alps. Weighing a total of 2,990 tons, the train traveled at a maximum speed of 30 to 35 km/h. 7 drivers and 21 technicians ensured the smooth running of the journey at all times. For communication, they used field telephones with almost two kilometers of wiring, provided by civil protection. Thanks to their work, the longest train in the world traveled the route with no problems with 48 bridges and 22 tunnels and a difference in height of almost 800 m.
Albula – one of the most beautiful railway lines in the world
The record-breaking train crossed the most spectacular part of the Albula route, which is one of the most magnificent in the world. It’s real genius masterpiecelisted UNESCO, has a total length of 62 kilometers and connects Thusis to St. Moritz. It sounds incredible, but this winding road leading above the chasms was built in just 5 years, despite the fact that it took, among other things, to build 55 bridges and 39 drilled tunnels! The largest viaduct on the route is the famous Landwasser Bridge, measuring 65m high and 142m long. Before the completion of this railway line in 1904, a real escapade in horse-drawn carriages or sleighs had to be made, generally lasting no less than 14 hours.
You can watch the world’s longest passenger train below:
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