The record is set: 1.9 Km train goes from Preda to the Landwasser Viaduct

After more than 30 years, the Belgian Railways has lost the record for the longest passenger train to the Swiss railway company Rhätische Bahn. A 1.9-kilometer train covered 25 kilometers, from Preda via Filisur to the Landwasser Viaduct. The train consisted of 25 sets of four carriages each, a total of one hundred.

The ride started twenty minutes later than planned, which was due to problems with a camera at a clutch. The ride also took longer than planned, as getting off the invitees halfway through the ride – in Bergün – took longer. Nevertheless, the Rhaetian Railway is particularly proud that the old record has been broken. Along the route, thousands of people could be found who wanted to capture the train.

In the previous records, the train was pulled by one locomotive, followed by a series of carriages. In 1989, NS managed to set the record in her name. During the 150th anniversary, the 1607 with 60 carriages drove a train of no less than 1.6 kilometers. Two years later, our southern neighbors decided that it could be a little longer: a train of 70 carriages with a length of 1.7 kilometers.

The Swiss train did not use a locomotive, but seven drivers. The train consisted of four parts, each with a driver. To ensure that all drivers braked and pulled up at the same time, communication was essential. Field telephones were used for this. Also, the train was equipped with a modified emergency braking system.

To prevent the voltage on the overhead line from becoming too high, measures were also taken and the train was not allowed to travel faster than 30 kilometers per hour. Criticism that the event would be a waste of energy dismissed Rhaetian Railway Director Renato Fasciati. We use as much energy today as on a normal day. The new Capricorn trainsets we use today are very energy efficient, he commented at a press conference. The fact that no more energy has been consumed is associated with an adjustment in the timetable. Before the record attempt, no trains ran between Tiefencastel and St. Moritz.

The record attempt was sponsored by numerous partners, including Stadler and Märklin. As a result, the costs for the event fell, according to the director. According to the railway company, the record is a visiting card for attracting tourists to the region.

However, the question is whether the company can cope with this transport demand: the Rhaetian Railway transported five to ten percent more tourists in 2022 than before the corona pandemic (2019). Especially the Glacier Express and Bernina Express are often fully booked. Fasciati: we organized this record on purpose in the fall, in the off-season. We want to show that autumn or november is also suitable for a holiday. In addition, we will soon have two trains per hour on a number of routes, instead of one.

175 years of Swiss Railways

The record attempt is part of the celebration of 175 years of Swiss Railways. The first Swiss train ran from Zurich to Baden in 1847. The journey time was greatly reduced by the arrival of the train. The predecessor of the Rhaetian Railway was founded in 1888 by the Dutchman Jan Willem Holsboer. Since 1895, the trains in Graubünden have been running under the name Rhätische Bahn.