Bernina Express

The Bernina Express is a train that connects Chur in Switzerland with Tirano in Italy. The Bernina Railway built the last bit of the line between 1908 and 1910. The journey on the Bernina Express is a 4 hour railway journey (140 kilometers)across 196 bridges, through 55 tunnels and across the Bernina

 Pass, the highest point at 2,253 metres in altitude. The 61 kilometer journey between St Moritz and Tirano takes roughly two and half hours. This part of the line is the original Bernina Line. Although the railway between Chur and Tirano has been used a long time, today's Bernina Express was started in 1973. The section between Thusis and Tirano has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

 

 

The Bernina Express runs all year. It is run by Rhatische Bahn, here is a link to their website. The Bernina Express is quite popular, especially in summer so if you are on a tight schedule try to book in advance. Especially if you want to sit in one of the panorama coaches.
 
The starting point of the Bernina Express is Chur. Chur is generally considered to be the oldest town in Switzerland. The population of Chur is around 35,000, elevation 593 metres. Chur is the capital of the canton of Graubunden, the largest canton covering about a sixth of Switzerland. The Chur railway station is used both by SBB (serving most of Switzerland) and Rhatische Bahn (serving most of Graubunden) SBB uses the standard gauge, 1435 mm, while Rhatische Bahn uses the narrow gauge, 1000 mm.
 
Chur is a splendid place for the train enthusiast with many interesting railway lines. You can take the Arosa Express from Chur, the train journey to Arosa takes an hour. It is a steep climb up to Arosa, with plenty of nice views. Note that the train to Arosa departs from the tracks just outside the railway station. The Glacier Express is another famous train journey that starts in Chur or St. Moritz.
 
The first part of the Bernina Express runs along the Rhine. Due to the strategic location of the Rhine valley, you will see many old castles and ruins. The tallest bridge is the Solis Bridge but the Landwasser Viaduct is better known. The latter has a length of 136 metres and a height of 65 metres. It has six huge stone arches and is slightly curved.
 
In Filisur you can change trains and go to Davos. On the way to Davos, the train crosses the Wiesen bridge, the longest stone bridge in Graubunden. The length of the bridge is 204 metres and the height is 89 metres (87 metres according to some sources) The Wiesen Bridge was opened in 1909. It's possible to walk across the bridge as well. Take the train to Wiesen and just follow the path along the railway track back to bridge. Note that Wiesen is a request stop, you need to press the stop button in the train if you want to disembark.
 

Wiesenbrücke/Wiesen Bridge

 

The longest tunnel is the Albula tunnel between Preda and Spinas. It is 5865 metres long and was opened in 1903. At an altitude of 1883 metres it is the highest railway tunnel in the Alps. Lately the condition of the tunnel has deteriorated and different solutions are being investigated to keep the Bernina railway line open all year.
 
In 1904, thanks to the Albula tunnel, the railway connected St. Moritz with Chur. Before that the journey from Chur to St. Moritz took 15 hours by stagecoach. Thanks to the railway line, St. Moritz became an exclusive winter resort. The Bernina Express from Chur does not go to St. Moritz, you need to change trains in Samedan if you want to visit St Moritz. In summer, you can walk from Pontresina to St Moritz. It is possible to take a train from St Moritz to Tirano, this was the original Bernina Line.
 
At Punt Muragl you can take a funicular railway (the Muottas Muragl Bahn, MMB) up to Mouttas Muragl (2453 metres above sea level) Around here you can find some people who speak Romansh, the least used of the four official languages in Switzerland.
 
Generally, during the stop in Pontresina, the current is changed from AC to DC, and the locomotives are changed. Although not as famous as St Moritz, Pontresina has a wide range of accommodation and is a popular tourist destination, both winter and summer.
 

Panorama Coach Bernina Express & Glacier Exporess

 

Ospozio Bernina, altitude of 2253 metres, is the highest point of the railway. The lake along the track is Lago Bianco. On one side of the lake, the water flows via the river Inn and the Danube into the Black Sea and on the other side, the water flows via the river Adda and the Po into the Adriatic Sea.
 
Alp Grum has wonderful views and a picturesque railway station. This is the last station in the German speaking part of the line, now the Italian speaking part begins. The Panoroma Kurve has some of the best views, overlooking the Palu glacier and Lago Palu.
 
Between Alp Grum, at 2091 metres above sea level, and Poschiavo, at 1014 metres above sea level, the distance is just 5 kilometers as the crow flies. But the Bernina Express needs more than 40 minutes to get down to Poschiavo, making a lot of twists and turns in order to lengthen the track so it becomes less steep.
 
In the Italian speaking part of the Bernina Express, the train sometimes uses the streets of the villages and looks more like a tram than a train. The famous 360 degree spiral viaduct, the Kreisviadukt (9 arches and a length of 116 metres), in Brusio is used to overcome the height difference within a small distance.
 
Tirano is small town and most tourists either take the Bernina Express back to Chur/St. Moritz or continue by Italian train to Milan (takes 2.5 hours) In summer, you can take the bus to Lugano, a 3 hour bus ride. Although not as spectacular as the Bernina Express, it is a nice bus ride. In Lugano, you can take another scenic train journey to Lucerne. Remember to book your bus ticket in advance if you are planning on taking the bus.
 

Bernina Express Sign

 

For more information about trains in Switzerland, visit the SBB web site by clicking on this link

Here is a map of the railway network in Graubünden. Note that the Bernina Express from Chur is not going via St. Moritz. From Samedan it goes directly to Punt Muragl.