Oldgreytravel was returning from Italy recently and was intrigued by the idea of travelling over the Alps by train rather than through the long, fast and efficient tunnels of the main line routes. Perhaps surprisingly, such trains still exist and run throughout the winter. The Bernina railway was built at the beginning of the C20 primarily to connect the developing resort of St Moritz to the outside world but also to provide a fast and efficient link over the then formidable barrier of the Alps. It still runs today throughout the year and is surprisingly busy with tourists and locals as well as carrying freight to and from the remote mountain communities it serves.
Construction took a mere 4 years at a time when every engineering challenge seemed to be just that – something to be conquered. Numerous bridges and tunnels were required to negotiate the difficult terrain, including the famous 360 degree spiral viaduct at Brusio and the high Landwasser Viaduct (pictured above). The line is narrow gauge and electric powered, with the small carriages capable of the sharp turns required to negotiate the mountain curves. The line was originally only intended for summer use for tourists, but so successful was it, transporting more than 333,000 passengers and nearly 19,000 tons of freight in its first year of operation, that further investment meant that by 1914 (just 4 years after opening) it was operating all year round.
Due to its historic significance and engineering and design quality, it was added to UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites in 2008. The UNESCO declaration states:
“The railway’s socio-economic consequences were substantial and lasting for mountain life, the interchange of human and cultural values, and changes between man and nature in the West …… offers a wide diversity of technical solutions for the establishment of the railway in often severe mountain conditions. It is a well-designed construction that has been realized with a high degree of quality and it has remarkable stylistic and architectural homogeneity. The railway infrastructure moreover blends in particularly harmoniously with the Alpine landscapes through which it passes.”
Leaving aside the bureaucratic language, it can be seen that it is acknowledged as a remarkable feat of engineering and even today one is impressed by the sheer bravado of the construction. No barrier seems too daunting as the line winds its way through tunnels and avalanche shelters and over vertiginous viaducts, all built in the same local stone with a robust engineering aesthetic. It peaks in the beautiful Bernina Pass at Ospizio Bernina, the highest railway station in Europe at an altitude of 2253m. The building, all granite blocks and timber shutters, is built to withstand anything the weather can throw at it. Robust and elegant would stand as a good leitmotif for the railway, its engineering structures and associated buildings, for they all have a remarkable sense of place and harmony, as noted in the UNESCO declaration. The railway really does touch the land lightly and has a remarkably harmonious relationship with the magnificent Alpine scenery through which it passes.
So, is it worth the additional time and cost over the faster and cheaper express lines? The answer to that is down to your personal circumstances and desires. The trip from Milan to Tirano is 2.5 hours, Tirano in Italy to Chur in Switzerland on the Bernina Express takes around 4 hours with the onward connection to Zurich taking around another 2 hours, a full day in effect. The Milan- Zurich express takes 3-4 hours. Nobody in a hurry is going to take the Bernina Express. However, the views and the experience of travelling through the high mountains are something that will draw people whatever the time and cost. The Milan to Zurich Express has advance fares from around £25, while Swiss Railways are expensive. Tirano to Zurich will cost around £85 per person. However, there is a cheaper option. If you book an advance ticket from Singen on the Swiss German border via Zurich and Chur to Tirano, including the Bernina Express, through German Railways (www.bahn.com) it can cost from around £29 with free travel for children under 15. A real bargain. Further details on this and more can be sourced from the excellent Man in Seat 61 website (www.seat61.com).
