An A-Z of Swiss Railways – Part 3

Today we visited Switzerland with Steve Ollive for part 3 of his Swiss A to Z tour.

Starting at with a map to indicate where we were, which Steve often referred to throughout the presentation, to show us exactly where we were. Starting at the letter P we visited Pilatisbahn railway a 4.6km, OHL electric railway on the edge of Lake Lucerne. From here on in the Branch line names seemed to get longer and more difficult to pronounce so were simply referred to by their initials.

I knew there was a complex railway system here but it was fascinating to see so many branch lines all of varying gauges and stock. Steve explained in detail all the differing variations whilst showing their locations. Majority of the photographs we saw were pre 2010, with stock often dating back to the early 1900’s. In the past 20 years most lines and stock have been upgraded and standardised all now with similar looking Stadler type emu’s for ease of access and maintenance. We also had a look at the varying steep climbs railways here had to cope with and the differing rack systems used dependant on the gradient. The Swiss government and local councils invest heavily in the railway system and encourage people to travel by train.

A really good afternoon with some great photography and excellent descriptions about each of the many lines we covered today.

Dave Elsdon

Branch Secretary