Record: The World’s Longest Train Is in Switzerland!

To celebrate its 175 years of the Swiss railway system, the RhB company launched a record train of 100 wagons and 1.9 kilometers long.

This feat was achieved on the Albula line, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list, moving at a slow pace, far from the speed expectations of a Transpod. A dreamlike mountain scenery, with a winding route, autumn colors—all the elements were together for a beautiful record on the rails.

A total of 100 wagons!

The event, which lasted less than an hour and a half on Saturday afternoon, was spectacular. The longest train in the world was formed of 100 wagons, equivalent to 25 regular trains on this line! Covering a total of 1.906 kilometers, the entire train departed from Preda and finished its journey in Bergün, in southeastern Switzerland, in the canton of Graubünden. The convoy crossed 48 bridges and 22 tunnels over a distance of about 25 kilometers.

Most of the train is downhill (at an altitude of 789 meters between the two ends), easing the effort for the 25 locomotives pulling 3,000 tons at speeds between 30 and 35 km/h. Despite the train’s length, only 150 people were onboard. The few 3,000 enthusiasts who came to celebrate the event waited patiently at the terminus in Bergün.

Why such an exercise? It all started this spring, according to the Swiss newspaper Blick, where the initial preparations took place. The goal: to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the Swiss railway. The record was organized by the Rhätische Bahn (RhB), or Rhaetian Railway company.

This longest train in the world will not be confined just to this weekend, as it will arrive at the homes of some enthusiasts. And this in the form of miniature trains, which a manufacturer will soon reproduce!

Also read: Hydrogen train, the first line opening in Germany