Switzerland wants to break world record for longest passenger train

The Rhaetian Railway (RhB) will attempt to run the world’s longest passenger train on a UNESCO World Heritage route from the Albula Tunnel in Preda to the world-famous Landwasser Viaduct near Filisur. Within a few days, a total of 3,000 tickets were sold for the public event in Bergün. It is reported by Railway Supply magazine with reference to Kurier Kolejowy.

This Saturday, October 29th, RhB will deliver 25 Capricorn four-car multi-purpose trains to the Albula line. The record-breaking 1.91 km train will line up in the Albula Tunnel on Friday evening and Saturday morning. Everything will start at 14.00 in Pred, where the train will leave the tunnel for about four minutes. It will move at a speed of 30 to 35 km/h on bridges and spiral tunnels. At approximately 2:25 pm, the record-breaking train will stop for ten minutes in Bergün before reaching its destination, a thrilling ride over the Landwasser Viaduct, at around 3:15 pm. The train will then be carefully dismantled into its individual Capricorn components, which will then be returned to regular service.

At the exit from Bergün, a festival zone will be created, and access to the festival tent with an entertainment program will be possible only for 3,000 visitors who managed to get a ticket in early August. Model train manufacturer Märklin will present a world-record train set of 25 LGB Capricorn models at the festival site. This 1:22.5 scale model train will be approximately 80 meters long. The world record attempt will be streamed live by media partner Blick TV.

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A few numbers of the upcoming record:

The length of the route from Preda to Alvaneu is 24,930 meters.
Relative height 789.4 m (Preda – 1788.7 m above sea level, Alvaneu – 999.3 m).
The record train will cross 48 bridges and 22 tunnels.
The largest viaduct on the world record route is the world-famous Landwasser Viaduct near Filisur, which is 142 meters long and 65 meters high.
The longest tunnel on the world record route is the 698m Greifenstein Tunnel just before Filisur.
During the world record attempt, 4,000 kWh of braking energy will be generated.
The record-breaking train will move at a speed of 30 to 35 km/h.
The train will consist of 25 four-car units of Capricorn, and its total length will be 1.91 km.
The record train weighs about 2990 tons.
Communication inside the train is provided by the Civil Defense via a field telephone with a length of almost 2 kilometers.
Seven drivers and 21 engineers will be delegated to manage the train.

“Switzerland is a country of railways unlike any other. This year marks the 175th anniversary of Swiss Railways. By trying to set a world record, RhB and its partners want to contribute and take on a journey that has never been seen before,” said RhB CEO Renato Fasciati.

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