11 December premiered the first direct train connection from Interlaken to Montreux. The plan for a continuous railway line from Montreux to Interlaken has existed for over a century. For a long time, the plan was to build two tracks − one standard gauge and one narrow gauge − next to ...
11 December premiered the first direct train connection from Interlaken to Montreux. The plan for a continuous railway line from Montreux to Interlaken has existed for over a century. For a long time, the plan was to build two tracks − one standard gauge and one narrow gauge − next to each other, but then it became clear that this would be far too expensive. The solution was a clever piece of engineering: a gauge change system makes it possible to change from a standard track to a narrow-gauge track. The whole process can be carried out while the train is in motion, at a maximum speed of 15 kilometres per hour. The rerouting takes less than 20 seconds all while the passengers on the train don’t feel a thing.
Apart from being a tourist convenience, the project offers an upside for the locals: The trains do not replace existing connections but are added to the existing timetable. As express trains, they will not stop at all stations, but only the most important ones. In future, the trains will always stop in Saanenmöser, Schönried and Gstaad in the Saanenland. From Sunday onwards, there will be two trains per day from Interlaken to Montreux and vice versa, and double by summer. This means that at least eight of the new trains will be travelling through Saanenland every day come summertime.
BASED ON AVS | NICOLAS GEISSBÜHLER
