The Route Architecture
Known affectionately as the "Slowest Express Train in the World," the Glacier Express connects the two most renowned mountain resorts of Switzerland: Zermatt at the foot of the Matterhorn, and the glamorous alpine enclave of St. Moritz. Operated jointly by the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (MGB) and the Rhaetian Railway (RhB), the 291-kilometer journey operates on a 1,000 mm narrow-gauge network utilizing the Abt rack-and-pinion system on its steep gradients.
The journey departs Zermatt (1,604 m), descending the dramatic Matter Valley past precipitous stone terraces to Visp and Brig before following the youthful Rhone River. Ascending through the 15.4 km Furka Base Tunnel into the Urseren Valley, the train arrives in Andermatt before beginning its steepest ascent: the rack-propelled climb to the summit of the Oberalp Pass at 2,033 meters (6,670 ft), the highest point on the line.
Key Civil Engineering Landmarks
1. The Rhine Gorge (Ruinaulta): Also nicknamed the "Swiss Grand Canyon," this 400-meter-deep canyon of towering white limestone cliffs was created 10,000 years ago by the Flims Rockslide. The train hugs the boulder-strewn banks of the Vorderrhein where no road access exists.
2. The Landwasser Viaduct: Located between Thusis and Filisur on the Albula Line, this 65-meter-high curved limestone viaduct sweeps across a sheer gorge and plunges directly into the cliff-face mouth of the Landwasser Tunnel.