Bernina Express

The Bernina line runs from Chur or St Moritz south to Tirano in Italy, climbing to 2,253m at Ospizio Bernina — the highest Alpine crossing made by an adhesion railway, with no rack assistance. The route, together with the Albula line, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Why this line is unusual

Almost every railway that climbs this high uses a rack — a toothed rail the train grips to haul itself up. The Bernina does not. It gets to 2,253m on adhesion alone, on gradients approaching seven per cent, which is the reason engineers still make a point of coming to see it. It was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2008 along with the neighbouring Albula line.

The other consequence is that the line stays open all winter, through snow that would close a road pass. Winter is arguably the better time to ride it.

What you see

The signature structure is the Brusio spiral viaduct on the Italian side of the descent, where the track loops through a complete circle in the open air to lose height — usually the last thing passengers photograph before Tirano. North of that the line runs past the Morteratsch glacier and the lakes below the Bernina Pass.

Starting from Chur adds the Albula stretch, which is where the Landwasser Viaduct is — the six-arch curve that runs straight into a tunnel mouth in the cliff. Starting from St Moritz is shorter and skips it.

Practical detail

Reckon on about four hours from Chur, or a little over two from St Moritz. Panoramic carriages are the norm and a seat reservation is compulsory on top of your ticket or pass; summer departures sell out early.

The Swiss Travel Pass covers the journey as far as Tirano, so pass holders pay only the reservation supplement. Tirano is in Italy, so bring your passport — this is a border crossing, and it catches out UK visitors who assume a Swiss rail trip stays in Switzerland. From Tirano a separate Bernina Express bus continues to Lugano; it is booked and paid for separately.

More pictures

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