Brig railway station
Encyclopedia
Brig railway station is an important railway junction in the municipality
of Brig-Glis
(French
: Brigue-Glis), in the Canton
of Valais
, Switzerland
. It is at the northern portal of the Simplon Tunnel
, and is served by three standard gauge
lines and two metre gauge
lines.
One of them is the Simplon railway, which links (Genève-Aéroport
, Genève
and) Lausanne
on Lake Geneva
with Brig, via Sion
and Visp. The other is the Milan–Domodossola railway, which, as its name suggests, links Milano Centrale in Italy
with Domodossola
, also in Italy. In 1906, this line was extended to Brig upon the opening of the Simplon Tunnel.
The third of Brig's standard gauge lines is the Lötschberg railway line, opened in 1913. It links Bern with Brig via the Lötschberg Pass, including the Lötschberg Tunnel
. In 2007, this line was largely supplanted by the Neue Eisenbahn-Alpentransversale
or NEAT railway, connecting (Bern and) Spiez
with Visp, near Brig, via the Lötschberg Base Tunnel
. Trains travelling along the NEAT line to Visp usually then continue on to Brig via the Simplon line.
The standard gauge passenger trains stopping at Brig are operated by either SBB-CFF-FFS
(Simplon railway, Milan–Domodossola railway, and NEAT), or BLS AG
(Lötschberg railway).
, and the Furka Oberalp Bahn, which links Brig via Andermatt
with Göschenen
and Disentis/Mustér
. Since , these two metre gauge lines have both been owned and operated by the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (MGB), following a merger between them.
Brig's metre gauge station platforms are located on the forecourt of the Brig station building.
Every day, several Glacier Express
trains, which are operated at this point by the MGB, call at one of these platforms, on their journey between Zermatt
and either St.Moritz
or Davos
. The MGB also operates metre gauge regional services from Zermatt via Visp to Brig, and from Visp via Brig to Andermatt and beyond, at hourly intervals.
Municipalities of Switzerland
Communes , also known as municipalities, are the smallest government division in Switzerland, numbering 2,596 . While many have a population of a few hundred citizens, the largest cities such as Zürich or Geneva also have the legal status of municipalities...
of Brig-Glis
Brig, Switzerland
Brig, officially Brig-Glis is a municipality in the district of Brig in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.The current municipality was formed in 1972 through the merger of Brig , Brigerbad and Glis.-History:...
(French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
: Brigue-Glis), in the Canton
Cantons of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...
of Valais
Valais
The Valais is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland in the southwestern part of the country, around the valley of the Rhône from its headwaters to Lake Geneva, separating the Pennine Alps from the Bernese Alps. The canton is one of the drier parts of Switzerland in its central Rhône valley...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. It is at the northern portal of the Simplon Tunnel
Simplon Tunnel
The Simplon Tunnel is an Alpine railway tunnel that connects the Swiss town of Brig with Domodossola in Italy, though its relatively straight trajectory does not run under Simplon Pass itself. It actually consists of two single-track tunnels built nearly 20 years apart...
, and is served by three standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
lines and two metre gauge
Metre gauge
Metre gauge refers to narrow gauge railways and tramways with a track gauge of . In some African, American and Asian countries it is the main gauge. In Europe it has been used for local railways in France, Germany, and Belgium, most of which were closed down in mid 20th century. Only in Switzerland...
lines.
Standard gauge
Two of the three standard gauge lines serving Brig were opened simultaneously in 1906.One of them is the Simplon railway, which links (Genève-Aéroport
Geneva Airport railway station
Geneva Airport railway station is a railway station located under the terminal of the Geneva International Airport , in Grand-Saconnex, Geneva, Switzerland....
, Genève
Gare de Cornavin
Genève-Cornavin is Geneva's main railway station, located in the centre of the city...
and) Lausanne
Lausanne railway station
Lausanne railway station is the main intercity and regional railway station for the city of Lausanne, Vaud, Switzerland. It is often known as Lausanne CFF to distinguish it from others in the town....
on Lake Geneva
Lake Geneva
Lake Geneva or Lake Léman is a lake in Switzerland and France. It is one of the largest lakes in Western Europe. 59.53 % of it comes under the jurisdiction of Switzerland , and 40.47 % under France...
with Brig, via Sion
Sion, Switzerland
Sion is the capital of the Swiss canton of Valais. it had a population of .Landmarks include the Basilique de Valère and Château de Tourbillon. Sion has an airfield for civilian and military use, which, because of its location in a valley, causes a reasonable amount of noise pollution. FC Sion...
and Visp. The other is the Milan–Domodossola railway, which, as its name suggests, links Milano Centrale in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
with Domodossola
Domodossola
Domodossola is a city and comune in the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, in the region of Piedmont, northern Italy...
, also in Italy. In 1906, this line was extended to Brig upon the opening of the Simplon Tunnel.
The third of Brig's standard gauge lines is the Lötschberg railway line, opened in 1913. It links Bern with Brig via the Lötschberg Pass, including the Lötschberg Tunnel
Lötschberg Tunnel
The Lötschberg Tunnel is a long railway tunnel on the Lötschberg Line, which connects Spiez and Brig at the northern end of the Simplon Tunnel cutting through the Alps of Switzerland. Its ends are at the towns of Kandersteg in the Canton of Berne and Goppenstein in the Canton of...
. In 2007, this line was largely supplanted by the Neue Eisenbahn-Alpentransversale
AlpTransit
AlpTransit, also known as New Railway Link through the Alps NRLA , is a Swiss federal project aimed to build faster north-south rail links across the Swiss Alps by constructing base tunnels several hundred metres below the level of the current tunnels...
or NEAT railway, connecting (Bern and) Spiez
Spiez
Spiez is a city in the Frutigen-Niedersimmental administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.-Geography:Spiez has an area of . Of this area, 38.5% is used for agricultural purposes, while 29.1% is forested...
with Visp, near Brig, via the Lötschberg Base Tunnel
Lötschberg Base Tunnel
The Lötschberg Base Tunnel is a railway tunnel on the BLS Lötschbergbahn's Lötschberg Line cutting through the Alps of Switzerland some below the existing Lötschberg Tunnel. It is currently the world's longest land tunnel and accommodates passenger and freight trains. It runs between Frutigen,...
. Trains travelling along the NEAT line to Visp usually then continue on to Brig via the Simplon line.
The standard gauge passenger trains stopping at Brig are operated by either SBB-CFF-FFS
SBB-CFF-FFS
Swiss Federal Railways and SFR are not in official use) is the national railway company of Switzerland headquartered in Bern. Formerly a government institution, it is since 1999 a special stock corporation with all shares held by the Swiss Confederation or the Swiss cantons...
(Simplon railway, Milan–Domodossola railway, and NEAT), or BLS AG
BLS AG
BLS AG is a Swiss railway company created by the 2006 merger of BLS Lötschbergbahn and Regionalverkehr Mittelland AG. It is 55.8 % owned by the Canton of Berne, and 21.7 % by the Swiss Confederation. It has two main business fields: passenger traffic and infrastructure.BLS has a subsidiary BLS...
(Lötschberg railway).
Metre gauge
Brig is also served by two metre gauge lines, namely the Brig-Visp-Zermatt railway (BVZ)BVZ Zermatt-Bahn
The Brig-Visp-Zermatt-Bahn – officially known between 1991 and 2002 as the BVZ Zermatt-Bahn – is a metre gauge railway in the Canton of Valais, Switzerland. Its 44 kilometre long line links the communities of Brig and Visp in the Rhone Valley with Täsch and the car free holiday resort of Zermatt...
, and the Furka Oberalp Bahn, which links Brig via Andermatt
Andermatt railway station
Andermatt railway station is an important railway junction on the metre gauge Furka Oberalp Bahn . It serves the municipality of Andermatt, in the Canton of Uri, Switzerland...
with Göschenen
Göschenen railway station
Göschenen railway station, in the Canton of Uri, Switzerland, is an important railway junction on the Gotthardbahn railway line, at the northern end of the Gotthard Rail Tunnel....
and Disentis/Mustér
Disentis/Mustér railway station
Disentis/Mustér is the eastern terminus of the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn line from Brig via Andermatt, and the western terminus of the Rhaetian Railway line from Landquart via Chur and Reichenau-Tamins....
. Since , these two metre gauge lines have both been owned and operated by the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (MGB), following a merger between them.
Brig's metre gauge station platforms are located on the forecourt of the Brig station building.
Every day, several Glacier Express
Glacier Express
The Glacier Express is an express train connecting railway stations of the two major mountain resorts of St. Moritz and Zermatt in the Swiss Alps. The train is operated jointly by the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn and Rhaetian Railway...
trains, which are operated at this point by the MGB, call at one of these platforms, on their journey between Zermatt
Zermatt railway station
Zermatt railway station is a metre gauge railway station serving the car-free mountaineering and ski resort of Zermatt, in the Canton of Valais, Switzerland. It is the southern terminus of the BVZ Zermatt-Bahn , which connects Zermatt with standard gauge lines at Visp and Brig...
and either St.Moritz
St. Moritz (Rhaetian Railway station)
St. Moritz is a railway station in St. Moritz, Switzerland. It is the southern terminus of the Albula Railway line from Chur. Hourly services operate on this section of the line. There is also an hourly service on the Bernina Railway line from St. Moritz to Tirano, Italy...
or Davos
Davos Platz (Rhaetian Railway station)
Davos Platz station is located in the municipality of Davos in the district of Prattigau/Davos in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.It is the terminus of the Landquart-Davos railway line. Northbound, there is an hourly service towards Landquart. Southbound, there is an hourly service to Filisur. The...
. The MGB also operates metre gauge regional services from Zermatt via Visp to Brig, and from Visp via Brig to Andermatt and beyond, at hourly intervals.
Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn services
- Glacier express - several trains daily
- Regional services - 1tph
See also
- SBB-CFF-FFSSBB-CFF-FFSSwiss Federal Railways and SFR are not in official use) is the national railway company of Switzerland headquartered in Bern. Formerly a government institution, it is since 1999 a special stock corporation with all shares held by the Swiss Confederation or the Swiss cantons...
- BLS AGBLS AGBLS AG is a Swiss railway company created by the 2006 merger of BLS Lötschbergbahn and Regionalverkehr Mittelland AG. It is 55.8 % owned by the Canton of Berne, and 21.7 % by the Swiss Confederation. It has two main business fields: passenger traffic and infrastructure.BLS has a subsidiary BLS...
- Lötschberg TunnelLötschberg TunnelThe Lötschberg Tunnel is a long railway tunnel on the Lötschberg Line, which connects Spiez and Brig at the northern end of the Simplon Tunnel cutting through the Alps of Switzerland. Its ends are at the towns of Kandersteg in the Canton of Berne and Goppenstein in the Canton of...
- Lötschberg railway line
- Lötschberg Base TunnelLötschberg Base TunnelThe Lötschberg Base Tunnel is a railway tunnel on the BLS Lötschbergbahn's Lötschberg Line cutting through the Alps of Switzerland some below the existing Lötschberg Tunnel. It is currently the world's longest land tunnel and accommodates passenger and freight trains. It runs between Frutigen,...
- Simplon TunnelSimplon TunnelThe Simplon Tunnel is an Alpine railway tunnel that connects the Swiss town of Brig with Domodossola in Italy, though its relatively straight trajectory does not run under Simplon Pass itself. It actually consists of two single-track tunnels built nearly 20 years apart...
- Milan–Domodossola railway
- Glacier ExpressGlacier ExpressThe Glacier Express is an express train connecting railway stations of the two major mountain resorts of St. Moritz and Zermatt in the Swiss Alps. The train is operated jointly by the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn and Rhaetian Railway...
- Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn
- Brig–Visp–Zermatt railwayBVZ Zermatt-BahnThe Brig-Visp-Zermatt-Bahn – officially known between 1991 and 2002 as the BVZ Zermatt-Bahn – is a metre gauge railway in the Canton of Valais, Switzerland. Its 44 kilometre long line links the communities of Brig and Visp in the Rhone Valley with Täsch and the car free holiday resort of Zermatt...
- Furka Oberalp Bahn