Matterhorn-Gotthard-Bahn
Encyclopedia
The Matterhorn-Gotthard-Bahn (MGB) is a narrow gauge railway in Switzerland
. The track width is . It was created in 2003 through an amalgamation of Furka-Oberalp-Bahn
(FO) and BVZ Zermatt-Bahn
(BVZ). The name comes from the Matterhorn
and St. Gotthard Pass
.
Its network is 144 km (89.5 mi) long and stretches from Disentis in the Canton of Graubünden to Zermatt
in the Canton of Wallis, by way of the Oberalp pass and Andermatt
in the Canton of Uri
, the Furka
base tunnel, Brig
, and Visp
. From Andermatt, a branch line (the formerly independent Schöllenenbahn) extends to Göschenen
, at the Northern end of the Gotthard rail tunnel.
Between Realp
and Oberwald, the line formerly crossed the Furka pass, at a crest elevation of 2162 m (7,093.2 ft) above sea level the Furkapass with a 1.87 km (1.16 mi) tunnel passing beneath the peak, compared to a crest elevation of just 1564 m (5,131.2 ft) above sea level in today's base tunnel, which is 15.34 km (9.53 mi) long. The old line, the scenic route which is very attractive to tourists, is operated by the Dampfbahn Furka-Bergstrecke (DFB) ("Furka Heritage Railway") using veteran steam engines.
There is a connection to the Rhaetian Railway in Disentis and the Glacier Express
runs from Zermatt to St. Moritz
, using stock from both companies.
Large scale freight traffic only takes place between Visp and Zermatt and between Disentis and the AlpTransit
construction site near Sedrun.
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....
. The track width is . It was created in 2003 through an amalgamation of Furka-Oberalp-Bahn
Furka-Oberalp-Bahn
The Furka–Oberalp-Bahn is a narrow gauge mountain railway in Switzerland with a gauge of . It runs in the Graubünden, Uri and Canton of Valais. Since January 1, 2003 it is part of the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn when it merged with the BVZ Zermatt-Bahn....
(FO) and BVZ Zermatt-Bahn
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...
(BVZ). The name comes from the Matterhorn
Matterhorn
The Matterhorn , Monte Cervino or Mont Cervin , is a mountain in the Pennine Alps on the border between Switzerland and Italy. Its summit is 4,478 metres high, making it one of the highest peaks in the Alps. The four steep faces, rising above the surrounding glaciers, face the four compass points...
and St. Gotthard Pass
St. Gotthard Pass
The Gotthard Pass or St. Gotthard Pass is a high mountain pass in Switzerland between Airolo in the canton of Ticino, and Göschenen in the canton of Uri, connecting the northern German-speaking part of Switzerland with the Italian-speaking part, along the route onwards to Milan.Though the pass...
.
Its network is 144 km (89.5 mi) long and stretches from Disentis in the Canton of Graubünden to Zermatt
Zermatt
Zermatt is a municipality in the district of Visp in the German-speaking section of the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It has a population of about 5,800 inhabitants....
in the Canton of Wallis, by way of the Oberalp pass and Andermatt
Andermatt
Andermatt is a municipality in the canton of Uri in Switzerland.With Realp and Hospental, it is located in the Urseren valley, south of Altdorf.-Geography:...
in the Canton of Uri
Canton of Uri
Uri is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland and a founding member of the Swiss Confederation. It is located in Central Switzerland. The canton's territory covers the valley of the Reuss River between Lake Lucerne and the St. Gotthard Pass. German is the primary language spoken in Uri...
, the Furka
Furka
Furka is a village in the south-eastern part of Macedonia. It is situated in the center of the imagined triangle between Bogdanci, Dojran and Valandovo, 10 km far from Dojran. East of the river Vardar, Pugana and Gabroska Reka, and west of Dojran basin, it is settled on height of 21 km², on...
base tunnel, Brig
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:...
, and Visp
Visp
Visp is the capital of the district of Visp in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.-Geography:Visp has an area, , of . Of this area, 17.0% is used for agricultural purposes, while 59.7% is forested...
. From Andermatt, a branch line (the formerly independent Schöllenenbahn) extends to Göschenen
Göschenen
Göschenen a village in the canton of Uri in Switzerland.-History:Göschenen is first mentioned in 1280 as Geschenden. In 1290 it was mentioned as Gescheldun, then in 1294 as Geschenen and in 1429 as ze Gestinen.-Geography:...
, at the Northern end of the Gotthard rail tunnel.
Between Realp
Realp
Realp is a municipality in the canton of Uri in Switzerland.-Geography:Realp has an area, , of . Of this area, 41.6% is used for agricultural purposes, while 2.3% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.6% is settled and the remainder is non-productive...
and Oberwald, the line formerly crossed the Furka pass, at a crest elevation of 2162 m (7,093.2 ft) above sea level the Furkapass with a 1.87 km (1.16 mi) tunnel passing beneath the peak, compared to a crest elevation of just 1564 m (5,131.2 ft) above sea level in today's base tunnel, which is 15.34 km (9.53 mi) long. The old line, the scenic route which is very attractive to tourists, is operated by the Dampfbahn Furka-Bergstrecke (DFB) ("Furka Heritage Railway") using veteran steam engines.
There is a connection to the Rhaetian Railway in Disentis and the 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...
runs from Zermatt to St. Moritz
St. Moritz
St. Moritz is a resort town in the Engadine valley in Switzerland. It is a municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden...
, using stock from both companies.
Corporate Structure
The MGB is composed of three companies: the Matterhorn Gotthard AG (MGB) emerged from a rebranding of BVZ, the Matterhorn Gotthard infrastructure AG (MGI) is the former FO, and a new stock company Matterhorn Gotthard railway (MGM) has been established as a management umbrella. The MGB has taken over FO's operations and has turned over BVZ's infrastructure to MGI in exchange. The MGB is majority owned by the BVZ Holding AG (which also owns the Gornergrat Bahn AG (GGB)), whereas the MGI shares are held by the Swiss federal government and the cantons, MGM is owned by BVZ Holding and the public sector in equal shares.Operation
The current schedule sees trains commuting between Brig and Zermatt, Brig and Göschenen, as well as Andermatt and Disentis.Large scale freight traffic only takes place between Visp and Zermatt and between Disentis and the AlpTransit
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...
construction site near Sedrun.