Realp railway station
Encyclopedia
Realp railway station is a metre gauge
station serving the municipality
of Realp
, in the Canton
of Uri
, Switzerland
. The station is close to the eastern portal of the Furka Base Tunnel, on the Furka Oberalp Bahn (FO), which connects Brig
in Valais
, via Andermatt
in Uri, with Göschenen
, Uri, and Disentis/Mustér
, Graubünden
. Since , the FO has been owned and operated by the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (MGB), following a merger between the FO and the Brig-Visp-Zermatt railway (BVZ)
.
Not far from Realp station is another railway station, Realp DFB, which serves the Furka Cogwheel Steam Railway
, a heritage railway
operating in summer over the part of the FO that was replaced by the Furka Base Tunnel in 1982.
via Brig and Realp to Andermatt and beyond, at hourly intervals.
Additionally, the MGB operates frequent car shuttle train
s through the Furka Base Tunnel between Realp and Oberwald
in Valais.
Every day, several Glacier Express
trains, which are operated at this point by the MGB, pass through Realp without stopping, on their journey between Zermatt
and either St.Moritz
or Davos Platz
.
The first portion to be reopened was the section between Realp and Tiefenbach, which has been operational once again since , with its Realp terminus being at Realp DFB. On , the DFB was extended from its then temporary terminus at Tiefenbach to Furka
. It has since been further extended, through the Furka Summit Tunnel
and Muttbach-Belvédère
to Gletsch
.
At a ceremony to be held on 12 August 2010, the rest of the superseded ex-FO line will return to operation, following the completion of another DFB extension, this time from Gletsch to Oberwald. The formal reopening of that portion of the line will follow the driving of a gold spike at a ceremony on 18 June 2010 to mark its physical reconnection.
Scheduled DFB services between Gletsch and Oberwald will then commence on 13 August 2010. From that point onwards, there will once again be a train service from Realp all the way over the Furka Pass to Oberwald and return.
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...
station serving the municipality
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 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...
, 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 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...
, 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....
. The station is close to the eastern portal of the Furka Base Tunnel, on the Furka Oberalp Bahn (FO), which connects Brig
Brig railway station
Brig railway station is an important railway junction in the municipality of Brig-Glis , in the Canton of Valais, Switzerland...
in 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...
, 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...
in Uri, 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....
, Uri, 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....
, Graubünden
Graubünden
Graubünden or Grisons is the largest and easternmost canton of Switzerland. The canton shares borders with the cantons of Ticino, Uri, Glarus and St. Gallen and international borders with Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein...
. Since , the FO has been owned and operated by the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (MGB), following a merger between the FO and 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...
.
Not far from Realp station is another railway station, Realp DFB, which serves the Furka Cogwheel Steam Railway
Furka Cogwheel Steam Railway
The Furka Cogwheel Steam Railway is a company which operates a railway line between Realp and Oberwald...
, a heritage railway
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
operating in summer over the part of the FO that was replaced by the Furka Base Tunnel in 1982.
Rail services to Realp
The MGB operates daily regional services from VispVisp railway station
Visp railway station is a junction station at Visp , in the Canton of Valais, Switzerland. It has a modern station building completed in 2007, and is served by two standard gauge lines and a metre gauge line....
via Brig and Realp to Andermatt and beyond, at hourly intervals.
Additionally, the MGB operates frequent car shuttle train
Car shuttle train
A car shuttle train, or car-carrying train , is a train used to transport accompanied cars, or automobiles, and usually also other types of road vehicles, for a relatively short distance.Car shuttle trains usually operate on lines passing through a rail tunnel and connecting two...
s through the Furka Base Tunnel between Realp and Oberwald
Oberwald railway station
Oberwald railway station is a metre gauge station serving the village of Oberwald, in the Canton of Valais, Switzerland. The station is close to the western portal of the Furka Base Tunnel, on the Furka Oberalp Bahn , which connects Brig in Valais, via the base tunnel and Andermatt in Uri, with...
in Valais.
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, pass through Realp without stopping, 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 Platz
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...
.
Rail services to Realp DFB
Following the opening of the Furka Base Tunnel in 1982, the original FO line over the Furka Pass between Realp and Oberwald was abandoned. However, that line has been progressively reopened since 1992, as a heritage railway operated by the DFB.The first portion to be reopened was the section between Realp and Tiefenbach, which has been operational once again since , with its Realp terminus being at Realp DFB. On , the DFB was extended from its then temporary terminus at Tiefenbach to Furka
Furka railway station
Furka railway station is a metre gauge railway station at the eastern portal of the Furka Summit Tunnel, in the Canton of Uri, Switzerland. The station was opened in 1926...
. It has since been further extended, through the Furka Summit Tunnel
Furka Summit Tunnel
The Furka Summit Tunnel is a long railway tunnel in southern Switzerland. It lies at an altitude of . The summit tunnel was completed in 1925, and first opened on 3 July 1926...
and Muttbach-Belvédère
Muttbach-Belvédère halting point
Muttbach-Belvédère Station is a metre gauge railway passenger facility, at the western portal of the Furka Summit Tunnel, in the Canton of Valais, Switzerland....
to Gletsch
Gletsch railway station
Gletsch railway station is a metre gauge railway station serving the village of Gletsch, in the Canton of Valais, Switzerland.-History and operations:...
.
At a ceremony to be held on 12 August 2010, the rest of the superseded ex-FO line will return to operation, following the completion of another DFB extension, this time from Gletsch to Oberwald. The formal reopening of that portion of the line will follow the driving of a gold spike at a ceremony on 18 June 2010 to mark its physical reconnection.
Scheduled DFB services between Gletsch and Oberwald will then commence on 13 August 2010. From that point onwards, there will once again be a train service from Realp all the way over the Furka Pass to Oberwald and return.
See also
- 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...
- Car shuttle trainCar shuttle trainA car shuttle train, or car-carrying train , is a train used to transport accompanied cars, or automobiles, and usually also other types of road vehicles, for a relatively short distance.Car shuttle trains usually operate on lines passing through a rail tunnel and connecting two...
- Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn
- Furka Base Tunnel
- Furka Oberalp Bahn
- Furka Cogwheel Steam RailwayFurka Cogwheel Steam RailwayThe Furka Cogwheel Steam Railway is a company which operates a railway line between Realp and Oberwald...