Chapter 1
The alpine obstacle course
Chapter 2
The secret of the Taktfahrplan
Chapter 3
Engineering the impossible
Chapter 4
The art of Swiss punctuality
Ch 1 · The alpine obstacle course
lara Early railway builders battled avalanches and vertical drops to keep tracks flat enough for heavy steam locomotives.
Quiz
Which natural hazard forced early Swiss railway builders to construct heavy stone galleries over the tracks?
BETA
lara Time alpine train departures to discover how Switzerland turned punctuality into a national art.
lara These private railways prevented Switzerland from being bypassed by major European trade routes.
Quiz
Why did Alfred Escher believe Switzerland urgently needed its own rail network in the 1850s?
Quiz
Which Swiss bank was founded by Alfred Escher in 1856 specifically to finance the country's railway system?
Quiz
In which year was the original 15-kilometer Gotthard Rail Tunnel officially opened to traffic?
Fun Fact
Alpine trains: The Bernina Express is so steep it climbs 1,824 meters without using a gear-toothed rack railway, using tight loops instead.
Quiz
How did the Swiss government acquire the private railway lines to form the national railway in 1902?