The world’s longest passenger train is one for the history books
Nearly two kilometers. This was the ambitious goal for the world’s longest passenger train. This October, Rhaetian Railway of Switzerland set this exciting world record that attracted worldwide media coverage.
In honor of the Swiss Railways’ 175th anniversary, the railway company managed to string together no less than 25 modern Capricorn engines and 100 carriages. The resulting train measured a staggering 1910 meters in length – that’s 1.2 miles!
In railway history, there has never been a longer passenger train – let alone an XXL train that negotiates mountainous terrain.
And as if this stunt was not going to attract enough attention, the railway was set in motion like a giant caterpillar. At a speed of 30 to 35 km/h, the Rhaetian Railway train negotiated some 789 meters of altitude from Preda via Bergün to Alvaneu.
With this being the Rhaetian Railway, this train was exclusively powered by locally generated hydroelectric energy.
These tracks on the Albula Line are exceptionally scenic and are considered a UNESCO World Heritage site. There are various bridges, viaducts, and tunnels along the way, including the majestic Landwasser Viaduct.
The world-record attempt took place on October 29, 2022, and lasted roughly 46 minutes. Consequently, it was entered into the Guinness Book of World Records.
Photographs copyright Rhaetian Railways/swiss-image.ch
