Brienz–Rothorn railway

Operation

Opened

17 June 1892,
reopened 13 June 1931

Closed

1 August 1914

Technical

Line length

7.6 kilometres (4.7 mi)

Number of tracks

single track with passing loops

Track gauge

800 mm (2 ft 7 ¹⁄₂ in)

Electrification

None

Highest elevation

2,244 m (7,362 ft)

Maximum incline

25 %

Rack system

Abt

Route diagram

0,0

Brienz BRB

566 m above the sea

Zentralbahn from Interlaken and Meiringen

Wellenberg bridge

Schwarzfluh tunnel (18 m)

2,1

Geldried

1,019 m above the sea

Erd tunnel (119 m)

Fluh tunnel(3 Fenster); (290 m)

3,6

Planalp

1,341 m above the sea

Chüemaad tunnel (133 m)

5,7

Oberstaffel

1,819 m above the sea

Schonegg I tunnel (37 m)

Schonegg II tunnel (133 m)

7,6

Rothorn Kulm

2,244 m above the sea

0,0

Brienz BRB

566 m above the sea

Zentralbahn from Interlaken and Meiringen

Wellenberg bridge

Schwarzfluh tunnel (18 m)

2,1

Geldried

1,019 m above the sea

Erd tunnel (119 m)

Fluh tunnel(3 Fenster); (290 m)

3,6

Planalp

1,341 m above the sea

Chüemaad tunnel (133 m)

5,7

Oberstaffel

1,819 m above the sea

Schonegg I tunnel (37 m)

Schonegg II tunnel (133 m)

7,6

Rothorn Kulm

2,244 m above the sea

The Brienz–Rothorn railway (German: Brienz Rothorn Bahn, BRB) is a tourist rack railway in Switzerland, which climbs from Brienz, at the eastern end of Lake Brienz, to the summit of the Brienzer Rothorn mountain. The railway is 7.6 kilometres (4.7 mi) long, is built to 800 mm gauge (2 ft 7 ¹⁄₂ in gauge), and uses the Abt double lamella rack system. Unusually for Switzerland, the line is not electrified, and most trains are operated by steam locomotives.

The Brienz–Rothorn railway reaches a height of 2,244 metres above sea level and is the fourth highest railway in Switzerland.

The railway was opened on 17 June 1892, after a two years construction period. The two designers, engineer Alexander Lindner and contractor Theo Bertschinger were supported by the mountain railway pioneer Roman Abt, who had responsibility for equipping the line with his newly developed Abt double lamella rack system.

The line connected at Brienz with the Brünig railway, which had been opened in 1888 from Brienz eastwards towards Lucerne. However the Brünig railway was not extended westward to Interlaken until 1916, so many early travelers to the Rothorn had to arrive by boat service on Lake Brienz.

The line was quickly in financial difficulties. The line was designed to carry 25,000 passengers per year but only managed 5,000 passengers in the first year. Tourist traffic was further affected by the opening of Schynige Platte Railway in 1895 and the Jungfraubahn in 1898. The train service was suspended on 1 August 1914 as a result of the First World War, but did not re-open when the war ended.

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Wikipedia