Matterhorn–Gotthard railway
| Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Operation | |
| Owner | BVZ Holding |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 144 km (89.5 mi) |
| Number of tracks |
Single track with passing loops |
| Track gauge | 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) |
| Minimum radius | (?) |
| Electrification | 11 kV 16⅔ Hz |
| Highest elevation | 1,564 m (5,131 ft) |
| Rack system | Abt |
The Matterhorn-Gotthard-Bahn (MGB) is a narrow gauge railway in Switzerland. The track width is 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in). 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 2,162 m (7,093 ft) above sea level with a 1.87 km (1.16 mi) tunnel passing beneath the peak. This compares to a crest elevation of just 1,564 m (5,131 ft) above sea level in today's Furka 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.
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