Brig–Zermatt railway line

Brig–Zermatt
Contrasting railcars at Zermatt station.
Overview
StatusOpen
OwnerBVZ Holding
LocaleMattertal, Valais, Switzerland
Termini
Stations9
WebsiteMatterhorn Gotthard Bahn
BVZ Holding AG
Service
TypeHeavy rail
SystemMatterhorn Gotthard Bahn
ServicesRhone Valley and Mattertal
Operator(s)Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn
Depot(s)Glisergrund
History
Opened3 July 1890 / 18 July 1891
Technical
Line length43.985 km (27.331 mi)
Number of tracksSingle track
Rack systemAbt
Track gauge1,000 mm (3 ft 3+38 in) metre gauge
Minimum radius80 m (260 ft)
Electrification11 kV  16.7 Hz AC
Highest elevation1,605.2 m (5,266 ft)
above sea level
Maximum inclineAdhesion 2.5%
Rack rail 12.5%
Route map

elev (M)
or length (m)
in metres
0.00
Zermatt
1605.2 M
Schafgraben gallery
260 m
Spissfluh tunnel
36 m
Lugelwang gallery
322 m
Schusslaui gallery
235 m
Schilten/Kalter Boden gallery
729 m
2.90
Kalter Boden passing loop
Täschwang gallery
637 m
Täschsand bridge
35 m
Täschsand passing loop
5.61
Täsch
1437.6 M
9.93
Randa
1405.9 M
13.41
Herbriggen
1253.9 M
14.71
Mattsand passing loop
Mattwald bridge
31 m
Blattbach tunnel
131 m
19.01
St. Niklaus VS
St. Niklaus-Jungen
aerial tramway
1126.7 M
Jungbach gallery
290 m
Selli bridge
75 m
21.98
Kipferwald passing loop
Kipfen bridge
146 m
Tschongbach gallery
115 m
24.21
Kalpetran
Kalpetran-Embd
aerial tramway
896.7 M
Faulkinn bridge II
27 m
Faulkinn bridge I
25 m
Faulkinn tunnel
20 m
Tunnel under the Mühlebach
90 m
Mühlebach viaduct
67 m
Mühlebach tunnel
31 m
Merlenbirken tunnel
28 m
Lochgraben tunnel
45 m
Nassbäumen tunnel
58 m
27.72
Stalden-Saas
799.4 M
Ackersand bridge
47 m
28.91
Ackersand passing loop
Riti bridge
New bridge
34.32
Sefinot passing loop (
since
2017
)
34.32
Vispersand
Visp Depot
35.08
Visp
650 m
Eyholz
40.04
Gamsensand passing loop
Gamsen
Glisergrund Depot
Saltina bridge
19 m
Brig Depot (FO)
BLS Lötschberg railway line to Spiez
Furka Oberalp Railway (
until
2007
)
43.98
Brig Bahnhofplatz
(BVZ terminal station until 2007)
671.7 M
Naters
elev (M)
or length (m)
in metres
Note: The kilometerage corresponds to the current system
used by the MGB. The original measurement started at Visp,
and later Brig.
Source: Swiss railway atlas

The Brig–Zermatt railway line is a metre gauge railway line in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. Its 44-kilometre-long (27 mi) line links the communities of Brig and Visp in the Rhone Valley with Täsch and the car free holiday resort of Zermatt in the Mattertal. The line also forms part of the much travelled and admired route of the Glacier Express between St. Moritz and Zermatt. The Gornergratbahn (which was opened in 1898) is connected with the line at Zermatt.

The line was originally built by the Visp-Zermatt-Bahn (VZ), and opened between Visp and Zermatt in 1890–1891. The extension to Brig opened in 1930. The company was renamed the Brig-Visp-Zermatt-Bahn (BVZ) in 1961, and was later branded as BVZ Zermatt-Bahn. It merged with the Furka Oberalp Bahn (FO) in 2003 to form the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (MGB).