Furka Oberalp Railway

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Furka Oberalp Railway
A train on the Oberalp Pass
Overview
Native name	Furka Oberalp Bahn
Technical
Rack system	Abt
Track gauge	1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre gauge
Electrification	11,000 V 16.7 Hz AC
Route map Legend km elev (M) or length (m) in metres Brig–Zermatt railway line (MGB) to Zermatt Simplon Railway (SBB) to Lausanne Lötschberg railway (BLS) to Spiez 0.0 Brig Bahnhofplatz 671.7 M 1.0 Naters Simplon Railway (SBB) to Domodossola 3.85 Bitsch 669 M 7.21 Mörel aerial cablecar to Riederalp 759 M Filet bridge 169 m Nussbaum bridge 62 m 10.22 Betten Talstation aerial cablecar to Bettmeralp 842 M 11.59 Grengiols 891 M Grengiols bridge 96 m Grengiols curved tunnel 592 m Grengiols tunnel 22 m Laxgraben bridge 67 m 14.8 Lax 1,044.7 M 16.6 Fiesch Feriendorf 1,050.2 M 17.3 Fiesch till 2019 1,062.2 M 17.6 Fiesch since 2019 1,064.0 M aerial cablecar to Fiescheralp-Eggishorn   Fiesch tunnel 36 m 20.4 Fürgangen-Bellwald Talstation 1,201.7 M aerial cablecar to Bellwald   24.4 Niederwald 1,243.2 M 26.1 Blitzingen 1,264.4 M Blitzingen tunnel 360 m 27.9 Biel (Goms) 1,282.7 M 29.4 Gluringen 1,313.0 M 30.6 Reckingen 1,315.4 M 33.3 Münster VS 1,358.7 M 34.7 Geschinen 1,339.7 M 36.3 Rosseye 1,342.5 M 37.3 Ulrichen 1,346.7 M 39.0 Obergesteln 1,353.2 M 41.3 Oberwald 1,365.9 M bypass tunnel 673 m Furka Mountain railway Furka Base Tunnel west portal 1,5,442 m 47.2 Geren 53.0 Rotondo Furka Base Tunnel east portal 59.4 Realp 1,538 M Richleren bridge ca. 70 m 65.4 Hospental 1,452 M Gotthard railway to Lugano 67.9 3.7 Andermatt 1,436 M 1,.3 Steinlekehr 1,215 M to Göschenen goods transfer yard 0.0 Göschenen 1,106 M Gotthard railway to Arth-Goldau 72.4 Nätschen 1,843 M 77.7 Oberalppass 2033 M 81.5 Tschamut-Selva 1,701 M Val Giuf viaduct 85.0 Dieni 1,452 M 86.4 Rueras 1,447 M 87.8 Sedrun 1,441 M 89.2 Bugnei 1,439 M 89.9 AlpTransit Gotthard AG to Las Rueras 89.9 Tscheppa 92.2 Mumpé Tujetsch 1,346 M 93.7 Segnas 1,276 M 95.7 Acla da Fontauna 1,202 M 96.9 Disentis/Mustér 1,130 M to Reichenau-Tamins km   elev (M) or length (m) in metres Source: Swiss railway atlas[1] This diagram: view talk edit

The Furka Oberalp Railway (German: Furka Oberalp Bahn) is a narrow gauge mountain railway in Switzerland with a gauge of 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in). It runs in the Graubünden, Uri and Canton of Valais. Since January 1, 2003, it is part of the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn when it merged with the BVZ Zermatt-Bahn.

The line begins in Disentis in the canton of Graubünden, where there is a connection to the Rhätische Bahn (RhB). It then runs over the Oberalp Pass to Andermatt in the canton of Uri. Through the Furka Base Tunnel it reaches the Goms District area and Brig in the canton of Valais. In Brig, it connects to the BVZ Zermattbahn since 1930.

The first half of the line was opened by the French company Brig-Furka-Disentis Bahn (BFD) in 1914. Trains could go as far as Gletsch, starting from Brig. Construction of the second part over the Furka Pass and Oberalp Pass was well under way when the war situation in France halted all works by 1915. The company lingered on, but was finally bankrupt in 1923. Two years later the railway had a new owner, called Furka Oberalp Bahn, founded by the cantons and the neighbouring railway companies. Construction work resumed, now with important federal funds, and on July 4, 1926 regular through services between Brig and Disentis could start. RhB trains reached Disentis under electric traction in 1922.

In 1930 the tracks of the newly electrified BVZ reached Brig, which gave birth to the famous Glacier Express. The oncoming crisis and the war limited the number of tourists. Nevertheless the FO line was considered to be of strategic importance. This finally made funds available to electrify the line and purchase the necessary motive power. At the same time the Andermatt–Disentis line was protected against avalanches to allow winter services.