TheFlyingDoctor

Day 5: Chur to Milan


Train 6: Bahnhof Chur to Tirano
Rhaetian Railways Bernina Express, First class
2017-06-01 BEX951 Dep: 08:32 Arr: 12:45 (4 hours 13 minutes)


Booking the Bernina Express is something I knew I needed to get right – with only one service a day, low density first class carriages, and our fixed schedule, I marked my calendar for the precise date 90 days in advance of departure when tickets would be made available. Even so, there was only one pair of facing single seats to select by that afternoon!


But it was worth the effort (and I’d have re-jigged the entire tour if need be to retain it on the itinerary). The route is a UNESCO world heritage site, featuring 200 bridges, over 50 tunnels, and a peak altitude of 2253m above sea level, making this the highest rail crossing in the world. From that spot, Ospizio Bernina in the Swiss Alps, it descends to Tirano, a mere 430m above sea level; thus also claiming the title of second-largest height difference along a rail route.

Since its inception all this has been achieved using electric-powered trains on narrow-gauge rails; today’s carriages are spacious, modern offerings. By booking first class, we got an even better ratio of glass to people; as the 1’s of a 1-2 seating arrangement, we had a whole window to ourselves. These curve upwards into the roof, making them ideal for gazing up into the mountain ranges during ascent and descent. They turned out to be less good for taking photos through, due to a combination of tint and reflection. Each car does have a vestibule area with a window that opens, but expect this to be hotly contested by photographers, especially at key points of the trip (One guy in particular was insistent that he would not be sharing). At less remarkable moments of the route this also offered a pleasant way to get a lungful of fresh alpine air!

First class also features wifi, but not to access the internet; instead, it serves up "InfoT(r)ainment", an audio guide to the landmarks along the way (there’s a small library of books available too). Fewer passengers per car also helped with competition for luggage space, since obviously there’s no overhead racks.


It’s honestly difficult to pick out particular sections as being a highlight – about the only time we weren’t gazing out the windows was when working through tunnels. I’ve put together a more extensive gallery of pictures, but here’s a summary of some of the more famous features of the journey.


Landwasser Viaduct
When travelling in the Chur to Tirano direction, this lofty crossing is doubly striking, as the track immediately enters the Landwasser tunnel from the span of the viaduct. For that reason it’s become a signature of Rhaetian Railways, with both the Bernina Express and sister service the Glacier Express travelling along it. On-board the elevation is less obvious, but from first class the curvature allows an excellent view of the front of the train entering the tunnel. Sadly I only managed to take this terrible photograph from the carriage, having been crowded out of the vestibule:




The Bernina Pass
Having spent much of the past week sweltering through temperatures of 30°C and above, the prospect of snow seemed remote. Yet as we steadily climbed, so the temperature dropped. By the time we reached the highest point at Ospizio Bernina, we found ourselves following the ice-strewn shores of frozen Lago Bianco, against a backdrop of snowy mountains. A remarkable contrast with recent conditions – all the more so as our descent would eventually bring us back into Italian summer heat.




Alp Grüm
This station is an extended stop, for around 15 minutes. This allows for some fresh air, a stretch of your legs, and some stunning views of both glaciers in the mountains behind, and the Italian flavour of the Poschiavo valley ahead. The charming stone station also has a hotel and restaurant, for those who might wish to stay a little longer.




Lago di Poschiavo
The zig-zagging descent into the valley offers advance previews of this lake, appealing views in their own right. But the track turns out to run alongside its entire western shore, in places seemingly close enough to touch the water. At its southern limit the track continues to follow the perimeter, offering a glimpse back up the valley of the progress made from the now-distant mountains.




Brusio Circular Viaduct
The Bernina Railway’s other iconic feat of engineering is this spiraling structure, designed to cap the gradient of the route at 7° – thus ensuring safe descents and viable ascent. It’s a bittersweet moment for this direction of travel, as it also marks the train’s imminent arrival in first Italy, and then Tirano. As well as looping under the track, we also went through a water arch – but whether this was for the benefit of the passengers, or just the grass at the centre of the circle, was unclear!


Train 7: Tirano to Milano Centrale
Trenitalia Regionale Standard class
2017-06-01 Train 2571 Dep: 15:08 Arr: 17:40 (2 hours 32 minutes)

We enjoyed lunch in Tirano, at one of the many restaurants barely a minute’s walk from the terminal. That is as far as we should have strayed, and after an ill-advised luggage drag in midday summer heat around some more of town, we conceded the point and returned to the stations (the Bernina Express has a separate building, but the two are adjacent).

After the expense of all things Swiss, it was time to take advantage of the bargain that is travelling by railway in Italy. Purchasing there and then for the ninety mile journey to Milan cost us barely £10 each. Admittedly the regional stopping service would take over two and a half hours to cover this, but the standard class carriage was a perfectly comfortable place to be: