Lötschberg Railway
Lötschberg Railway
(löch`bĕrkh), electrical railroad, crossing the Bernese Alps from Thun, W central Switzerland, to Brig, on the Rhône River, S Switzerland. It passes through the Lötschberg Tunnel (9 mi/14 km long; alt. 4,078 ft/1,243 m) under Lötschen Pass and emerges in the Lötschen Valley. Built in 1911, it is one of the world's longer railway tunnels.The significantly longer Lötschberg Base Tunnel (21.5 mi/34.6 km long), is the longest railway tunnel on land. Built 1999–2007, it runs from Raron (alt. 2,146 ft/654 m) in the Rhône valley (Valais Canton) under the Lötschen Valley to Frutigen (alt. 2,548 ft/777 m) in the Kander valley (Bern Canton). In conjunction with the SimplonSimplon
, pass, 6,590 ft (2,009 m) high, in the Lepontine Alps, Valais canton, S Switzerland. It is crossed by the Simplon Road built (1800–1806) by Napoleon I.
..... Click the link for more information. Tunnel to the south, it forms an uninterrupted north-south European high-speed rail line through Switzerland; it is not part of the Lötschberg Railway.