Rail Route of the Quarter:
Goppenstein to Brig
This example of a Rail Route of the Quarter takes place on a regular public train in Switzerland. Be sure to sit on the right-hand side (facing the direction of travel) to get the very best views.
We begin our journey in Goppenstein, at the entrance/exit of the Lötschberg Tunnel. The tunnel only contains railway tracks; because it's not possible to drive through, vehicles get loaded onto trains for the short journey to the other side. The train we're taking, however, is for passengers only and runs between Spiez on Lake Thunersee and Domodossola just across the border in the Italian Alps.
It's a short 26-minute journey from Goppenstein to Brig, but wow, what a spectacular 26 minutes they are. From the comfort of a peaceful BLS RegioExpress train I watched as the valley floor dropped away and the rails found their own lonely route away from roads. Clinging to the steep slopes of the Bernese Alps this is just one section of the Lötschberg line, opened in 1913 and yet another example of remarkable Swiss engineering.
At times it felt as though I were in an aeroplane, such was the height from track to valley floor. When the route turns east into the Rhône valley fields and forests are replaced with highways and factories. Thankfully the Lötschberg line remains high on the side of the mountains, passing over rail bridges, through tunnels and beside the occasional waterfall. Perhaps the most impressive structure is the 127m-long Luogelkin Viaduct, built 115 years ago.
There are a couple of interesting places to stop along the way. Hohtenn village is the start of the popular Lötschberger South Ramp, Valais, Switzerland - 6 Reviews, Map | AllTrails, Ausserberg is a station a little further along this hike and has a brewery and a herb garden from which various natural remedies are made. If you're into fixed-rope climbing then the next stop at Eggerberg and its Niwärch bisse are for you. The penultimate station, Lalden, is on the valley floor and not the prettiest place to spend time in.
Far below I can see trains on their way to and from Geneva, Zermatt, Basel or Andermatt. In total the Goppenstein to Brig route descends 540 metres from 1,217m to 677m, that's about 21 metres of descent for every minnute of journey. Just before it arrives the train crosses the Saltina River, a tributary of the Rhône. In Brig there's a wealth of choices of places to go next, including scenic public trains to Zermatt or even more scenic tourist trains to St Moritz (the Glacier Express).
