The article was first published on 31.101.2022 and updated on 09.11.2022.
On 29.10.2022, twenty-five Capricorn EMUs of Rhätische Bahn (RhB) lined up on the UNESCO World Heritage route in Switzerland to create the longest narrow gauge passenger train in the world.
In May 2022, Railcolor News informed you about RhB’s plan to set a new world record for the longest passenger train. Half a year later, the attempt succeeded with a one-hour drive from Preda near Albula Tunnel towards Filisur, near the globally-renowned Landwasser viaduct. The achievement has been officially confirmed on the Guinness World Records™ site.
The train consisted of 25 Stadler Capricorn four-car units with a combined length of 1,906 metres. It traveled at a speed of around 30 km/h, weighed 2,990 tonnes, and was driven by seven train drivers simultaneously.
Thanks to Christoph Gut we’re sharing a series of beautiful landscape images which he kindly submitted for publication. In the first one, the train passes through the spiral tunnel above Filisur:
Below, the head of the train has already passed the Landwasser Viaduct (not visible in the picture) and the Schmittentobel Viaduct. The last multiple units are just leaving Filisur station:
Finally, we have the first unit after arrival at Alvaneu station (on the left, not seen in the picture) while the last unit stays on the Schmittentobel Viaduct. Here, the trainsets were separated (the most in triple tractions) and drove towards Chur; some of them went up to Bergün to pick up the visitors. In this picture, there are 16 ½ units shown (makes 1261 m of 1911 m).
Update 09.11.2022:
A slightly different view of the world record is displayed on RhB locomotive Ge 4/4 III 644 through special sticker. This train with 3 Pullman cars and 4 Gourmino dining cars brought the VIP guests to Bergün/Preda. Then it drove back towards Filisur in front of the world record attempt train:
Following the VIP train came the world-record train itself: The Capricorn EMU ABe 4/16 3111 lead the world-record train with 100 cars and a combined length of 1.906 m. As it was descending from Preda it meandered down to Bergün:
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