Chris Tolley's "To Brig and Back"

Once again, on the Friday morning of the May Day weekend, members of the Society set out for foreign parts. This year's destination was Brig in Switzerland, perhaps best known in railway circles for being at the northern end of the Simplon Tunnel - on the route of the Orient Express. With a Swiss destination, some members chose to travel by air from London, but the outward and return journeys mentioned here are those made by rail, through the Channel Tunnel. (Those who flew had the opportunity to travel by rail between Luzern and Brig via Interlaken and Spiez on the outward journey, and from Brig to Geneva via Spiez, Zweisimmen and Montreux on the return journey.)

The outward journey

Our Eurostar (nearest the camera) led by unit 3019, waiting to depart from
London Waterloo International for Paris Nord, with two others in the background.

We met at London Waterloo International, in time to join the 0853 to Paris. The train drew out of Waterloo on time, but in addition to the usual announcements, the train captain warned of possible delays in the vicinity of the Tunnel, due to "necessary engineering works". Although the train did take longer in the Tunnel than usual, the journey was otherwise uneventful, and arrival at Paris Gare du Nord was only a couple of minutes behind schedule.

We made our way across the centre of Paris on the RER line D, arriving at Paris Gare de Lyon, where we boarded our train for Lausanne. This was made up of two TGV Sud-Est sets, in the well-known orange and white livery. This train followed the LGV towards Dijon, running thereafter on conventional track - including quite a stretch on single track. At Frasne, the train was divided, with the rearmost set continuing to Bern. After Frasne, there were several stops on the way into Switzerland, and customs checks were carried out on board by Swiss officials. Arrival at Lausanne was a few minutes early.

From Lausanne, we travelled to Brig aboard an Italian train, the Cisalpino service, worked by one of the new ETR.470 Pendolino sets. This was a new experience for us, as the Pendolino is a train which tilts in order to allow curves on the track to be taken at higher speeds in more comfort. Even though we were only travelling as far as Brig, the train itself was our third international train of the day, because its destination was Milano. This section of the journey was also the most picturesque, with the first part being along the shores of Lake Geneva, and the rest being a climb up the Rhône valley between snow-capped mountains. This looked very inviting in the Swiss twilight, and would prove even more attractive in broad daylight.

The Hotel Victoria in Brig, photographed from the entrance to the main railway station.
An electric shunting engine from the metre-gauge line can be seen in the right foreground.

Our hotel was the Victoria, one of the Best Western chain. It is across the road from the main station at Brig. Brig also has a smaller station, for the metre-gauge services, and this is between the main station and the hotel! All things considered, the hotel couldn't have been closer. The hotel proved comfortable and the staff friendly. The two who had travelled by rail had been looking forward to a reception committee, but it turned out that the flight the others were on had been diverted into Belgian airspace, causing delay, so it was the rail travellers who welcomed the others. One member, booked on a different flight due to arrive later, had no trouble at all, and so the entire party was soon complete.

Saturday

Saturday's travelling started with a trip across the border into Italy, to give the group the opportunity to sample one of the great railway tunnels of Europe, the Simplon Tunnel. Just after the Italian end of the tunnel, between the stations of Iselle di Trasquera and Varzo, a further tunnel makes a complete spiral within a mountain in order to lose height. At Domodossola, there was an hour or so for people to use as they wished. Some stayed in or near the main station, observing various Italian locomotives, and seeing an ETR.470 Pendolino set pass through. Others who had remembered to bring some Italian money with them went into town to do some shopping.

	Looking back towards Domodossola from the train climbing towards Santa Maria Maggiore.
	Trains passing on the route between Domodossola and Locarno.

Our next train ride took us high into the mountains on a metre-gauge route from Domodossola to Locarno - and thus back into Switzerland. A fairly steep climb took us to the summit of the line at Santa Maria Maggiore, and then it was mostly downhill to Locarno. At both ends of the line, the stations are underground, but in between, there are some spectacular views. Interestingly, the railway (and the road which at that point runs alongside it) crosses the international border in mid-air - a marker post half-way across the bridge near Calmedo station indicates the boundary between Italy and Switzerland.

The chairman of the Society, shepherding members and their wives aboard the funicular railway at Lugano.
One of the members of the Basingstoke and District Railway Society admiring the landscape between Bellinzona and Lugano.

There was not much opportunity to look at Locarno, as we were soon on our way to the main-line station of Bellinzona. (The train from Domodossola had been running a few minutes behind time). Shortly after that, the party was aboard another train bound for Lugano. At Lugano, people had the option of sampling the funicular railway from the station to the town centre, or merely admiring the town and lake from the forecourt of the station, before returning to Bellinzona for a lunch break. From Bellinzona, the party continued northwards along the valley of the river Ticino, again spiralling inside mountains several times in order to gain height before entering the second great tunnel of the day - the St. Gotthard Tunnel.

	A Furka Oberalp train at Göschenen, waiting to work to Andermatt, made up of three coaches and a locomotive of the HGe4/4^II class at the rear.
	A northbound passenger service emerging from the St. Gotthard Tunnel.

We left the main-line train at Göschenen, at the northern end of the Tunnel, in order to join the Furka Oberalp train to Andermatt. This railway has rack sections, with steep gradients to Andermatt. Andermatt station is more or less directly over the course of the St. Gotthard Tunnel, but is several hundred metres higher. Soon after starting the climb from Göschenen, that route passes the mouth of the St. Gotthard Tunnel, so lucky photographs like the one above can sometimes be taken.

Some people enjoyed the ride up from Göschenen to Andermatt so much, they went back to do it again!
The Furka Oberalp train covers much countryside like this between Andermatt and Brig.

From Andermatt, trains go in three directions: down and north to Göschenen, up and east via Oberalppass to Disentis and west to Brig. This third was the final railway experience of the day for our party, but there was enough time for people to make a return trip to Göschenen if they wanted to before continuing to Brig. The journey to Brig involved yet another long tunnel - the Furka tunnel between Realp and Oberwald. There are numerous rack sections on this route, as well as one spiral inside a mountain just above Grenglois. From the southern end of the Furka Tunnel, the railway is travelling in the gorge of the river Rhône, all the way to Brig. (This makes an interesting connection with last year's trip to Lyon, which also stands on the river Rhône.)

The train from Andermatt brought us back to Brig in time to enjoy an evening meal at the hotel at the end of what everyone agreed was an extremely pleasant and interesting day. Adding the lengths of all the tunnels together, we had travelled considerably further underground than the length of the Channel Tunnel, as well as having been over the top of some spectacular mountain passes.

Sunday

Re 4/4^II Bo-Bo electric locomotive no. 11258, looking very similar to the first loco of Saturday,
waiting to take our party from Brig to Martigny.

If tunnels and Italy were features of Saturday, then rack railways and France were features of Sunday. Our start was rather earlier than it had been on the Saturday, and we were due first to travel westwards to Martigny. All the way to Martigny, we were following the river Rhône, and the way the light was catching the sides of the mountains made them look very attractive.

Upon arrival at Martigny, we raced over to the bay platform to pick up our train to Le Châtelard. (This, at 2 minutes, was the tightest connection on our trip.) The front of the two coaches was reserved - for a school party, we later discovered - so we joined the second coach. As it turned out, we need not have rushed, as the driver wasn't yet in residence. Leaving a couple of minutes behind schedule, our train ran parallel with the main line for a few kilometres as far as the station and depot at Vernayaz. After Vernayaz, we turned away from the main line at right angles, and started a steep rack-assisted climb. The livery of these uints is made up of diagonal red and white stripes, and has the interesting feature that at one end of the car, the cab window surround is red, whilst at the other it is white (none of the all-over yellow so familiar in Britain.)

	At Finhaut, the chairman of the Society pointed out the mountains to the rest of us. This was a risky thing to do, as another of the passengers who got out here to take a picture was left behind when the train started again.
	At Le Châtelard, it was necessary to change trains to one operated by SNCF - on the right here.

Like all the lines we travelled on in Switzerland, this is electrified - trains run on a mixed overhead and third rail system. It climbs as far as the appropriately named Finhaut station, after which there is a gradual descent as far as Le Châtelard Frontière. At this station, which marks the border between Switzerland and France, it was necessary to change trains. (It was not immediately obvious why, because the trains from the Swiss side would have been able to work through - the French side is electrified on a third rail system as well. However, the SNCF trains are third rail only, so they can't go the other way. Through working is indeed due to be introduced soon.) We also had to buy tickets, because the Swiss Pass we were using does not cover this line into France - interestingly, the line we had done into Italy the day before is included in that ticket. Issuing tickets in such large numbers (12) was apparently a new experience for the ticket clerk at this station, and our train had to be held while he could complete the work. Eventually we were on our way again, this time, going steadily downwards to Chamonix-Mont-Blanc.


Despite the name of the Society, rail transport isn't always insisted on. At Chamonix, we went part way up the Aiguille du Midi by cable car.	Once you go past one of these things, the way the cable car sways might lead you to think you were sailing, if you had your eyes closed...

Having arrived at Chamonix, there was a choice of competing attractions on offer - two cable cars and the Mer de Glace railway. Going against type, some might have thought, we chose a cable car ride. Our first choice car was closed, but we settled for ascending part way up Mont Blanc. Having been there and back, we returned to the railway station to retrace our steps to Martigny.

With no need this time to buy tickets at Le Chatelard, and as we were retracing our steps, many members relaxed on the return journey, some eating food they had acquired in Chamonix. At Martigny, there was also an opportunity to purchase supplies, before continuing eastwards to Visp.

At Visp, we left the main line train, and there was the best part of an hour to wait before our next train which was another rack railway - this time the metre gauge line of the BVZ Bahn (Brig-Visp-Zermatt) along the Mattertal valley. We caught this train all the way to Zermatt, passing many small villages and the site of a recent landslide which had necessitated the diversion of the railway and the road which parallels it up the valley.

Typical scenery on the ascent of the Mattertal valley
At the Gornergrat railway station in Zermatt the rack is visible between the tracks. This view shows how a rack complicates the pointwork on such a line.

Having mentioned the road, it is as well to note that road traffic isn't allowed into Zermatt. To keep pollution down, the good people of Zermatt have decreed that cars must be left at Täsch, a little way down the valley, and people should continue their journey to Zermatt by train. The BVZ station at Zermatt is unexpectedly large, and it isn't the only railway station in town either. Across the road, one can join the Gornergrat railway, which runs to the top to the mountain of the same name.

	The top of the Gornergrat railway is in the snow. In certain parts of the route, catenary support posts have padding attached to them to prevent injuries to wayward skiers.
	Units such as this operate the Gornergrat railway. Here, no. 3019 is at the top station.

Once we had purchased our tickets, we joined the Gornergrat train. This railway isn't included in the Swiss Pass, but as holders of the SP, we did get a 25% discount; even so, at a cost of SFr46 after discount, it isn't just the railway that's steep! Practically the whole of the line is on an upward gradient, and the speed limit on the whole route is 15 kilometres per hour. A very welcome sight at the top is a café, but it isn't the only installation there. Astronomers take advantage of being above some of the clouds - there is an observatory there as well. (The silver dome of the observatory is just visible in the top left of the picture of car 3019 above.)

Just about the best view anyone had of the Matterhorn on our trip...
Towards the end of a long railway weekend, some Society members remain keenly looking out of the windows.

After an hour at the top, we set off on the return journey. The cloud had never quite cleared from the summit of the Matterhorn across the valley from us, causing slight disappointment to the cameramen in the party, but otherwise we were in good spirits, fortified by the coffee from the summit café - some of which was itself fortified with spirits! After reaching Zermatt, it was time to move smartly across to the BVZ station, for a 4-minute connection on the express service back to Brig - which consisted of a locomotive and just one coach. Back at the hotel, we again ate together and reflected on another enjoyable and entertaining day.

The return journey

The two members of the Society who had travelled out by rail travelled back by rail - staying in Switzerland until the Friday before doing so. However, for the rest, Monday was the day of the return journey.

Most of those who were returning to Britain on the Monday started their journey by taking a train from Brig to Kandersteg, which was hauled by one of the new BLS locomotives in blue livery.

Society members at Kandersteg on their return to Britain,
having left the train there for an hour's oberving the Lötschberg tunnel car ferry trains.

The others making that journey left the hotel an hour later, and caught up with the rest of them en route, everyone ultimately reaching Geneva for their flights home.

If you'd like to know where I went during the following few days, click here (There are loads of pictures on that page as well!).

An ETR.470 Pendolino set at Lausanne - having travelled from Brig.
On the journey, as the Italians say, "first she tilt one way, then she tilt the other..."

For those returning on the Friday, the journey was a mirror of the one they had made the previous week - Pendolino from Brig to Lausanne, TGV from Lausanne to Paris, Eurostar from Paris to London.

	The TGV and Pendolino side by side at Lausanne - an Italian train next to a French one in Switzerland! The Society members travelled on both of these.
	TGV's and Eurostars at Paris Nord - the one used by the Society members was the nearer of the two Eurostars.

The return journey was slightly more eventful than the outward journey had been - as a result of a Eurostar operating the service from Brussels to London having power car difficulties, our train was stopped at Lille to pick up the passengers from that one, which was then taken out of service. Having waited almost half an hour at Lille, there was a similar wait at the mouth of the Channel Tunnel, before a path was available for us. Eventual arrival at London Waterloo was thus about an hour late, but the Eurostar operators offered compensation in the form of a free single journey on Eurostar.

So, yet again another successful foreign trip for the Basingstoke and District Railway Society. A well-organised weekend included many highlights (and many high places!) Congratulations to those who planned the itineraries and handled the booking arrangements. Roll on 1998, when we will be going to... (we'll let you know, when we've decided!)

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	We passed another service at Finhaut on the return journey.
	The steep gradient is readily apparent on the approach to Vernayaz.

To Brig and Back

The Basingstoke and District Railway Society's overseas trip, 1997

The outward journey

Saturday

Sunday

The return journey