RhB breaks Guinness World Record with 1,906m-long train

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Swiss rail operator Rhaetian Railway has made it into the record books after operating a 1,906m-long train made up of 25 four-part Stadler Capricorn railcars.

Record breaking train on UNESCO World Heritage route
Record breaking train on UNESCO World Heritage route - RhB

On October 29, 2022 Rhaetian Railway (RhB) took the longest narrow gauge passenger train in the world on the UNESCO World Heritage route from the Albula Tunnel in Preda to the Landwasser Viaduct just outside Filisur. The record-breaking event was attended by 3,000 guests and railway enthusiasts.

“After intensive preparation, we are overjoyed to have achieved this world record. Not only did we have a wonderful railway festival here in Bergün, but we were able to present ourselves around the world as a fascinating and innovative mountain railway thanks to our dedicated partners, sponsors and an incredibly dedicated team,” Renato Fasciati, director of RhB, said in a statement.

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The success of the world record was confirmed on site by Guinness World Records. The Bergün railway festival also witnessed another record with a 1:22.5 scale model made up of 25 Capricorn LGB model trains measuring 80m in length.

Facts and figures about the world record attempt

  • The world-record route from Preda to Alvaneu is 24,930m long.
  • The train covered a difference in altitude of 789.4 metres (Preda: 1,788.7 m a.s.l.; Alvaneu: 999.3 m a.s.l.).
  • The world record-breaking journey crossed 48 bridges and went through 22 tunnels.
  • The largest viaduct on the world record route is the world-famous Landwasser Viaduct just after Filisur with a length of 142 metres and a height of 65m.
  • The longest tunnel on the world record route is the Greifenstein Tunnel, which is 698m long.
  • The attempt to break the world record generated 4,000kWh of braking energy (recuperation).
  • The world-record train travelled at a speed of 30 to 35km/h.
  • The record-breaking journey took around an hour.
  • The weight of the record-breaking train was around 2,990 tonnes.
  • Seven train drivers and 21 technicians were at work on the train to ensure its operability.

Source: RhB

record breaking train