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The Albula railway line (; ; ) is a single track metre gauge railway line forming part of the core network of the Rhaetian Railway (RhB), in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. It links Thusis on the Hinterrhein at and Filisur at with the spa resort of St. Moritz in at .
Construction of the Albula line was begun in September 1898, the opening took place on 1 July 1903, and the extension to St. Moritz commenced operations on 10 July 1904. With its 55 bridges and 39 tunnels, the line is one of the most spectacular narrow gauge railways in the world.
On 7 July 2008, the Albula line and the Bernina railway line, which also forms part of the RhB, were jointly recorded in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, under the name Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Railway Landscapes.
The best known trains operating on the Albula line are the Glacier Express and the Bernina Express.
In 1896, there were only of standard gauge railway line in Graubünden, and of narrow gauge railways. (Incidentally, the length of the standard gauge line has remained unchanged to this day, apart from the construction of a new industrial spur line from Chur to Domat / Ems.) Priority was given to the construction of a rail connection to the spa at St Moritz, which at that time was a 14-hour stage coach ride distant from Chur, the terminus of the standard gauge line.
Beyond Preda emerged the centrepiece of the line, the long Albula Tunnel, which passes under the watershed between the Rhine and the Danube a few kilometres west of the Albula Pass. With its maximum elevation of above sea level, the tunnel is, after the Furka Tunnel, the second highest alpine tunnel in Switzerland. The creation of the tunnel was hampered by unusual problems caused by outflowing water, and these led to the bankruptcy of the building contractor. A total of 1,316 people were involved in the construction of the Albula Tunnel. Overall, there were 16 fatal accidents involving workers. At 03:00 hours on 29 May 1902, the breakthrough of the two tunnel leads was achieved, at a point from the north portal, and , from the south portal.
Since 1930, the Glacier Express has followed the route of the Albula line. The Bernina Express was added after World War II. Both of these trains have since operated as spearheads of the Rhaetian Railway's legendary reputation as a railway company amongst rail fans from around the world.
Since the line was equipped with a block safety system in 1969, remote monitoring of train traffic at most stations on the line has been possible. In 2005, the Rail Control Center in Landquart assumed the former tasks of the remote monitoring station at Filisur.
The Bever substation was modernised in 1973. Successive extensions to the passing loops at the stations has lengthened them to over , the equivalent of an express train with 13 carriages. Since the end of the 1990s, the RhB has installed three short double track sections - at Thusis, at Filisur and below Preda - to make the hourly train crossings flow more smoothly. The remaining parts of the line are single track as before, and are still largely in their original configuration from 1904.
Between Tiefencastel and Filisur, the train crosses the m high and long Schmittentobel Viaduct. Shortly before Filisur, it reaches one of the trademarks of the Albula line - and often also the Rhaetian Railway in general - the high Landwasser Viaduct, which in a curve of only radius leads directly into a tunnel through the cliff face at the opposite end.
At Filisur train station is the junction between the Albula line and the branch line from Davos Platz. Between Filisur and Bergün, the train ascends , and runs through the first spiral tunnel. The next section, between Bergün and Preda, is the most demanding example of rail technology on the Albula line: in order to overcome the height difference of between Bergün and Preda – in only as the crow flies – without requiring excessive slopes or radii, the route is extended by by various engineering structures (including three spiral tunnels, two curved tunnels and four valley crossing viaducts). Soon after departure from Bergün station, where an RhB Crocodile stands as a locomotive monument, the train climbs once again at a rate of 3.5%. By means of the various structures just identified, the line crosses over itself twice. Rail fans can also view the Bergün-Preda section from a rail history nature trail adjacent to the line.
At the hamlet of Naz, near Preda, the line crosses a brief plateau, where, for several years now, there has been a double track section about long. Soon after the Preda station, which, at above sea level, is the highest stopping point on the Albula line, is the north portal of the Albula Tunnel. After passing through the tunnel, and the Spinas station at the southern portal, the train descends at a slope of up to 3.2%, to arrive in the Oberengadine at Bever, in the Val Bever. Here there is a junction with the Engadine Railway from Scuol-Tarasp. At the next station, Samedan, the line to Pontresina branches off. The Bernina Express takes this branch, which connects the Albula line with the Bernina line to Tirano. On the other hand, the Glacier Express follows the main line, via Celerina, to the terminus of the Albula line at St. Moritz.
Originally, it was planned to extend the Albula line via the Maloja Pass, to Chiavenna in Italy. At the terminus of the extension, there was to have been a connection with the Italian railway line that runs along Lake Como to Milan. In light of those plans, the St Moritz station was, and still is, laid out as a through station. Whereas on the Swiss side plans for a line through the Bergell reached an advanced stage, there were, on the Italian side, only vague statements of intent, for a line proceeding onwards from the border at Castasegna. World War I, and the subsequent economic recession, prevented any implementation of the plans. Today, the Maloja Pass route is served by a cross border post bus line.
The most frequently used motive power on the Albula line is the modern Ge 4/4 III class of electric locomotive, which is also in service on the Vereina Tunnel. The Albula line was once the main stamping ground of the Rhaetian Crocodile (the Ge 6/6 I). The two remaining locos of this class, and the similarly historic Ge 4/6, still operate today at the head of not uncommon special trains. In contrast, the newer RhB locomotives have not achieved the popularity of the Crocodiles. However, they are in everyday use, and the operational difficulties they face can hardly be compared with those to be found on other railways of this magnitude and gauge, due to the nature of the route, and the density of the traffic. Additionally there is, for a narrow gauge railway, unusually dense goods traffic, which in mountainous terrain takes over much of what would otherwise be carried by road traffic. Almost all of the stations on the line are served with goods trains; the larger stations are equipped with (at least) one shunting locomotive of their own. The most important goods transiting the line are timber, cement and other building materials, mineral oil products and foodstuffs.
A further area of responsibility of the Albula line is the transport of Railroad car through the mountainous terrain, together with their passengers. The Alps weather conditions make it impossible to use the alpine passes all year round, whereas with the help of the Albula line, the mountain barrier can be overcome without any problems. The Rhaetian Railway therefore offers road users the option of loading their own cars in Thusis onto special car carriers, for transport to Samedan.
On the Bergün-Preda section, there are also so-called sledding trains operating in winter. These are shuttle services, which carry sledders and tobogganers from Bergün to Preda. At Preda, the sledders and tobogganers connect with the Albula Pass road, which is closed for traffic in winter, and used as a Albula Pass to Bergün.
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