BRIENZ, Switzerland — The Brienz Rothorn Railway, a celebrated steam-powered tourist cog railway in central Switzerland, will be closed for the remainder of the 2024 season as a result of severe damage sustained in a storm on Monday, Aug. 12, the railway has announced.
The railway normally operates from May to October.
“Following a comprehensive damage assessment, we have determined that it is not possible to resume operations before the planned end of the season,” the railway says on its website. “The repair work will take several months and we currently expect the costs to be around 5 million [Swiss francs, or about $5.77 million]. Our aim is to resume rail operations in May 2025.” The hotel operated at the summit of Rothorn mountain has also been closed as a result.
About 2.2 kilometers of the rail line was damaged, with ballast “contaminated” over an additional 1.4 kilometers, the railway reports.
The 7.6-kilometer (4.7-mile) railway, in the canton of Bern, was featured on the 2023 Trains/Special Interest Tours Majestic Switzerland rail tour and was scheduled to be part of this year’s tour in September, as well. Dating to 1892, the 800-millimeter gauge (2-foot, 7½ inch) line has a maximum gradient of 25% and climbs from 566 meters above sea level (1,857 feet) to 2,244 meters (7,362 feet). It is one of just two Swiss railways that have primarily operated with steam power since their inception.
About 70 people had to be evacuated from Brienz as a result of the storm, which sent a debris overflow from a local waterway into the community, damaging buildings, vehicles, roads, and transportation infrastructure. Persistent rains have prevented some of those evacuated from returning home. Six houses remain in danger of collapse, the Keystone-SDA news service reports.
