Chur – Arosa railway line

	from Rorschach
	from Landquart
0.000	Chur	584 m
	to Thusis
0.762	Chur old town	595 m
1.415	Sand depot and workshop	601 m
2.239	Chur-Sassal (until 2000/01)	620 m
	Sassal I (25 m)
	Sassal II (87 m)
	Sassal III (18 m)
	Meiersboden (19 m)
	Nesslaries (19 m)
	Outer oak forest (45 m)
	Dorfrüfe (63 m)
	Spundätscha (283 m)
	Gitzistein II (47 m)
	Gitzistein III (58 m)
	Saxernase (51 m)
5.826	Lower sax	782 m
	Calfreiser Tobel (85 m)
	Stone floor (188 m)
	Castieler Tobel (91 m)
	Bear trap (249 m)
	Cuorra (124 m)
8.727	Lüen-Castiel	938 m
	Lüener Rüfe (399 m)
	Clasaurer Tobel (64 m)
	Clasaurer (93 m)
	Leidspinagrat (48 m)
	Sandgrind (380 m)
	Grosstobel (64 m)
	Löchbächli (66 m)
12.722	St. Peter-Molinis	1157 m
14.353	Peist	1244 m
	Frauentobel (82 m)
	Mats (114 m)
	Gründjitobel (145 m)
17,900	Langwies GR	1317 m
	Langwieser Viaduct (287 m)
20.685	Litzirüti	1452 m
22.923	Reel pit	1582 m
	Corner (21 m)
	Arosa (299 m)
25,681	Arosa	1739 m

The railway line Chur-Arosa, and Arosa Bahn, Arosa line Aroserbahn or Aroserlinie called, is a meter-gauge Swiss narrow-gauge railway . It was built in 1914 by the former Chur-Arosa-Bahn (ChA) stock corporation to connect the Grisons capital, Chur, with the spa town of Arosa . It has been integrated into the Rhaetian Railway (RhB) network since 1942 . The former company name is still used synonymously as a name for the railway line.

Route description

Slope graph

Chur Altstadt stop at Plessurquai

The Langwieser Viaduct, the landmark of the Arosa Railway

In the Seegrube Arosa above the Untersee

The branch line begins on the forecourt of the Chur train station , where the trains to Arosa can use tracks 1 and 2, each with a side platform . There is a track connection to the Landquart – Thusis railway line; However, this is only used for business trips to and from the main Landquart workshop.

After the descent, the train crosses the urban area of Chur on an initially double-track route. It is laid out like a tram and runs on grooved rails . The diagonal crossing of a roundabout is particularly striking . After about half a kilometer, the line becomes single-track just before the Grabenstrasse confluence. Soon afterwards it reaches the right bank of the Plessur . This is followed by the Chur Altstadt stop near the historic town center, today the only stop on the route. Shortly before leaving Chur, the trains pass the Sand depot and workshop area on the left, which was closed in 1997 in the district of the same name . Today it is used by a track construction company to accommodate its vehicles, regardless of which there is still an alternative .

The railway line then leaves the road surface at about 1.6 km . For a few hundred meters it now runs to the right of the street on Vignol rails until the trains reach the Chur-Sassal stop, which was closed in 2001 . Immediately afterwards the city limits of Churs are passed, from there the railway line is completely independent of the road and leads up the Schanfigg as a mountain railway .

The other route is rich in engineering structures , including 53 bridges , 19 tunnels and twelve avalanche protection - galleries . The largest engineering structures are the Langwieser Viadukt , the Gründjitobel Viaduct - both in the area of the former municipality of Langwies - and the Castielertobel Viaduct between Calfreisen and Castiel . The longest tunnel is the 399 meter long Lüener Rüfe .

On the entire route, the railway overcomes a total of 1155 meters in altitude , crossing the Plessur once and the Schanfiggerstrasse three times . On the way the five intermediate stations are Lüen-Castiel , St. Peter-Molinis , Peist , Langwies GR and Litzirüti serviced before the train to 25.681 kilometers driving distance to the upper lake situated terminus Arosa reached. Two additional meeting opportunities exist in the operating stations Untersax and reel pit .

→ Main article: Arosa Railway stations

business

The trains need a little over an hour for the entire route. With the exception of Litzirüti and Langwies, all intermediate stations are on-demand stops . A regional train runs every hour ; three sets are required for all traffic. Planned crossed is in Lüen-Castiel and Litzirüti.

In addition to the Regio trains, two RegioExpress train pairs are also offered in the winter season , which do not serve all intermediate stops. In the summer season, two pairs of regional trains bring open summer cars with them when the weather is good .

For the transport of goods on the route are Fahrplantrassen prepared for optional trains, which means freight trains operate only with great demand. Normally, the freight wagons are taken by regional trains .

In recent years, passenger transport has amounted to around 400,000 units per year. In terms of goods - mainly in the form of wood, gravel, sand and cement - the Arosa Railway transports a volume of over 50,000 tons annually.

history

Projects and preparatory work

The first projects for a railway from Chur to Arosa came about at the turn of the century before last, when it was realized that the Schanfiggerstrasse, completed in 1890, would not be able to handle the traffic to the rapidly expanding health resort of Arosa. The local health resort doctor Carl Rüedi was the first to apply for a license to build a corresponding railway line. On February 9, 1901, a meeting with the Schanfigger interest representatives took place in St. Peter . It was planned to run the line along the cantonal road, after widening it accordingly and with some special lines through tunnels in difficult places. The final station was planned on the Hubelwiese near the Hotel Hof Arosa. After Rüedi's unexpected death in June 1901, his license expired and the plans were no longer pursued.

Route of the train (black)

In January 1903 it was the Chur engineer Robert Wildberger and his colleague Englert who applied for a concession to build an electric train to Arosa. His application was in competition with numerous other applications that had been submitted in the meantime. The most well-known counter-proposals came from the Zurich company Müller, Zeerleder, Gobat & Thomann, the later builder of the Gründjitobel Viaduct, who brought three different variants into play: The first saw a 23.4-kilometer line on the left side of the Plessur valley in front. The second project, a total of 21.5 kilometers long, led via Passugg and Tschiertschen via Litzirüti to Arosa. The third suggestion followed essentially the Schanfiggerstrasse over a length of 28 kilometers. The latter two variants provided cogwheel routes for overcoming the incline, which was expressly not recommended by the expert chief engineer Moser in Zurich, who was specially commissioned by the municipality of Arosa.

In view of the different interests of the valley communities, the previous concession applicants came together in March 1905 to develop a joint study with three different variants. All three proposals began at the Chur station square, headed west, crossed the Plessur near the Welschdörfli quarter , drove under the Rosenhügel in a five hundred meter long tunnel and had the first stop at Bodmergut. At the end of October 1907 there was finally a revised project, which was later essentially implemented, but was rejected by the Arosa community assembly at that time. The location of the Arosa terminus was particularly controversial. As a result, the municipality of Arosa decided to first examine a further project by the Ahlsfeld & Spyri company, the so-called Churwaldnerlinie , with a route from Chur via Passugg, Malix and Parpan to Arosa and a possible later connection to Lenzerheide . The core of this 32 kilometer long project was a tunnel connection under the Urdenfürggli and the Hörnli to the Wasserbodensee at 2100 meters. The terminus would have been in Innerarosa near the Bergkirchlis . The license application was submitted on October 15, 1908.

Arosa train station around 1915

This was followed by a lengthy competition between the Wildberger & Co. project, which was revised again and favored by the Schanfigg valley communities, and the proposal by Ahlsfeld & Spyri, which initially received support from the city of Chur. For a short time another project came up via Tschiertschen. After a clean-up conference in December 1909, the Chur city council spoke out in favor of supporting the Wildberger project, which also caused a change of opinion in Arosa and led to the withdrawal of the Churwaldner line's license application. Regardless of this, engineer Versell from Chur brought a new, 24-kilometer variant into play - the so-called Lenzerheidebahn - via Malix, Praden, Tschiertschen and under the Ochsenalp to the Obersee. Although this proposal also enjoyed a certain level of sympathy in Arosa, from now on the focus was on financing Wildberger's proposal, which provided for a pure adhesion track with a maximum gradient of 60 ‰. In March 1910 negotiations took place about the location of the Arosa train station and the route was optimized. Since the RhB's rolling stock should be able to travel unhindered on the route, the minimum curve radius was set at 60 meters.

Foundation of the ChA and Bahnbau

Share for CHF 500 in Chur-Arosa Bahn AG from December 15, 1913

Even before the financing of the railway was definitely secured, the ChA was provisionally constituted on July 15, 1911 and formally founded in Chur on the occasion of the general assembly on July 4, 1912 with share capital of 7.6 million Swiss francs . The canton of Graubünden was the majority shareholder from the start. The commissioned chief engineer Gustav Bener, together with Wildberger, cleared up the outstanding questions and submitted the building plans to the Graubünden government for approval on March 4, 1912. On August 1, 1912, construction work began under the direction of Bener and his deputy Hans Studer , the builder of the Wiesen Viaduct . Since the city of Chur was planning to build a tram line at the same time, it suggested that the Arosa Railway line should run through the city to Sassal. With the elimination of the Rosenhügeltunnel and the two bridges over the Plessur, the ChA saved construction costs of around 150,000 francs. The route was divided into four construction lots , on which a total of around 1,000 workers were employed. The unstable terrain soon caused major problems for the construction management, so that the original opening date of November 15, 1914 had to be postponed.

East portal of the extended Spundätscha tunnel, made of concrete due to the high pressure of the mountain

In November 1913, a retaining wall collapsed near the Dorfbach Bridge; the existing steel girder bridge had to be extended by three segments, which came to lie in a curve of 60 meters radius. In February 1914, after the collapse of a dry stone wall, 740 cubic meters of heaped material including the track fell into the depths. In March 1914 the tracks at the east portal of Sassal Tunnel III were buried. In April 1914, the dome of the Nesslaries Tunnel deformed and the vault in the Bear Trap Tunnel collapsed. Between kilometers 4.7 and 5, the area had to be stabilized and drained. In addition, the vault of the 148 meter long Spundätscha tunnel deformed so much that a 216 meter long bypass tunnel had to be built. The corresponding tunnel work began on April 9, 1914 and lasted only five months. During this time, the construction trains were directed over a wooden bypass bridge that could take twelve tons of axle load. The construction of the Lüen power plant, which was supposed to supply the city of Chur with electricity in addition to the railway line, and the other construction work, could not be delayed. In addition to the difficult terrain, the general mobilization at the beginning of the First World War also caused serious problems, as various construction workers and engineers were called up for military service. This particularly affected Hans Studer, who had to resign from his post as deputy chief engineer.

Despite all the difficulties, the line was finally opened on December 12, 1914 after only two years of construction. With construction costs of 402,700 Swiss francs per kilometer, the route covered here was the most expensive in the Rhaetian Railway network.

Railway operation and maintenance 1914–1988 / merger with the RhB 1942

The journey time from Chur to Arosa was initially between 80 and 85 minutes. The ChA used a different traction current system than the neighboring Rhaetian Railway for its blue and white painted vehicles , namely the rarely found electrical voltage of 2400 volts DC . At the beginning of the 1930s, the badly worn rails were replaced and the sidings were extended. In 1931 a concrete rockfall gallery was built between the Sassal I and II tunnels .

Rockfall gallery above Sassal

In contrast to the Bernina Railway, which was also independent at the time , the Chur-Arosa Railway was able to achieve financial success in the early years. However, the crisis years and increasing competition from automobiles ensured that it too ran into economic difficulties. Investments therefore had to be kept to a minimum, which was problematic in view of the age of the rolling stock. In order to benefit from financial support for ailing railway companies, the only option left for the Arosa Railway was to merge with the Rhaetian Railway, as it was not considered to be of importance to the war effort. The company was therefore incorporated into the Rhaetian Railway in 1942, at the same time as the Bellinzona-Mesocco Railway and a year before the Bernina Railway. The RhB took over all assets and liabilities as well as all 146 employees. In the course of this, consideration was given to converting the Aroser line to single-phase alternating current, and the Ge 4/4 I mainline locomotives , which were then under construction , were modified for the possible new area of application. However, the current electricity system was retained. In the year of the merger, the renovation of the Castielertobel Viaduct was the largest conversion work to date.

After the Second World War , three new substations with rectifier systems were built in Chur-Sand, Lüen-Castiel and in the Haspelgrube to improve the power supply . In 1951 the Gitzistein tunnel was given a gallery on both sides and in 1956 the Sassal II and III tunnels were connected by a concrete gallery. In order to secure a bridge pillar in the Lüener Tobel against landslides, a suspension device with wire ropes was attached between the abutment and the pillar in 1955 . A weight of twelve tons was attached to this, which acted on the pier head and held it in the desired position with a force of 50 tons.

Gitzistein tunnel with protective gallery

On January 26, 1968, the steam snow blower X ^{rot d} 9214 of the Bernina Railway was used for a one-time large-scale operation on the Arosabahn. Pushed by two ABDe 4/4s , it had to clear the stretch between Langwies and Arosa and it took eight hours to complete the eight-kilometer section.

In 1969 the shuttle train service was introduced . This meant that it was no longer necessary to move the motor vehicle to the Zugspitze, which significantly simplified the operational process. On November 22, 1971, the route block and remote control of systems were introduced to ensure safe train traffic . In addition, all alternative stations and train stations received additional shunting signals .

From 1979 to 1981, express trains ran experimentally without stopping to Langwies. The time saved was insignificant, so they were hired again. In 1985, an unrealized project study envisaged moving the railway briefly from Lüen to a new tunnel in order to avoid landslides at the Cuorra tunnel. In 1985, the train radio was introduced and the station operations - except in Arosa, Chur and Langwies - abolished for cost reasons. After repeated rock falls, the Sassal III tunnel was given a 147 meter long gallery in 1986. In 1987 the rockfall galleries were built below the Meiersboden tunnel. The maximum train weight for the descent was set at 206 tons.

Project underground laying of Chur station in 1988

Double-track passage on the Engadinstrasse-Gäuggelistrasse roundabout in Chur

In 1988, the Chur voters approved the project of a three-track underground train station for the Arosa Railway and a 2,836 meter long Mittenberg tunnel between Chur train station and Sassal with a large majority. As a result of the later cancellation of promised federal contributions, the project, which should have been implemented in the course of the planned conversion of the Arosa Railway to eleven kilovolt alternating current, had to be abandoned in autumn 1996. The planned line led first in an easterly direction, then in a southerly direction towards the Mittenberg in order to have to drive under as few existing structures as possible. Part of the new route would have been constructed using the cut-and-cover method, but the majority would have had to be driven by mining. This bypass would have shortened the journey time by three minutes despite the 700 meters longer route. An underground crossing station was also planned to increase capacity. The tracks were designed in such a way that trains up to 200 meters in length could have been used in the future. The construction of this project would have cost around 310 million Swiss francs.

Alternatively, the Rhaetian Railway relied on improving the traffic conditions in the area of Chur station and the city line, in this context the double-track section mentioned in the route description went into operation on May 6, 2007. Before that, trains and road users sometimes met head-on.

Electrification to alternating current in 1997

The former sand depot

As early as November 29, 1997, the Aroserbahn's electricity system was aligned with the so-called main network of the Rhaetian Railway. With the adjustment of the contact wire voltage to eleven kilovolts alternating current, an extensive renovation of the route, a renewal of the power supply and a changed use of rolling stock were connected. While the traction current was previously obtained from Arosa Energie (Lüen power station) for 83 years , it is now fed via a new supply line from the RhB substation in Reichenau-Tamins to the Chur train station and then to the city line. A cable in the river bed of the Plessur also operates the sand control point and feeds the contact wire between Sassal and Arosa. Thanks to newly developed systems for wire, suspension and power take-off, cost-intensive construction work in the rock penetrations - especially lowering the route - could be reduced to a minimum. Nevertheless, the profiles of the Lüener Rüfe, Steinboden, Clasauertobel, Bärenfalle and Cuorra tunnels had to be slightly adapted. Extensive reinforcements were also necessary on the track and on individual bridge structures. The sand depot became superfluous and closed with the change in electricity. The total modernization costs, including investments in rolling stock and the extension of the crossing at the St. Peter-Molinis station, amounted to CHF 58.3 million, 96 percent of which was borne by the federal government.

New tunnel projects

The possibility of an underground railway connection between the Schanfigg and the Davos region has been discussed for a number of years after a concession to build a railway line from Arosa or Langwies to Davos was granted in 1913. Due to a parliamentary initiative, Amberg Engineering AG worked out a preliminary project for the construction of a new Arosa tunnel between Litzirüti and Davos on behalf of the Graubünden government. In view of the tight finances, the Graubünden government has not yet rated such a project as a priority.

During the June 2015 session of the Grisons Grand Council , the Davos parliamentarian Rico Stiffler made a new proposal that the Grisons government should plan a rail tunnel between the Schanfigg and Davos. With the construction of the Urden Railway between Arosa and Lenzerheide, a far-sighted decision had been made. Due to the economic situation, it is advisable to think about a connection between Arosa and Davos.

Further adjustments, projects and events since the 1990s

New Dorfbach bridge with abutment of the previous stone construction

Since the construction of the railway line, the restless slope in the Plaschenz area near the Sandgrind tunnel has had to be continuously stabilized. Due to age-related impairments, the Schmalztobel Bridge and later also the Fatschazertobel Bridge and the Farbtobel Bridge had to be replaced by new buildings in 1993/94. In 2001 the railway line was closed in the Schafsita / Steinboden area below Calfreisen from April 24 to May 20 and from June 30 to November 15 in the outer Schanfigg area due to landslides and the risk of falling rocks. In addition to the construction of a gallery near the stone floor tunnel, the slope had to be stabilized. A bus service was set up between Chur and St. Peter-Molinis. In 2002 the slope in the Verbrunnawald area at the Lüener-Rüfe-Tunnel started moving. In 2007 the stone Rüti bridge was demolished and replaced with a new reinforced concrete building. In 2006 the Castielertobel Viaduct , in 2009 the Langwieser Viaduct and in 2010 the Calfreisertobel Viaduct underwent extensive renovation. After the partial collapse of a wing wall through water intake on April 3, 2009, a replacement structure was planned for the Partusa bridge near Peist in an urgent procedure and erected in 2010. In 2011, almost one and a half kilometers of track were renewed on four sections of the route. This affected the areas between the Arosa tunnel and the concrete works on Iselstrasse (480 meters), parts of the Litzirüti – Langwies (374 meters) and Langwies – Peist (379 meters) and 235 meters of track below the Lüen-Castiel station. The lifespan of the renewed areas is estimated at 35 to 50 years.

In 2011, the Clasaurer Tobel Viaduct, which leads directly into the tunnel of the same name, underwent extensive renovation. Permanent shifts in the slope led to severe damage to the difficult-to-access structure. The deformed stone arches were removed down to the foundations and replaced by three new steel towers. The construction work was completed in autumn 2011. From 2012 the two stone arch bridges over the Schanfiggerstrasse between Litzirüti and Arosa (Rütlandbrücke (2012) and Bodenwald Viaduct (2013)) were replaced by three-span girder bridges made of concrete. The construction measures also served to improve the flow of traffic on the cantonal road. The renovation costs for the Rütland Bridge amounted to 1.9 million francs, of which the federal government contributed 85 percent. The expenses for the Bodenwald viaduct were estimated at 2.1 million francs.

The Rütland Bridge under construction in 2012

On Good Friday, March 29, 2013, a rockfall spilled the railway line again at the east portal of the Lüener Rüfe tunnel over a length of around 100 meters. Of the around 20,000 cubic meters of rock that had loosened around 500 meters above the railway line, around 100 cubic meters fell onto the railway line, damaging the rails, sleepers, electricity pylons and the overhead contact line. As a result, rail operations had to be stopped by April 24, 2013 and public transport to Schanfigg had to be organized with buses. In addition to clearing, the extensive safety measures also included the demolition of two unstable rock towers in the starting area. The costs incurred by the rock fall amounted to around 750,000 francs, which, in the absence of insurance cover for force majeure, had to be covered by RhB's own provisions. A connection with the event in 2002 could apparently be ruled out.

After another rock fall in the same place on October 16, 2013, the route had to be closed again. Since the crashes continued in the following days, a bus replacement service was set up between Chur and St. Peter-Molinis. To stabilize the situation, on November 8, 2013, two rocks were blown away at the demolition site with a total of 2,300 cubic meters. Loose rubble was removed further with construction equipment and certain rock areas were tensioned with a network before the actual repair work on the railway systems began. To secure the slope definitively, one continues to rely on the construction of rockfall nets. In the long term, however, the construction of a gallery or even a slight extension of the Lüener Rüfe tunnel is not ruled out. The blockage was lifted on December 20, 2013 after nine weeks. The costs of repairing the two rockfalls and the damage to the railroad tracks amount to around 3.8 million francs, most of which are borne by the federal government and the canton of Graubünden. The RhB itself bears the expenses for the replacement of the railway in the amount of 1.5 million francs. In 2014, the rockfall nets in the slide area will be completed.

The Bodenwald Viaduct under construction

Also in 2013 the Eber-Galerie (actually: Äber-Galerie) above Sassal was demolished and its function replaced by rockfall nets. With a view to the 100th anniversary of the Arosa Railway, Arosa station was redesigned by December 2014 for over 24 million francs. The extensive modernization was a cooperation between the RhB, the canton of Graubünden, the municipality of Arosa and Arosa Bergbahnen AG.

In the spring of 2014, the sliding Grosstobel Bridge near Pagig was comprehensively renovated for 3.2 million francs. The focus was on securing the two pillars and the abutments as well as building new ballast troughs. In addition, there were local reinforcements on this steel structure, which was last revised in 1982, with the installation of new control corridors. In 2014, the renewal of the construction management between St. Peter and Peist was carried out, which cost around 1.7 million francs. In addition, around 1.5 kilometers of catenary was replaced between Langwies and Peist for 600,000 francs.

On October 23 and November 6, 2014, wet fresh snow resulted in falling trees between Litzirüti and Arosa and St. Peter-Molinis and Peist damaging the contact line. On November 4, 2014, a strong foehn storm also disrupted both the railway line and Schanfiggerstrasse between Arosa and Langwies, which meant that Arosa was completely cut off from the outside world for eight hours.

vehicles

The use of the ABDe 4/4 and ABe 4/4 tow cars has been history since 1997, regional train with two railcars below Langwies (around 1980)

For the construction trains running on the already completed route, the ChA took over the two meter-gauge cogwheel steam locomotives HG 3/3 2 and 4 from the Berner Oberland-Bahnen (BOB) in 1914, which were built in 1890 and 1914 and also carried the official acceptance trains. After brief use in freight transport, the machines were sold again in 1918 (number 4) and 1920 (number 2). On the construction lot of the city of Chur, a small steam locomotive with the designation Blochmont number 5, acquired from the Birsigthalbahn (BTB), ran the construction trains.

At the start of operations, the ChA had four 400 hp BCFe 4/4 multiple units with a gross train weight of 80 tonnes, three second / third class, three third class, one ambulance and three mail cars as well as sixteen freight cars. Between 1915 and 1919 two wedge plows, four turntable and luggage wagons were added. In 1925 a multiple unit and two freight cars followed. In 1929 the sixth railcar was delivered. This was followed by the first bogie passenger cars and other two-axle passenger cars and freight cars. Later a shunting tractor Tm 2/2 and a company vehicle for the overhead line maintenance Xe 2/2 were added. After the merger with the Rhaetian Railway, all ChA vehicles were given new numbers according to the RhB scheme. From 1943, individual passenger cars in the main network were adapted for the Arosa Railway using roof rod couplings.

The re-electrification brought about the use of the Ge 4/4 II

In 1957 the type ABDe 4/4 481-486 railcars were introduced, the most powerful narrow-gauge adhesion motor cars at the time. The motor cars 483 and 484 could also be used on the Misoxer line. There were also other passenger cars and a modern shunting tractor used in Arosa. In 1968, an Xrotm 9216 snow blower was permanently stationed at the Sand Depot as a replacement for the previously used steam snow plow . This was adapted for the Aroser line together with nine brand new passenger cars. With the introduction of shuttle service in 1969, the RhB acquired three ABt control cars and two mixed type DZ luggage and mail cars. In 1973 the motor coaches ABe 4/4 487 and 488 were added, in the following years seventeen more passenger cars.

With the conversion of the power system in 1997, the ABe 4/4 and ABDe 4/4 series of tow cars were replaced by conventional Ge 4/4 II locomotives. At the same time, a specially designed, more comfortable train set went into operation, the so-called Arosa Express . In addition, almost all main network vehicles can now run on the Arosa Railway. The Ge 4/4 I series was sometimes used in reinforcement trains. In 1998, the Rhaetian Railway sold the ABDe 4/4 484 and 486 to the Chemins de fer du Jura (CJ), where they use the ABef 4/4 641 and 642 freight cars to transport wagons with garbage containers between Tavannes and La Chaux-de-Fonds .

The ABe 8/12 Allegra « Dario Cologna » multiple unit with freight wagons at the Iselstrasse concrete mixing plant

Since 2010, mainly type ABe 8/12 Allegra multiple units have been used on the Chur – Arosa route. They also function as tow cars.

According to research by the Swiss Observer , vehicles with unsatisfactory braking performance were on the Arosa Railway route on certain days in winter 2010. According to the RhB, the low-noise brake blocks with which the wagons in question were re-equipped had been thoroughly tested before use, but the conditions in Arosa, where the route from the station directly descended, would be particularly challenging. Furthermore, individual brake components have been used that have proven to be insufficiently suitable for winter. Immediately after the problem was localized, the RhB would have changed the brake blocks back to the old type. These were then also in use in winter 2011/2012.

The locomotive number 622 of the Ge 4/4 II series carried the Arosa municipal coat of arms on both sides in metallic form until July 2010 and was then painted over with Japanese characters as a reminder of the Japanese partner railway of the RhB. At the beginning of September 2014, a locomotive was presented as an anniversary object in the dress of the Arosa Railway, decorated with the motif of the Langwieser Viaduct. The presentation of this vehicle together with an original stagecoach from the time before the railway started operating marked the start of the 100th Chur-Arosa anniversary, which was officially celebrated from December 12th to 14th, 2014.

Varia

For the 100th anniversary of the railway line, the RhB had a short film specially produced. Arosa photographer Alessandro Della Bella took over 15,000 photos for his film Chur Arosa Railway: A Trainlapse , half of which can be seen in the film. The soundtrack was composed by Michael Gertschen.

In September 2016 the "Arosa-Genussexpress" was introduced. Every Friday evening, the journey in the Gourmino dining car built in 1930 takes you from Chur to Arosa and back again.

gallery

Locomotive for the anniversary of the Chur-Arosa line
Departure point in front of Chur train station
From the former Chur-Sassal stop, the train and road are laid out independently of one another
Castielertobel viaduct with bear trap tunnel
Two new ABe 8/12 compositions cross in Lüen-Castiel
Lochbächli Viaduct near St. Peter-Molinis
Regional train with observation car on the Gründjitobel viaduct
The Bodenwald Viaduct before the renovation: First crossing of the Schanfiggerstrasse between Litzirüti and Arosa

literature

Ueli Haldimann , Tibert Keller, Georg Jäger : Experience the Chur-Arosa Railway - a stroll through the Schanfigg. AS Verlag & Buchkonzept AG, Zurich 2014, ISBN 978-3-906055-25-1 .
Hans-Bernhard Schönborn: The Rhaetian Railway . History and present. GeraMond , Munich 2009, ISBN 978-3-7654-7162-9 , pp. 112-125.
Beat Moser, Peter Pfeiffer: Eisenbahn Journal, Die RhB, specials part 3. St. Moritz-Samedan-Zernez-Scuol-Tarasp, Pontresina-Samedan and Chur-Arosa . The electric locomotives of the RhB. Merker, Fürstenfeldbruck 1998, ISBN 3-89610-038-6 (2nd edition 2005: ISBN 978-3-89610-150-1 ), pp. 58-81.
Ueli Haldimann (Ed.): Hermann Hesse, Thomas Mann and others in Arosa - texts and images from two centuries. AS Verlag und Buchkonzept AG, Zurich 2001, ISBN 3-905111-67-5 , p. 108 f.
Hans Domenig: From the Tingelzüglein to the high mountain railway . In: Terra Grischuna, 59th year, issue 1, Terra Grischuna Verlag, Chur 2000, ISSN 1011-5196 .
Hans Danuser : Arosa - as it was back then (1907–1928). Vol. 2, self-published by Danuser, Arosa 1998, pp. 87 ff.
Hans Hofmann: Chur – Arosa, about the construction and operation of the railway. Second edition, Calanda Verlag H. Hofmann, Chur 1989/93, ISBN 3-905260-11-5 .
Katharina Hess, Paul Emanuel Müller: About the wild Plessur. In: Terra Grischuna , Volume 48, Issue 1, Terra Grischuna Verlag, Chur 1990, ISSN 1011-5196 .
Railway magazine, EZ-Special 3, 100 years of the Rhaetian Railway. Komet Verlag, Köniz 1989, pp. 102-113.
Hans Danuser, Ruedi Homberger: Arosa and the Schanfigg. Self-published by Danuser / Homberger, Arosa 1988, pp. 126-133.
Fritz Maron : Chur-Arosa Railway. In: From mountain farming village to world health resort Arosa. Verlag F. Schuler, Chur 1934, pages 108-134.
A. Jenny: Arosa and the Chur-Arosa Railway. Orell Füssli's Wanderbilder Numbers 372–374 (no year).
Hartmann: The Chur-Arosa Railway, in: Heimatschutz, Year X, 1915.
H. Hiltbrunner: Graubünden: The Chur-Arosa-Bahn and the health resort Arosa (separate print), Sadag Verlag, Geneva, no year, around 1915.
F. Möschlin : The station building of the Chur-Arosa-Bahn . In: The work . tape 3 , no. 9 , 1916, pp. 129-133 , doi : 10.5169 / seals-81564 .
H. Wirths: About the small train that aims high. In: Mathematik in der Schule Volume 5/2000 , pp. 279–284, Pedagogical Zeitschriftenverlag Berlin.
H. Wirths: Why does the little train travel so slowly? In: Mathematik in der Schule, issue 6/2000 , pp. 345–349, Pedagogical Zeitschriftenverlag Berlin.

Web links

Commons : Chur – Arosa railway line - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

↑ History of the railway line on www.rail-info.ch

↑ detailed route data and figures on www.chriguseisenbahnseiten.ch

↑ The series on www.rhb-modell.ch ( Memento of the original from August 13, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2
↑ Freight traffic on the Rhaetian Railway ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.@1@ 2
↑ ^a ^b Aroser Zeitung of August 9, 2013, p. 7.
↑ Schönborn, p. 122.
↑ ^a ^b The Aroser Line ( Memento of the original from May 9, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2
↑ Hofmann, p. 97 f.
↑ Two-track guided tour of the Chur-Arosabahn, RhB media release ( Memento of the original from May 15, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 32 kB) @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.rhb.ch
^ Moser / Pfeiffer, 2nd edition, p. 66 f.
↑ Amberg technical report on the construction of a new Arosa tunnel (preliminary project 2010)
↑ Jenny commissioned to work out a suitability and feasibility study for a Schanfigg - Davos rail tunnel
↑ Die Südostschweiz, June 18, 2015, p. 7.
↑ Aroser Zeitung of April 5, 2013, p. 7.
↑ Aroser Zeitung of May 6, 2011, p. 7.
↑ Die Südostschweiz, May 11, 2011, p. 3.
↑ Die Südostschweig from July 22, 2012, p. 11.
↑ Aroser Zeitung of August 9, 2013, p. 7.
^ Die Südostschweiz, April 7, 2013, p. 7.
↑ RhB will return to Arosa on Wednesday. In: Südostschweiz.ch. April 23, 2013. Retrieved November 22, 2013 .
↑ Chur-Arosa closed again after falling rocks. In: Südostschweiz.ch. October 16, 2013, accessed November 22, 2013 .
↑ RhB route Chur-Arosa still closed. In: Südostschweiz.ch. October 18, 2013, accessed November 22, 2013 .
↑ Scheduled demolition near Lüen. In: Südostschweiz.ch. November 8, 2013, accessed November 22, 2013 .
↑ Bündner Woche of November 6, 2013, p. 1 ff.
↑ RhB line Chur – Arosa can be used again continuously. In: Südostschweiz.ch. December 20, 2013, accessed December 21, 2013 .
↑ Die Südostschweiz, December 21, 2013, p. 11.
↑ Aroser Zeitung of February 14, 2014, p. 7.
↑ Aroser Zeitung of August 9, 2013, p. 7.
^ Die Südostschweiz, October 5, 2012, pp. 1, 3.
↑ Aroser Zeitung of October 5, 2012, pp. 1–3.
↑ Die Südostschweiz, February 14, 2014, p. 3.
↑ Aroser Zeitung of February 14, 2014, p. 7.
↑ RhB line between Litzirüti and Arosa interrupted. In: Südostschweiz.ch. October 23, 2014, accessed November 16, 2014 .
^ RhB line between St. Peter-Molinis and Arosa interrupted. In: Südostschweiz.ch. November 6, 2014, accessed November 16, 2014 .
↑ Catenary disruption shuts down the uppermost part of the Arosa line. In: Südostschweiz.ch. November 4, 2014, accessed November 16, 2014 .
↑ Aroser Zeitung of November 7, 2014, p. 4 f.
↑ Video clip of ChA winter operations with various rolling stock at Chur station square (around 1935)
↑ Schönborn, p. 125.
↑ Markus Föhn: Hopefully the brakes work. In: The Swiss Observer . November 20, 2012. Retrieved November 22, 2012 .
↑ 100 years Chur – Arosa: prelude to another RhB anniversary. In: www.suedostschweiz.ch. September 3, 2014, accessed October 11, 2014 .
↑ Urs Marti in: Bündner Week of November 12, 2014, p. 21.
↑ 100 years Chur - Arosa, anniversary party in December 2014. In: www.rhb.ch. Retrieved November 29, 2014 .
↑ 5000 people celebrated 100 years of Chur - Arosa. In: www.suedostschweiz.ch. December 14, 2014, accessed December 16, 2014 .
↑ Short film Chur Arosa Railway: A Trainlapse on youtube.com
^ Rhätische Bahn AG: "Arosa Genussexpress" continues on tour. (No longer available online.) In: www.infoticker.ch. October 31, 2016, archived from the original on November 20, 2016 ; Retrieved November 19, 2016 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2

[www.rail-info.ch-1] History of the railway line on www.rail-info.ch

[2] tailed route data and figures on www.chriguseisenbahnseiten.ch