Graubünden celebrates as Vereina tunnel opens

Canton Graubünden is celebrating the opening of the longest narrow-gauge rail tunnel in the world. The long-awaited Vereina Tunnel is expected to benefit local people, companies, and the tourism sector.

Celebrations are taking place in Switzerland’s largest canton, Graubünden, this week to mark the opening of the longest narrow gauge rail tunnel in the world. After eight years of construction, the Vereina Tunnel will connect the Lower Engadine Valley and the southern Val Muestair with the northern part of the canton. It will bring several improvements to local people, tourists and local companies. Robert Brookes reports:

The Rhaetian Railway celebrates its millennium party this weekend with a three-day festival for the opening of the Vereina Line which extends over 20 kilometers from Selfranga near Klosters to Sagliains in the lower Engadine valley.

The opening of the 19 1/2 kilometre long tunnel takes place six months ahead of schedule and the budget of 800 million francs has been kept. Detailed planning, close supervision of construction works and no unforeseen geological problems all contributed to saving time.

It’s not only rail passengers who will be able to save considerable travelling times to Switzerland’s popular Engadine Valley because the new connection will also transport cars. Many times in Winter, the Flüela pass was closed due to snow and dangerous avalanches. From this Winter, the pass will remain closed but cars will now have a safe connection from north to south and vice versa through the Vereina Tunnel.

The trains are constructed especially for the car transports through the Vereina Tunnel and there’s enough space to transport even buses and trucks up to 12 metres long and weighing 28 tons.

The new line will definitely boost tourism in the region because the National Park can now be visited from Zuerich, Basel, St Gallen or Berne in a one-day trip.

One of the forthcoming attractions the Rhaetian Railways will introduce is the Engadine Star. It’s a summer tourist highlight in which travellers can enjoy a leisurely trip to the Praettigau valley and the valley of the Domleschg, discover the wild and romantic Albula line and then while away a few hours in the Engadine, in the National Park or St. Moritz. The Engadine Star runs from the end of May to mid-October and thanks to the new Vereina line, you don’t have to change trains, you don’t have to cross any section twice and you can make the trip in the clockwise or anti-clockwise direction because the Engadine Star runs in both directions.