The ‘V-Bahn’ project will shorten the total journey time from Grindelwald Grund station to Europe’s highest railway station at 3,454 metres, on the Jungfrau mountain, by 45 minutes.
Keystone
The Federal Office of Transport has approved a CHF400 million ($405 million) mountain railway project that will carry tourists faster up to the Jungfraujoch in the Bernese Alps. The project has been modified to appease local opponents who had raised environmental and aesthetic concerns.
At the heart of the controversial plan is a V-shaped cable car route that would allow more tourists to swiftly reach the Eiger Glacier station from where they can take the mountain railways to the Jungfraujoch “Top of Europe” tourist station.
Local authorities and residents of the Bernese Alps feared the “Eiger express” line, which would start from the village of Grindelwald, would disfigure the landscape. Seventeen objections were made but advocates gave up the fight in February accepting in exchange a donation for a good cause.
The Federal Office of Transport introduced measures and requirements to allay these concerns. The gondola will have shorter masts than originally planned and the colour scheme of the cabins will be more discrete to blend in with the landscape.
More
More
Jungfrau Railway is still on top
This content was published on
In its first full year in operation, 1913, the Jungfraujoch attracted 42,880 tourists; last year 765,000 made the unique rail trek to “The Top of Europe”. On a midweek summer’s day swissinfo.ch joined the throngs of passengers expertly herded up and down the route every half an hour, 48 minutes each way. The pace of…
Has your continent reached its peak or is there still potential for economic growth?
Some regions of the world are on an upward trajectory with the promise of a steadily improving future. Where do you live? And in which direction is your region or continent developing?
This content was published on
There is no longer any danger of rockfall or landslide on the roads below the Graubünden village of Brienz, authorities say.
This content was published on
Europe’s biggest freshwater fish tastes better than its reputation, say fishermen in the French-speaking west of Switzerland.
Swiss authorities keep close eye on West Nile fever in Italy
This content was published on
Authorities are keeping a close eye on the situation after the death toll in Italy due to the disease has risen to seven.
Bern biodiversity project brings boost for forest bees
This content was published on
More sunlit areas in forests can boost the number of wild bees – both in overall terms and in terms of species diversity.
Swiss president kicks off National Day celebrations on Rütli meadow
This content was published on
Several hundred people gathered on the Rütli in central Switzerland at midday on Friday to celebrate the national Swiss holiday, before Karin Keller-Sutter addressed the crowd.
US sets deadline for Novartis and other pharma firms to lower prices
This content was published on
US President Donald Trump says he has sent letters to Swiss giant Novartis and other pharma firms calling for lower drug prices in the United States – or face retaliation.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
‘Beast from the East’ brings record low temperatures
This content was published on
The so-called ‘Beast from the East’ weather front has hit Switzerland and temperatures dropped to as low as -28.9 degrees.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.