The history of Zentralbahn

The Brünig Railway before 1900

In 1888, the first trains on the Jura–Bern–Lucerne Railway ran between Alpnachstad and Brienz, with a two-axle steam locomotive hauling three light passenger coaches over the Brünig Pass. Each of the six daily trains could seat 90 passengers. From Lucerne to Alpnachstad, the passengers travelled by steamboat. To get to Interlaken, they had to transfer again in Brienz. The journey time between Lucerne and Interlaken was around six hours. In 1889, the first reduction in journey time between Lucerne and Alpnachstad came with the opening of the Lopper Tunnel. 

The Brünig Railway after 1900

By 1890, the fledgeling company had already become part of the Jura–Simplon–Lucerne Railway and in 1903 it was integrated into Swiss Federal Railways (SBB). The Brünig Railway remained SBB’s only metre-gauge railway. The cog railway sections, used to surmount gradients of up to 120%, make the old Brünig Railway a rarity, a gem even to this day. In 1916, the last gap between Brienz and Interlaken was closed. With the rail link now continuous, the journey time was cut down to three hours and the number of daily trains increased to ten.

The Stansstad–Engelberg Railway

Known affectionately by locals as the “shaker”, the Stansstad–Engelberg Railway line operated from 1898 until the middle of the 20th century. Back then, passengers from Switzerland’s city of lights took the boat across the lake before transferring to the electric railway in Stansstad. To get over the steep ascent between Obermatt and Engelberg, the railway was equipped with a “Riggenbach” cogwheel system. A bank engine was used to help the short trains climb the gradient of 246%. From the 1950s onwards, increasing use of the car as a means of transport hampered the growth of the railways. On top of that, there were bitter disputes, with the railway’s financial backers demanding repayment of a bond debt, impossible for the railway at the time. At the last minute, the canton’s first bank Ersparniskasse Nidwalden found a way to avert liquidation, paving the way for further development, primarily for the urgently needed technical improvements to the railway.

The Lucerne–Stans–Engelberg Railway

The opening of the Lucerne-Stans-Engelberg Railway (LSE) on 19 December 1964 marked the beginning of a new railway era, with trains now running directly from Lucerne to Engelberg. At a cost of some CHF 21 million, new commuter trains and modern station buildings were built and the route was straightened in some places. A new bridge was erected to span the narrow stretch of lake near Stansstad, while the new Lopper Tunnel connected the canton of Nidwalden to SBB’s Brünig network. Longer and more comfortable trains increased capacity and shortened the journey time to one hour.

The Meiringen–Innertkirchen Railway

In 1923, Kraftwerke Oberhasli AG (KWO) opened up the route between Meiringen and Innertkirchen with a metre-gauge railway. From 1926, it served as a works railway that supplied the power plant construction sites and transported KWO personnel. In 1946, the railway received a concession for public transport, resulting in the founding of the Meiringen-Innertkirchen Railway (MIB). Zentralbahn took over the MIB on 1 January 2021 and has operated the Meiringen–Innertkirchen line since then.

Zentralbahn

Although Zentralbahn is a young company, it can look back on a long and eventful railway history: for decades, the Brünig Railway and the Lucerne–Stans–Engelberg Railway (LSE) ensured smooth rail transport between Lucerne and Interlaken and between Lucerne and Engelberg. On 1 January 2005, the two railways merged to form the new Zentralbahn.