« Chur railway station

On November 27 beautiful sunlight swept the mountain, promising a nice, sunny weather, but the next day was very cloudy again. On November 28 the Allegra trainset 3509 waited for me at Chur station.

Where the tram-like section ends, there begins the actual ascent - at first with 23 per thousand. Then a true mountain section follows with 60 per thousand steep inclines, tight bends and tunnels.

Arosa was a health resort with diffucult accessibility at the turn of the century. A stagecoach ride from Chur to the tuberculosis sanatoriums (located 1200 m higher) lasted even on the newly built Schanfiggerstrasse six hours. The idea to build a railway to Arosa presented itself first in 1901, but it took until 1910 to define the new line's route by harmonizing the various concepts and interests. Although the technical requirements of the RhB vehicles were taken in account during the planning, a separate railway company under the name Chur-Arosa-Bahn (ChA) was founded in 1912 – with the Canton of Graubünden as majority shareholder. The construction works started in the same year.
According to the city's request, the route was modified to run on the streets of Chur, to substitute the planned tramway. This modification made unnecessary to build a tunnel and two bridges. A hydroelectric power station was built in Lüen to supply the new line with electricity. Serious geological difficulties slowed down the contruction, even so the Chur-Arosa railway was completed in two years and opened on the 12th of December 1914. The line was initially electrified with 2400 V DC, which differs from the power system of the RhB network.
The railway brought a real prosperity and Arosa became a winter sports paradise during the next decades. Still, the company faced financial difficulties due to the economical depression and the new competition after the Schanfiggerstrasse was opened for cars (1927). Only the fusion with RhB in 1942 could save the line. Even so, the DC-era lasted until 1997, when the railway's power system was switched to 11 kV 16,7 Hz AC, the current used on RhB's main network (11 kV 16,7 Hz AC).
Compared with the initial 80-85 minutes, the journey time is nowadays one hour on the 25,7 km long line. The red trains fight the 1154 m altitude difference between Chur and Arosa on gradients with 60 per thousend maximum inclination. Passenger trains run at hourly intervals and as traction units mostly the class ABe 8/12 Allegra trainsets are in use. These vehicles are strong enough to haul even freight trains (their power equals to that of the class Ge 4/4 III locomotives, distributed on twice so many axles). The freight traffic is still significant on the Arosa line, the freight cars are mostly coupled to the passenger trains. These mixed trains fit in the timetable of the single track line, so the freight transport threatens less its accuracy.

We are already close to Langwies. A mixed train winds its way uphill between the houses of Palätsch, while deer graze down in the valley.

The church - dating back to the 14th century - and blockhouses of Langwies

The tracks of Langwies are being renewed. After the station, the breathtaking Langwieser viaduct follows. The main road to Arosa offers a magnificent view towards the bridge.

The biggest attraction of the Arosa line is the Langwieser viaduct, which is the largest bridge of the Rhaetian Railway, thanks to its 284 m length, 62 m heigth and 100 m span. Due to the sheer extent of the planned structure, missing building material, and transport difficulties, only a reinforced concrete structure came here into question. The Swiss company Ed. Züblin & Cie was entrusted with planning and constuction of the viaduct, who built two large reinforced concrete viaducts earlier in Hungary. The Újsinka-viaducts of the Brassó – Fogaras Railway (today Romania) were built in 1908, according to the plans of Szilárd Zielinski. The larger one of these bridges is the 167 m long Hosszúvölgyi viaduct, which had the longest span (60 m) among the concrete bridges that time. The Hosszúvölgyi viaduct served as a model for the plans of the Langwieser viaduct. The big Swiss brother of the Újsinka-viaducts was finished in 1914.

The viaduct on November 25 and three days later

Let's leave Langwies slowly, and look at the other side of the valley. The Prätschwald is waiting for us, with scattered blockhouses on its clearings.

Inner Prätschwald with cheerful Allegras and a grumpy cat

The scheduled trains running uphill and downhill cross at Litzirüti station. After the station, the railway climbs through hairpin bends towards Arosa.

Haspelgrube service station is located shortly before Arosa. It was built as late as 1937.

The railway turns to the north near the lake Untersee. The terminus follows immediately the tunnel.

Arosa station with the lake Obersee