The descent from Murren starts with the train edging along the mountain to Grutschalp. There are dramatic views of the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau mountains seemingly within touching distance! The cable car takes you to Lauterbrunnen thence to Interlaken.
Taking the Brunig line which runs alongside the Aare river, take the train as far as the town of Meiringen. I arrived just as the candidates for Miss Meiringen were about to be judged. All the cattle had been scrubbed and decorated with bells and ribbons, moving obediently through the centre of town. Here at Meiringen is another little railway to Innertkirchen, getting off after a short tunnel at Aareschlucht.East station at Innertkirchen.
This is German for the gorge of the Aare river. The Aare river flows flows swiftly though a narrow ravine 50 metres at its deepest. At one point the 2 sides are only one metre apart. You can walk through a series of walkways for 2 kms to Aareschlucht West station. Admission is currently CHF10 and the gorge can be visited from April to October.
Little Meiringen is also connected with fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes, who almost lost his life in a fight with Professor Moriaty at nearby Reichenbach Falls. It is accessible by funicular just outside the town. At the tiny English church in the town centre, the crypt has been recreated as Sherlock Holmes sitting room in Baker Street on London.
Lucerne is just over an hour away by train from Meiringen, Bustling Lucerne station is close to the lake which bears its name. The panorama which greets you on a summers day is idyllic! Crystal clear water with a backdrop of green hills and mountains and a unique series of wooden bridges across the lake. Classic steamboats chug across. We take ours to Vitznau, terminus of the historic Rigi rack railway. The trains cogs take you up a steep slope to the summit of Mount Rigi almost 1800 metres high. On a clear day you can see to the Black Forest in Germany and Mont Blanc in France. Truly a fitting climax to Michael’s train tour of Switzerland!
Rail News – Open access
With the arrival of Lockdown No 3 in early 2021, train services in the UK were reduced to 72% it was reported in the Guardian in January 2021. The 2 UK open access operators Grand Central and Hull trains have now resumed services on 1st March and 12th April 2021 respectively. Eurostar, the open access operator of international trains to Europe operated just one train a day during lockdown, since 28th June operate 3 trains per day to Paris, 1 train per day to Brussels and Amsterdam
Unlike the franchised operators, they do not receive any government assistance. Eurostar was saved in May 2021 by a £250 million refinancing package led by the French government. As it doesn’t expect to operate a full service before 2025, it is questionable whether this amount will see them through! Both Grand Central and Hull trains have spent spells in ‘hibernation’ during periods of lockdown since March 2021.
