Steel Rails Across Alpine Glaciers: The Zero-Emission Swiss Rail Odyssey
Traversing the Glacier Express and Bernina lines: a model for luxury, zero-carbon transcontinental overland travel.
Senior Culture & Culinary Editor
In an era when aviation accounts for a growing portion of global carbon emissions, Switzerland offers a masterclass in how high-speed and scenic overland transit can replace domestic flights entirely. Powered by 100% hydroelectric and renewable energy, the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) network transports travelers seamlessly from urban centers to remote alpine glacier passes.
The crowning achievement of this network is the Rhaetian Railway’s Bernina line—one of only three railway lines in the world designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site for civil engineering.
Engineering Wonders: The Landwasser and Brusio Viaducts
Climbing from the palm trees of Tirano, Italy, to the high alpine snowfields of the Bernina Pass (2,253m) without the aid of a cogwheel rack, the train navigates dramatic spiral tunnels and stone viaducts.
Crossing the curved Landwasser Viaduct—six soaring limestone arches spanning 142 meters directly into a sheer cliffside tunnel—is an exhilarating reminder that human transport can integrate with alpine ecology rather than destroy it.
Staff AuthorTanisha is a cultural journalist and culinary explorer with over eight years documenting traditional culinary techniques, UNESCO heritage sanctuaries, and regional artisan communities across Southern Europe, Southeast Asia, and Latin America.
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