Swiss panoramic train to debut in December
The GoldenPass Express (GPX) panoramic train, which will link Montreux to Interlaken without any station changes, will make its debut on December 11.
The train will link three popular tourist destinations: Montreux, Gstaad and Interlaken, Montreux Oberland Bernois Railway Company (MOB) said in a statement on Thursday.
The journey will take three hours and 15 minutes and passengers can choose between three classes (First, Second and Prestige). The rail service was scheduled to start operating in June 2021 but was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The train was built by Swiss firm Stadler. It boasts an innovative variable gauge system that will allow the wagons to switch from metre gauge (1 metre) to standard gauge (1.435 metres). This was designed by the MOB and developed and manufactured by Alstom.
The first commercial departure will start at 9:08am on December 11 from Interlaken West station. At 9:35am, 115km away, another train will make the reverse journey from Montreux, the MOB said.
The GPX will run only one trip in each direction until June 10, 2023, because tourism demand has not yet fully recovered from the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, the MOB said. From June 11, 2023, the company will ramp up service to four daily roundtrips.
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