World’s Longest Passenger Train Record Newly Attained By Swiss Railway Service

To commemorate the 175th anniversary of the country’s railway system, Switzerland’s Rhaetian Railway took on the impressive challenge of driving the world’s longest passenger train through the snowy Alps. 

Just how long is the new record setter? The behemoth has 100 cars attached, stretching a total of nearly 1.2 miles, and weighing almost 3,300 tons. 

According to ABC News, the previous record holder, the National Belgian Railway Company, had driven a 70-carriage train a little over a mile in length.

As per Popular Science, it’s fitting that the Swiss would be the ones to attempt this feat, considering the country is one of the most train-reliant nations in the world, thanks to its mountainous landscape.

In fact, residents in the nation travel an estimated 2,450 km (1,522 miles) by railway each year, or nearly a quarter of their total travels annually. 

Interestingly, Rhaetian Railway’s record-beater didn’t just comprise the usual train carriages, but also included 25 new ‘Capricorn’ electric trains that powered the convo through its route of 22 tunnels and 48 bridges. 

The zig-zagging terrain only allowed for the railway cars to travel at 35 km/h (21 mph), with the entire journey taking over an hour to complete. 

[via Popular Science and ABC News, images (c) Rhaetian Railway / PHILIPP SCHMIDLI (for press use)]