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biermonkey t1_ix1k37x wrote

The Glacier "not so" Express.

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ElfMage83 t1_ix1n7xt wrote

Why not add the distance in the title for the billions unfamiliar with Switzerland's towns?

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speckadust t1_ix1nku3 wrote

Google maps: 7 hours 22 mins via train

4

LipTrev t1_ix1rawq wrote

This is slow for the same reason things like Angel's Flight in LA, and whatever that thing is called in Pittsburgh are slow: it is cogged railway, at least in parts.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rack_railway#Abt

The Glacier Express also has lots of sections on regular (narrow gauge) rails, so it is not a simple cogged railway.

The general class is called Steep Grade Railway:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steep_grade_railway

San Francisco uses a cable system to climb it's grades, but it is of the same general class.

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OldMork t1_ix276t3 wrote

My morning commute is just slightly faster sometimes.

0

fvillion t1_ix29oa7 wrote

We took it in 1986. It's well worth the trip. And Zermatt is a great destination: we stayed there a week before heading to Basal for the Rhine cruise to Nijmegen in the Netherlands.

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travel_ali t1_ix2pnnp wrote

The company markets the train as 'the slowest Express train in the world'.

The writer for timeout has just read their promotional material, turned it into 5 paragraphs of article, and misunderstood the tagline.

I don't know what is the slowest train in the world, but the answer isn't going to come from a timeout advertorial.

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TheCloudFestival t1_ix2wjfp wrote

Yeah, but it does travel across the top of a goddam mountain range several times, so there's that.

5

sandra_p t1_ix3jmu9 wrote

Took it a couple of years ago. Not worth it. Get a swiss pass instead and take the regular train between all your destinations. Scenery was better.

1

olagorie t1_ix3kyl6 wrote

Well, enjoying the scenery is the whole point of taking this train, so the longer it takes, the better

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richg0404 t1_ix3l6t9 wrote

now put a webcam on it so they can stream the views

1