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Gotthard Panorama Express

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Gotthard Panorama Express
Locomotive pulling coaches
Overview
Service typeBoat and Panorama Express train
StatusOperating
LocaleSwitzerland
Current operator(s)Swiss Federal Railways
Lake Lucerne Navigation Company
Route
TerminiLucerne / Arth-Goldau
Lugano
StopsFlüelen,
Göschenen,
Airolo,
Bellinzona
Distance travelled182 km (113 mi)[1]
Average journey time5.5 hours[1]
Service frequencyDaily (except on Mondays),
from mid-April to mid-October[2]
On-board services
Class(es)1st
Catering facilitiesMinibar on train,
Restaurant on boat
Observation facilitiesPanorama cars
Technical
Rolling stockPanorama cars
Track gauge1,435 mm / 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in standard gauge
Route map
Legend
 to Zürich HB / Basel SBB / Interlaken Ost
Lucerne
Lucerne landing stage
Lake Lucerne (Vierwaldstättersee)
Flüelen landing stage
3'
Arth-Goldau (trains to Zürich HB / Lucerne / St. Gallen)
Flüelen
(see Gotthard Railway for route details)
Göschenen
Gotthard Crest Tunnel
Airolo
Bellinzona
Locarno
Lugano (bus transfer to Tirano / Bernina Express)
to Chiasso / Milano Centrale
This diagram:

The Gotthard Panorama Express is a tourist oriented boat and panoramic train line which connects Lucerne to Lugano, crossing the Swiss Alps from North to South through the Gotthard crest tunnel. Until 2017, the train was known as the William Tell Express (German: Wilhelm Tell Express). It is jointly operated by the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB CFF FFS), who operate the train, and the Lake Lucerne Navigation Company (German: Schifffahrtsgesellschaft des Vierwaldstättersees; SGV), who operates the boat. Previous iterations of the train ran to a southern terminus at Locarno rather than the current terminus at Lugano.[3][4]

Route

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In the southerly direction, the journey starts from the quayside in front of Lucerne station, in the central Swiss city of Lucerne (canton of Lucerne), which sits at the north-western end of Lake Lucerne (German: Vierwaldstättersee). This end of the lake is surrounded by the famous peaks of the Rigi, Pilatus and Bürgenstock, and the route sails between these mountains. The voyage then passes the Rütli meadow, where the Swiss Confederacy first came together, and the Tell Chapel that commemorates William Tell, the folk hero from whom the service took its former name. Finally the boat arrives at Flüelen landing stage (canton of Uri), at the south-eastern end of the lake and a three minute walk from Flüelen station.[4][5]

Alternatively, it is also possible to start the journey at Arth-Goldau station, skipping the boat ride.[6] At Arth-Goldau and Lucerne stations, the service connects to the Voralpen Express, among others.

At Flüelen station, passengers transfer to the train, which takes the scenic original line of the Gotthard railway, climbing up the valley of the Reuss river. As part of this climb, the railway makes several spiral loops (partly in tunnels) in order to gain altitude, giving a series of different views of the village and church of Wassen, which lie in the centre of the loops. At Göschenen station the train enters the original Gotthard Tunnel (a culmination tunnel through the Saint-Gotthard Massif) and emerges into the southern facing Leventina valley near Airolo in the Italian speaking canton of Ticino. Descending this valley, with the aid of several more spiral loops, the train eventually arrives at Bellinzona, the capital city of Ticino that is famous for its three World Heritage listed castles. Connections are available at Bellinzona station for Locarno at Lago Maggiore. The train continues from Bellinzona to Lugano station, in the southern Swiss city of Lugano on the lake of the same name.[4][5][7]

The whole journey takes about 5 hours and 30 minutes,[1] divided roughly evenly between the boat and train rides, and operates once a day in both directions, almost daily (except on Mondays) between mid-April and mid-October. The section on Lake Lucerne is normally operated by a historic paddle steamer, whilst the train uses air-conditioned 1st class coaches with panoramic windows. Premium fares or supplements are charged.[5][8]

There is a bus transfer between Lugano and Tirano RhB station in Tirano, linking the Gotthard Panorama Express and the Bernina Express.[9][10]

Alternatives

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Standard, non-premium, fare alternatives exist for both legs of the journey. The Lake Lucerne Navigation Company provides other services, utilising both paddle steamers and modern motor vessels, between Lucerne and Flüelen. The Swiss South Eastern Railway (German: Südostbahn, SOB) operates an hourly InterRegio (IR) service (named Treno Gottardo) over the same route as the Panorama Express train between Flüelen and Bellinzona, continuing southwards to Locarno (with connections to Lugano) and northwards to either Zürich HB or Basel SBB (via Lucerne). in addition, direct trains (InterCity/IC and EuroCity/EC) also operate between Lucerne, Bellinzona and Lugano via the less scenic but shorter Gotthard Base Tunnel route. This route may be useful for passengers making a return journey, as the journey time by this route is under two hours.[4][11][12][13]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Gotthard Panorama Express". myswitzerland.com. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  2. ^ "Gotthard Panorama Express". Switzerland Travel Center. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  3. ^ "Wilhelm Tell Express". SBB. Archived from the original on 3 May 2022. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d Orwoll, Mark. "Crossing the Alps via the Gotthard Panorama Express". frommers.com. FrommerMedia LLC. Archived from the original on 3 May 2022. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  5. ^ a b c "Timetable Gotthard Panorama Express". SBB. Archived from the original on 3 May 2022. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  6. ^ "Gotthard Panorama Express: timetable". Swiss Federal Railways. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  7. ^ Allen, Cecil J. (1958). Switzerland's Amazing Railways. London: Thomas Nelson & Sons. pp. 4–6, 31.
  8. ^ "Gotthard Panorama Express ticket". SBB. Archived from the original on 3 May 2022. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  9. ^ "Lugano–Tirano (Bernina Express)" (PDF). 25 September 2024. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  10. ^ "St. Moritz – Tirano – Lugano". myswitzerland.com. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  11. ^ "Basel/Zürich - Arth-Goldau - (Gotthard Basistunnel) - Bellinzona - Milano" (PDF). Bundesamt für Verkehr. 25 September 2024. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  12. ^ "Fahrplan Sommer 2022" [Timetable Summer 2022] (PDF) (in German). Schifffahrtsgesellschaft des Vierwaldstättersees. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 May 2022. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
  13. ^ "Basel / Zürich–Arth-Goldau–Locarno" (PDF). Südostbahn. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 May 2022. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
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