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On June 6 and 7, the historic BLS "Blue Arrow" will be on the move on the 125th anniversary of the Bern-Neuchâtel and Gürbetal railroad lines - a journey back to the time of the railroad pioneers.
BLS
The Blue Arrow is once again traveling through Switzerland to mark the 125th anniversary of the Bern-Neuchâtel and Gürbetal railroad lines. But it is by no means the only rolling witness to the past: from the Gotthard Crocodile to the Furka steam train, historic train journeys are waiting to bring history to life.
When the legendary Gotthard Crocodile climbs the steep ramps of the Gotthard mountain line, steam locomotives conquer the Furka or the Blue Arrow glides through the Mittelland, it's not just railroad fans who go into raptures.
Hardly any other country brings so many historic rail vehicles back onto the tracks on a regular basis as Switzerland. Some of them are over 100 years old - and still in working order.
Many railroad lines were built in the 19th century and continue to shape the landscape, economy and identity of entire regions to this day. Some lines are now celebrating anniversaries of more than a century and are still in daily use.
This includes the Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon Railway (BLS) network. The country's second-largest railroad company has been connecting Bern with the Bernese Oberland, the Gürbetal valley and the canton of Neuchâtel for more than a century.
The Mikado 1244 association, founded in Brugg in 1975, is committed to preserving historic locomotives and brings Swiss railroad history to life on nostalgic trips.
Picture; Mikado 1244
This year, BLS is celebrating 125 years of railroad history on parts of its historic network with several special trips. The Blue Arrow from 1938 shows: In Switzerland, railroad history doesn't belong in a museum, but on the rails.
There are several reasons why nostalgic railroads are so successful in Switzerland.
Firstly, the country has one of the densest and most traditional railroad networks in the world. This means that historic vehicles often run on the very lines for which they were once built - be it on the Furka mountain line, the Gotthard or the Rhaetian Railway network.
Added to this is the extraordinary variety. From steam locomotives and historic railcars to legendary electric locomotives such as the "Crocodile" or the "Churchill Arrow", dozens of operational vehicles have been preserved.
This is possible thanks to associations, foundations and thousands of volunteers who invest countless hours of work in restoration and maintenance every year.
Historic SBB "crocodile" Ce 6/8 III 14305: the legendary electric locomotive was a key feature of freight traffic on the Gotthard line for decades.
Picture: Rhätische Bahn
The Graubünden 1889 Club, for example, shows just how big the scene is. The club now has more than 700 members and has restored numerous historic Rhaetian Railway vehicles since it was founded.
It owes its name to a passenger coach from 1889, which the founders wanted to save from being scrapped. The year also marks the opening of the Landquart-Davos Railway, a predecessor of today's RhB.
The Red Double Arrow bears the name "Churchill" because it carried British Prime Minister Winston Churchill through Switzerland in 1946.
Picture: SBB
Clubs like this form the backbone of the Swiss nostalgic train scene. Many members are involved as mechanics, train drivers, carriage attendants or photographers. Without their voluntary work, many historic vehicles would no longer be on the road today.
Whether steam locomotive, railcar or historic electric locomotive: Switzerland has an extraordinary variety of operational museum vehicles.
These are the country's most spectacular and nostalgic railroads and lines.
The historic Furka-Bergstrecke steam railroad crosses a viaduct in the Uri Alps with its red carriages - a piece of living Swiss railroad history.
Uri Tourismus
Probably the most famous museum railroad in Switzerland: historic steam locomotives run between Realp UR and Oberwald VS on the former Furka-Oberalp line. The journey leads through spectacular high mountain landscapes, over rack-and-pinion sections and through the Furka summit tunnel at an altitude of over 2100 meters.
The line should actually have been closed after the opening of the Furka Base Tunnel. Thanks to decades of dedication by railroad enthusiasts, it was saved and fully reopened by 2010. Today, over 500 volunteers ensure that one of the most impressive historic railroad lines in Europe lives on.
The historic Rigi Railway, Europe's first mountain railroad, travels with its steam locomotive high above Lake Lucerne towards the summit.
Picture: Schwyz Tourismus
A new chapter in mountain railroads began in 1871 with the Vitznau-Rigi Railway: The cogwheel railroad made the "Queen of the Mountains" famous and became a model for many Alpine railroads.
Even today, historic steam locomotives and restored carriages run on the Rigi up to Rigi Kulm at 1798 meters. Particularly impressive: some of the vehicles are among the oldest operational cogwheel trains in the world - including "Lok 7" from 1873.
Historical journeys are even possible in winter: the legendary RhB snowplough train Xrot clears the route through the snow-covered Grisons mountains.
Picture: Wikipedia
Few railroads are as synonymous with the Swiss Alps as the Rhaetian Railway (RhB). In addition to its famous red trains, it has one of the largest collections of historic railroad vehicles in the country - from nostalgic saloon cars to locomotives over 100 years old.
On Historic trips, passengers can experience legendary routes such as the Albula line with the Landwasser Viaduct, the Rhine Gorge or the Bernina line all the way to Italy.
Particularly impressive: the Albula and Bernina lines have been UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 2008 - historic trains run on the same viaducts and helical tunnels as they did over a century ago.
The MOB's Belle Époque train connects Montreux and Zweisimmen and revives the golden era of luxurious rail travel.
MOB
Hardly any other nostalgic train combines railroad history and travel culture as stylishly as the Belle Époque train of the Montreux Oberland Railway (MOB). The historic carriages run between Montreux and Zweisimmen and are reminiscent of the glamorous era of luxury hotels and elegant rail travel in the early 20th century.
During the journey, the Lavaux vineyards, Lake Geneva, green Alpine meadows and the peaks of the Bernese Oberland pass by. Inside, wood paneling, brass fittings and plush seats create the flair of the Belle Époque. The route connects the Riviera on Lake Geneva with the alpine world of the Bernese Oberland in a unique way.
The BLS Blue Arrow is an icon of Swiss railroad history and continues to delight passengers on nostalgic trips through Switzerland.
Picture: BLS
The Blue Arrow is one of the best-known historic vehicles of the Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon Railway (BLS). The vehicle, which entered service in 1938, set new standards in passenger transportation with its blue paintwork, large panoramic windows and high level of comfort.
Today, the railcar is maintained by the BLS Foundation and used for special trips - often on its former main routes between Bern, the Bernese Oberland and the canton of Neuchâtel. Many original features have been preserved to this day and convey the flair of rail travel before the Second World War.
The Blue Arrow will be running on the historic routes between Neuchâtel, Ins, Kerzers, Bern and Thun on June 6 and 7, 2026. Tickets are currently still available for several journeys.
The historic electric locomotive Ae 4/7 11026 is emblematic of the pioneering days of electrification on the Swiss railroads and still pulls nostalgic trains through Switzerland today.
Picture: Mikado 1244
While steam locomotives are often in the spotlight, the success story of Swiss railroads began with electrification. The Mikado 1244 association in Brugg AG preserves historic electric locomotives that once formed the backbone of rail transportation.
Among the best-known vehicles are the legendary Ae 4/7 locomotives, which ran on Switzerland's main lines for decades. The association keeps an important chapter of Swiss industrial and transport history alive with special trips, restorations and workshop tours. Ride along and experience the pioneering days of the electric railroad at close quarters.
The Vapeur Val-de-Travers steam train winds its way through the vineyards of Vaud and brings the great days of steam railroads back to life.
Picture: VAPEUR VAL-DE-TRAVERS
In the Neuchâtel Jura, the Vapeur Val-de-Travers combines railroad romance with regional history. The historic steam trains run between Saint-Sulpice, Fleurier and Les Verrières and pass through the gentle hills and valleys of the Val-de-Travers.
The line once opened up a region known for its watchmaking industry and absinthe. Today, lovingly restored steam locomotives bring this era back to life. The railroad is operated by volunteers who restore the vehicles and organize themed trips with regional specialities and cultural activities. The railroad owes its special charm to the combination of steam locomotive, Jura hills and the traditional absinthe region.
Railroad fans watch with excitement as the legendary SBB "Crocodile", one of the most famous locomotives in Swiss railroad history, arrives.
Picture: SBB Historic
Hardly any other Swiss locomotive enjoys a similar cult status as the legendary "Crocodile". Built from 1919 for the Gotthard line, the locomotives became a symbol of the early electrification of the Swiss railroads thanks to their enormous pulling power.
The locomotive owes its name to its striking design with the long front ends and the movable middle section. The carefully restored vehicles regularly return to the rails on SBB Historic special trips - often on the lines for which they were once built. A ride on the "Crocodile" is a journey back to the pioneering days of electric Alpine railroads.
The historic steam train of the Zurich Museum Railway (ZMB) brings railroad history back to the rails and invites you to take a nostalgic ride around Zurich.
Picture: ZMB Zürcher Museums-Bahn
If you want to experience historic railroads, you don't necessarily have to travel to the Alps. The Zurich Museum Railway (ZMB) has been preserving the history of the former Sihltalbahn and Üetlibergbahn since the 1970s.
On selected days, the restored trains run between Zurich, the Sihl Valley and the Uetliberg. The journeys run from the city center to the recreational areas around Zurich and combine railroad history with everyday life. From passenger carriages with wooden fittings to classic electric locomotives, the collection shows the development of Zurich's regional transport in an impressive way.
