The idea of building a railway to Schynige Platte was born in 1880. By then the Schynige Platte was already a popular excursion destination. It took ten years for the project to take shape and for the federal authorities to grant a concession. On 14 June 1893, the railway began regular operation. Up to the end of 1913, the trains were run using steam locomotives. From 1914, travellers were riding on the newly purchased electric locomotives, which were ultra-modern at the time.

Today, this exact juncture in the history of technology, when electricity began to replace steam power, can be comprehended based on the Schynige Platte Railway. All of the trains in operation here are still run exclusively by the electric locomotives from this pioneering time, which are now over a hundred years old. The railway system also offers an insight into countless details that have long disappeared elsewhere: as in the past, the locomotive pushes the cars upwards instead of pulling due to a steep incline, 25 % at maximum. There are no electronic signals at any point along the route. The trains are sent to the track personally by the station master. At train crossings, all track switches have to be operated by hand.

Even the rail infrastructure itself still mainly originates from the beginning of railway operation. This means that most of the overhead line masts are still made from wood and have the original curved cantilevers. Engineering structures such as supporting walls, tunnels and smaller bridges, as well as the side edging of the ballast bed, are built from quarrystone, some of which are even with drywall construction.

The track system, some of which dates back to the time of its construction, is an indispensable part of the historic railway, together with its routing in the landscape and the associated infrastructure elements and buildings. However, it needs to be renewed. The work focusses on the following areas: Renovation of the track bed (substructure and ballast), maintenance of the switches, partial replacement of defective cogs, tracks and ties as well as regeneration and welding of cogs.

On September 7, 2021, the Grand Council of the Canton of Berne approved a loan of CHF 13.8 million for the renovation of the Schynige Platte Railway workshop and track. The funds to finance ongoing expenses are always generated by the Schynige Platte Railway itself. The first phase of the renovation took place in April 2023. Further phases are planned, which will be carried out in the autumn after the end of operations or in the spring before the start of operations.

Rollmaterial Verzeichnis (PDF, 84 kB)

Prospekt historisches Rollmaterial (PDF, 1.92 MB)