Furka Pass: Riding on Switzerland’s Greatest Steam Railway
Nestled deep in the rugged heart of the Swiss Alps, Andermatt serves as the perfect base camp for one of Europe's most dramatic railway adventures: the Furka Steam Railway (Dampfbahn Furka-Bergstrecke / DFB). This isn't just a train ride; it is a living time capsule. Climbing over jagged granite cliffs, bridging rushing glacial rivers, and conquering the formidable 2,160m-high Furka Pass, this 18 km heritage journey between Realp and Oberwald is a triumph of engineering, human fortitude, and vintage luxury.
For the ultimate alpine excursion, booking a ticket in the train's ultra-exclusive Premium Class transforms this mountain crossing into an unforgettable gourmet voyage. Here is a comprehensive guide to conquering the pass, from its dramatic historical roots to the best ways to experience it today…
The Story of a Resurrected Line
The Furka Pass railway line was originally built under immense hardship, opening fully in 1926 to connect the cantons of Uri and Valais. For decades, it was a vital alpine artery - most famously traversed by the iconic, original Glacier Express.
However, nature always held the upper hand. Battered by fierce winter avalanches and buried under meters of snow, the treacherous mountain track could only operate for a few summer months each year. Maintaining the line was a financial and logistical nightmare.
Near-Death and Radical Rebirth
In 1982, the opening of the 15.4 km Furka Base Tunnel permanently bypassed the mountain pass. The railway company abandoned the old, exposed high-mountain tracks, slating the historic route for demolition and rust. Then came the volunteers. Railway enthusiasts from across the globe refused to let this piece of history die. They formed a massive, dedicated association, raising millions of francs and dedicating hundreds of thousands of hours of manual labor.
In a twist of poetic justice, they even tracked down the original Swiss steam locomotives that had been sold off to Vietnam decades prior. In a massive international rescue mission dubbed Project Back to Switzerland in 1990, these historic engines were brought back home, painstakingly restored, and placed right back onto the Furka cogwheel tracks. By 2010, the entire mountain route was officially reopened as a heritage railway, completely run and maintained by volunteers.
The Magic Under the Hood: Welsh Coal & Hand-Spun Turntables
Operating a 100-year-old steam engine up an 11.8% mountain incline requires unique materials and intense, physical teamwork…
Powered by Welsh Premium Coal
If you chat with the engine drivers, they will proudly tell you about the black rocks they are shoveling into the firebox. The Furka Steam Railway imports specialized, high-grade steam coal from South Wales. Ordinary coal doesn't cut it on a mountain pass.
Welsh steam coal is famous worldwide for having low volatile matter and incredibly high carbon purity. It burns exceptionally hot, leaves very little ash behind, and produces a steady, clean heat.
This maximum thermal efficiency is exactly what the locomotive needs to generate enough high-pressure steam to push many tons of passenger carriages up the brutal mountain rack-and-pinion sections without losing power.
The Art of Running Backwards
You might notice that the steam engine looks like it is facing the wrong way on parts of the trip. This is a deliberate, traditional safety tactic. Because standard steam locomotives have only one driver’s cab at the front, visibility is everything.
The locomotive is always positioned so that its boiler faces up the mountain (pointing uphill towards the Furka Summit). This ensures that the water inside the boiler completely covers the extremely hot firebox ceiling at all times, preventing catastrophic engine damage or even explosions.
When it is time to go back down the mountain, the train descends with the engine running backwards, leading the coaches down the slope. This keeps the locomotive securely between the heavy passenger cars and the steep drop, acting as a massive braking shield.
To switch the train's configuration at the staging tracks in Gletsch, the Furka Pass, or the terminal stations, the crew relies on a historic, manually-operated turntable. The massive, heavy engine is carefully rolled onto a pivoting track segment. The volunteer train crew then literally grabs onto physical lever bars and uses their own muscle power to spin the entire multi-ton locomotive 180 degrees by hand until it aligns perfectly with the tracks to go the other way!
Radio-Activated Safety Sprinklers
Because these engines burn hot Welsh coal, flying sparks can easily trigger mountain forest fires. To prevent this, the volunteer association built a brilliant, custom safety mechanism. A specific stretch of track running through a protected pine forest is fitted with automatic water sprinklers.
As the steam engine approaches, a radio signal from the locomotive automatically triggers the sprinklers to douse the tracks and surrounding brush right before the train passes, shutting down automatically once it leaves the zone.
Engineering Marvels: a Disappearing Bridge
Because the Furka Pass gets completely buried under meters of heavy snow and ice, the railway completely shuts down between October and June. Opening the track every spring is a grueling, 4-week battle fought by up to 20 daily volunteers.
The most mind-boggling obstacle on the track is the Steffenbach Bridge. In 1914, a permanent stone-arch bridge was built here, but a massive winter avalanche completely destroyed it before a single passenger train could even cross! Rather than continually rebuilding it, Swiss engineers in 1925 designed a brilliant 36m-long, three-part folding steel bridge;
Every Autumn: Before the snow hits, a crew unlocks the bridge, attaches winches, and folds the bridge flat against the rocky cliffs, leaving an empty gap. Massive winter avalanches then slide harmlessly through the open gorge without hitting anything.
Every Spring: Before the trains can run, the volunteers manually unfold, align, and lock the multi-ton bridge back into place across the chasm - all without using any heavy machinery.
Once the bridge is locked, the team uses massive, vintage diesel and steam rotary snowplows to cut through the snowpack. Over 350 to 450 total man-days are spent clearing snow, unearthing blocked tunnels, and resetting safety sensors before the high-altitude season can officially begin!
Mile-by-Mile Route & Station Guide
To launch your journey from Andermatt, you’ll hop onto a brisk, modern Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn train for a scenic, 12-min ride down the valley floor near to the official DFB base station in Realp. If you have booked Premium Class, your VIP experience begins immediately. Uniformed Premium Attendants greet you at the door of a gorgeously restored, elegant heritage carriage with a chilled welcome aperitif.
Realp (1,546m) – The Launchpad
The journey begins at the base station in Canton Uri. Here, the train leaves the modern valley floor behind and immediately engages its cogwheel rack to grind up the steep mountainside along the Furkareuss River.
Tiefenbach (1,849m) – a Wild Ascent
As the train climbs out of the valley, it crosses the restored Steffenbach Folding Bridge and enters the rugged, high-alpine territory of the Saint-Gotthard Massif. The track snakes along exposed rock shelves, offering panoramic lookouts over the Urseren Valley below.
Furka Station (2,163m) – Top of the World
The crown jewel of the line. The train makes an extended 20-30-min stop here. While standard passengers line up outside, Premium Class guests are escorted directly into the private VIP Stübli inside the historic station building.
Here, away from the crisp mountain wind, you are served a traditional, hearty warm alpine snack featuring local Swiss cheeses, artisanal bread, and hot mountain sausages. It is a fantastic intermission to step outside, chat with the crew, and photograph the puffing engine against the dramatic sky.
Furka Summit Tunnel (1,874m long) – The Threshold
Immediately after leaving Furka Station, the train plunges into the centerpiece of the route's infrastructure: the historic Furka Summit Tunnel. Dug completely through the solid granite core of the mountain ridge at an elevation of 2,160 m, this impressive, single-track tunnel takes several dark, atmospheric minutes to cross.
It serves as a literal gateway between regions - you enter the darkness in German-speaking Canton Uri and emerge back into the sunlight on the other side in the French-speaking Canton of Valais.
Muttbach-Belvédère (2,120m) & The Rhône Glacier – The Great Wall of Ice (Rock)
Popping out of the west side of the tunnel, the train reaches Muttbach station in the shadow of the Furkapass ridge. From here, the descent reveals the staggering beauty of the Rhône Glacier, a massive, 8-km river of ancient blue ice clinging to the mountainside (or at least it used to) - see my other article for details…
You get front-row, unobstructed views of this retreating ice giant (on the right) as the train winds its way downward. As you drink in the views, the attendants balance the rocking of the train to serve a delicate onboard dessert alongside hot coffee:
Hollywood History: Keep your eyes peeled on the sweeping hairpin curves of the Furka Pass road running right alongside the tracks. These twists and turns served as the backdrop for the iconic car chase in the 1964 James Bond movie, Goldfinger, where Sean Connery raced his Aston Martin DB5!
Ghost Hotel: You will also spot the striking, abandoned Hotel Belvédère. Built in 1882 directly on a sharp hairpin turn, this Belle Époque hotel sits precariously right next to the Rhone Glacier and has become one of the most famously photographed landmarks in the world.
Gletsch (1,762m) – a Historic Crossroads
Gletsch is the highlight of the descent. 200 years ago, the Rhône Glacier reached all the way down to the valley floor right up to this station! Today, it is an open-air historical museum. The train stops briefly near the iconic Grand Hotel Glacier du Rhône, a majestic, Belle Époque hotel that has hosted Victorian-era travelers crossing the Alps by horse & carriage since the 19th century.
Oberwald (1,366m) – a Valais Gateway
The train glides through the pine-scented, narrow rock chasms of the Rotten Gorge, following the young Rhone River into the valley terminal of Oberwald. Before departing, your Premium attendant presents you with a small, high-quality souvenir gift to commemorate your nostalgic journey over the pass.
Where to Eat in Oberwald
Before catching your return train back to Andermatt via the base tunnel, Oberwald offers excellent local dining spots to relax and reflect on your rail adventure:
Hotel-Restaurant Furka (Local Favorite): Located a short walk from the station, this cozy, traditional establishment is famous for its exceptionally rich, authentic Swiss Fondue and hearty Valais specialties.
Restaurant Spycher (Atrium Hotel): If you are looking for elevated, upscale regional cuisine, this restaurant serves fantastic seasonal game dishes, perfectly grilled local meats, and an impressive selection of robust Valais wines.
Seamless Public Transport Loop from Andermatt
Getting to & from this alpine adventure is easy and serves as a fantastic showcase of legendary Swiss public transport efficiency. You can do the entire loop using the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (MGB) network.
Outward Journey: A Scenic Valley Ride
Your morning begins at Andermatt Station. You will hop onto a local red mountain train bound for Realp. This short, 12-min journey is a beautiful, leisurely ride that snakes along the lush Urseren valley floor. You’ll pass historic wooden alpine barns, rushing mountain streams, and the towering peaks of the valley closing in around you as you approach the steam base station at Realp. See also my other articles…
Return Journey: a Fast Track Home
After enjoying your nostalgic steam crossing and a hearty lunch in Oberwald, getting back to Andermatt is fast and efficient. Instead of climbing back over the mountain, you will board a modern, high-speed Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn train from the Oberwald platform.
This train plunges straight into the 15.4-km-long Furka Base Tunnel - the very tunnel that replaced the old steam pass in 1982. It cuts straight through the solid granite core of the mountain at lightning speed, rocketing you from Oberwald in Canton Valais back to Realp in Canton Uri in just 15 min!
From Realp, you simply stay on board or switch to the connecting valley train, putting you back in Andermatt in under 30 min total from the time you left Oberwald.
Pro Photo Tips for the Furka Line
Capturing the raw beauty of a vintage steam train twisting through the Swiss Alps requires a bit of strategy. Keep these insider tips in mind as you travel:
Window Drop: DFB's historic carriages feature classic, heavy sash windows that can be pulled all the way down. Keep your window open during the scenic climbs so you can shoot completely unobstructed by glass glare. Close them in the tunnel…
Curving Engine Shot: To get that iconic postcard shot of the steam locomotive curving ahead of the train with white smoke trailing behind it, look out for the steep horseshoe curves just after leaving Tiefenbach (on the ascent) or around the loops near Gletsch (on the descent).
Leaning Etiquette: Keep an eye out for oncoming tunnel stone walls and low mountain foliage. Never lean your body or expensive camera too far out of the frame while the train is in motion!
Embrace Contrast: Set your camera or phone to a slightly faster shutter speed. The stark contrast of black coal smoke and brilliant white steam against deep green pine forests or bright blue alpine skies makes for dramatic, high-energy photos.
Trip Planning & Rates
Because the Premium Class coach is an exclusive carriage attached only to select scheduled weekend departures between June & October, securing your seats months in advance is essential.
Ticket Type/Price (One-Way):
1/2 Fare Card/Travel Pass/GA/CHF 250.00
Full Fare (Std Adult)/CHF 300.00
Note: A premium ticket includes all onboard seat reservations, your welcome aperitif, the VIP summit meal, dessert, drinks, and a special souvenir commemorative gift.
This route was traveled by the author on the 20th of August 2023. See my other articles for hikes in the area. Contact me by email for photos or to ask questions...
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