Vereinatunnel
The 19'042 meters long Vereinatunnel is the core of the meter-gauge Vereina, also Vereinastrecke or Vereinabahn called the Rhaetian Railway (RhB). This connects the monastery in Prättigau with Sagliains in the Engadine and is thus a link between the RhB routes in the country quart Davos and Pontresina - Scuol- Scuol. In addition, it provides car transport means also a quick and secure connection of winter in the Lower Engadine to the main road 28, respectively. Highway 28 ( Prättigauerstrasse ) and thus to the Swiss national road network.
The Vereinatunnel is the world's longest meter gauge railway tunnel. [Note 1]
Prehistory
Since the road link from Davos to Susch is exposed to the 2,383 meters high Flüelapass strong avalanche danger for a long time was the creation of a safe winter road link between North and the Lower Engadine Grisons to the debate. Either there was a ( under the circumstances relatively expensive ) expansion of Flüela Pass road or a solution with railway tunnels and car train between Klosters and the space Susch / Lavin in question. On September 22, 1985 fell into a cantonal referendum decision for the latter solution. That same year, said the state government to a cost-sharing on the part of the Confederation, after Federal Leon Schlumpf had extensively used for the project. The construction of the tunnel cost 812 million Swiss francs, 538 million had been granted in 1985.
Construction
After various appeals could be started with the construction work in 1991. The outbreak of the tunnel was from the north with a tunnel boring machine, which initially created also the access tunnel from Klosters to Selfranga, and from the south with the classic blast method. The breakthrough occurred earlier and much further north than originally planned on 26 March 1997, as the mountain quality on the south side was unexpectedly good and a faster tunneling enabled. On 19 November 1999 was the Head of the Federal Department of Transportation, Federal Councillor Moritz Leuenberger, handed over the new connection after eight years of construction traffic. Three days later, the start of regular operation schedule.
Route
The Vereinastrecke begins in Klosters Platz railway station ( 1191 m ), where it branches off from the main line of the Rhaetian Railway and in Zugwaldtunnel the loading station Selfranga approaches ( 1281 m). Here, at the north portal of the Vereinatunnel, the car transport takes place. The Vereinatunnel is executed as the remaining distance single-track, but is located approximately in the middle of a fully automated alternative location, the intersection Vereina. With a top speed of 100 km / h, drive through the tunnel technically in 17 minutes, a train; in the schedule, the traveling time is estimated at 19 minutes.
At the service station Sass Laces North (tunnel meters from 18'759 Selfranga ), the tunnel forks. The main tube via another 283 meters to the car loading Sagliains ( 1432 m), where a connection is made to the railway line towards Scuol -Tarasp. For trains to the Upper Engadine the Tunnelast Sass Laces II was built, which ends after a sharp 277 -meter-long right turn at the service station " Sass Laces II" (total length with Vereinatunnel 19'036 m) and leads to the railway line towards Bever.
Operation
Per hour in each direction run on the main branch of one to three car trains and one passenger. The vast majority of travel trains to Scuol- Scuol. The turnoff to Upper Engadine has now been hardly used by scheduled commercial passenger after the "Engadin Star" connections have been discontinued due to lack of demand in 2002. With the 2009 summer season, a daily pair of trains between land Quart and St. Moritz was offered again; since the timetable change on December 12, 2010, at three direct trains from Landquart to St. Moritz and two in the opposite direction with a connection to the additional half-hourly IC to and from Zurich. In long-distance traffic between the Upper Engadine and destinations north of the country Quart Vereinatunnel is competing with the Albula line, which is a bit slower and more expensive, but very touristy attractive.
In freight transport, about two to three pairs of trains are recorded daily.
North portal in Selfranga
Driveway on the train