About this journey

Schynige Platte station sits at 1,987 m in the Bernese Oberland, and the rack railway descending from it to Wilderswil is one of the more demanding mountain lines in Switzerland. Built to 800 mm gauge with the Riggenbach rack system and a maximum gradient of 25%, the 7.25 km line drops 1,420 m to reach Wilderswil station at 584 m. The concession was granted on 16 September 1890, construction began in 1891, and the first public service ran on 14 June 1893 under steam traction. Electric operation followed from 9 May 1914, supplied at 1,500 V DC overhead. The Berner Oberland-Bahnen AG has owned the railway since 1896.

Because of avalanche risk, the upper section's catenary is dismantled after the final train each autumn and reinstated each spring — a task that takes a team of six employees one day and relies on the line's one remaining steam locomotive. The railway operates only in summer, roughly early June to mid-October. The He 2/2 locomotive works at the lower end of the train throughout, pushing uphill and leading on the descent. The only intermediate station is Breitlauenen at 1,542 m. At the foot of the line, Wilderswil station is shared with the metre-gauge Berner Oberland-Bahn, though the two railways have no physical track connection.