#StadlerEngineers Pt.1 – The world record made in Switzerland

In our #StadlerEngineers series, we will present stories from our engineering teams once a week throughout March. This is especially to mark UNESCO World Engineering Day, which is taking place for the fifth time this year on 4 March 2023.

In April 2014, Rhaetian Railway (RhB) was looking for a train model to run on the route from Landquart station to St. Moritz. One of the technical requirements was that the trains had to be dividing trains that could be separated into different parts – because on the St. Moritz line, trains need to be split so that they can serve additional stations away from the direct line without having to introduce a separate line with independent trains.

In addition, the line runs through the Swiss canton of Graubünden, which is situated entirely in the Alps and therefore requires traction vehicles with a particularly high load capacity.

Stadler successfully secured the order ahead of its competitors and delivered the first electric multiple units – christened “Capricorn” by RhB – in April 2019. Around six months later, the RhB and Stadler were already making initial plans for a world record attempt: their aim was to create “the longest passenger train in the world” and push the technology of the trains to the limit. After a few setbacks and a lot of work, they were finally ready in October 2022.