BLS: Bern Lötschberg Railway. 100 years old.

[M. Hardy-Randall]

This year the BLS - Bern Lötschberg Railway - which operates from Spiez to Brig is 100 years old, and has organized celebrations in the area. As well as the functions taking place around the district a film has been produced which covers the history of the line. The BLS was designed and built as an electric traction route and opened as such in 1913. The film is presented on two DVD's and is available from the BLS shop or from the producer Eggerfilms. The website is http://www.eggerfilm.ch/produkt-details ... gbahn.html. The website is in the German and English languages, but the English version is rather confusing. Full information the BLS group can be found at http://www.bls.ch/e/homepage/index.php. The BLS railway is still today the only way of getting from Kandersteg to Goppenstein over the Lötschberg Pass with road vehicles being loaded onto special trains for transit through the old high level tunnel. The new low level tunnel is purely for freight and high speed passenger traffic. Stopping trains travel through the old high level tunnel, and on these trains it is possible - with clearance from the BLS - to travel with the driver which is a journey well worth making.