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New MGB route out of Brig

QueensCurve

QueensCurve

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I travelled from Andermatt to Brig in 1984. Up until my last visit to Brig en-route to Zermatt (ie before the opening of the Lötschberg Base Tunnel) both Andermatt (former FO) and Zermatt (former BVZ) left the MGB station at the North end requiring a reversal en route from Zermatt to Andermatt.

This video clip shows an alternative route to Andermatt leaving the South end of the station and passing beneath the portal of the Simplon Tunnel. The original formation appears to be closed. Does anyone know when this development took place or have any links to original documents about it?
 
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rvdborgt

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QueensCurve said:
So if that is correct, it coincided with the opening of the Lötschberg Base Tunnel.
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I think that's correct. I have a vague memory that this indeed coincided.
QueensCurve said:
The retrouting abviates two bridges over the Rhônewhile requiring a new one.
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It's also a lot faster (the route via Naters was quite slow) and makes running direct trains a lot easier.
 
QueensCurve

QueensCurve

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rvdborgt said:
I think that's correct. I have a vague memory that this indeed coincided.

It's also a lot faster (the route via Naters was quite slow) and makes running direct trains a lot easier.
Click to expand...
It is one of those changes that irritates me having removed a piece of my querky local knowledge!
 
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Alfonso

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According to one of the articles linked to from the Wikipedia page quoted above, https://eingestellte-bahnen.ch/matterhorn-gotthard-bahn-mgb-fo-bfd/ it eliminated 20 level crossings in Naters. In the youtube video above you can briefly see the old line is now a cycle path...just after the dual gauge section ends at the mineral water bottling plant siding the rhb goes over the Rhone and the cycleway is on the left
 
QueensCurve

QueensCurve

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Alfonso said:
According to one of the articles linked to from the Wikipedia page quoted above, https://eingestellte-bahnen.ch/matterhorn-gotthard-bahn-mgb-fo-bfd/ it eliminated 20 level crossings in Naters. In the youtube video above you can briefly see the old line is now a cycle path...just after the dual gauge section ends at the mineral water bottling plant siding the rhb goes over the Rhone and the cycleway is on the left
Click to expand...
Yes I have just read that page. In 2005 it was decided to convert the Brig narrow-gauge station into a through station, abandoning the route via Naters. The new east exit was put into operation in 2007.

Also the map is interesting. In my perception, Brig station was aligned more North-South than East/West. Since I was wrong, the eastern alignment makes sense when locomotive changes are no longer the rule.

TheGrew said:
I plan on traveling this route in July and was curious about this. From Google Satellite and Street view, it looks like the entire former route has been converted into a cycle path. https://maps.app.goo.gl/6bg7TKGmU2GsKVmL7
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As can be seen at:
 
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