Dampfbahn Furka-Bergstrecke AG

Railway nostalgia in the heart of the idyllic Alpine world

The Furka Mountain Railway (DFB) operates a licensed rail service on an 18-kilometre stretch between Realp in the canton of Uri and Oberwald in the canton of Valais. The route passes through a largely untouched part of the Swiss Alps that is otherwise difficult to access. It winds its way through wild gorges and along steep mountain slopes up to over 2,000 metres above sea level.

Some of the locomotives and carriages used on this metre-gauge rack railway are over 100 years old. In recent years, volunteers have painstakingly restored them and made them roadworthy. The railway is operated by independent bodies:

the Furka Mountain Railway Association (VFB) with its approximately 7,500 members; the Furka Mountain Railway Foundation (SFB) and the Furka Mountain Railway Steam Railway Company (DFB AG) as the operating company. Although the supporting organisations have different functions, they pursue the common goal of securing the long-term existence of the Furka Mountain Route. In addition, there is the Dampflokfreunde (DLF) steam locomotive enthusiasts' association.

A special feature of the Furka Steam Railway is the fact that, with the exception of a few key positions, all work is carried out by almost 520 volunteers.