Run-time: 1h 11mins approx.

A driver's eye cab-ride between Disentis and Chur aboard Glacier Express - the 09:52 through service from Zermatt to Chur.

This is a reverse direction from our previous title covering the line from Chur to Disentis.

The Interchange between the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn and the Rhätische Bahn is at Disentis - the starting point for our spectacular cab-ride down the young River Rhein valley to Chur. Our locomotive for the day is Re4/4 electric number 625 and the train: the 09:52 Glacier Express luxury train from Zermatt to St.Moritz. The 30 km between Disentis and Ilanz is split into two parts as we descend gradients of between 1.4 and 2% as the line drops the 430 metres in height down the valley. In part 3 we head from Ilanz through the spectacular Vorderrhein Valley and the breathtaking gorge on our way to the junction at Reichenau-Tamins. We are soon in the wild deep valley cut by the river with rushing water, white rocky walls and wide woods; even the orchids bloom in this little paradise. The gorge can be discovered and explored on foot or by mountain bike, thanks to a dense network of paths, but there are few if any roads. On board the Glacier Express we are a prized and important service having priority over other trains, with our panoramic carriages allowing travellers to immerse themselves in the passing scenery. The final 7 km from Reichenau-Tamins to Chur is a fast double-track railway and the locomotive soon gets into its stride. Filmed in July 2018.