Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, passenger demand at RhB (Rhätische Bahn, Rhaetian Railway)–as across public transport everywhere – had fallen to a historic low. At the same time, RhB had completed the largest rolling stock procurement in its history. A unique opportunity arose: the new trains had already been delivered, while the older ones had not yet been retired. This led the RhB team to a bold idea – coupling 25 Capricorn multiple units (RTZ) to run the longest passenger train in the world through the UNESCO heritage loop.

However, if 25 trains are deployed for a world record attempt, they are unavailable for regular service operations and network demand. How could RhB ensure that all passengers would still reach their destinations on time and as usual?

In addition to selecting the right date, numerous technical and organizational challenges had to be overcome. These included synchronizing train control, ultimately solved by deploying seven train drivers; ensuring smooth communication throughout the train formation, for which Swiss Army field telephones were used; and guaranteeing the stability of the power supply network.

On the big day, everything ran perfectly, and the world record attempt succeeded – in front of railway enthusiasts from around the globe who followed the event live on BlickTV and many other channels.