New Swiss train can change track gauge and loading gauge

[John Ashworth]

The amazing new Swiss mountain train that can jump rail tracks

The new Golden Pass Express (GPX) will directly connect three of the country's most important tourist destinations: Montreux, Gstaad and Interlaken, a special route made possible by revolutionary new trains capable of changing the gauge of their wheels and the height of their coach bodies... Trains that can change gauge (the distance between their wheels) are nothing new -- Spanish Talgo trains have been able to switch between standard gauge (1,435 millimeters) and wider Iberian tracks for decades, but the GPX trains have an added level of complexity that makes them a world first. As well as changing gauge, the sophisticated trucks beneath each carriage raise the height of the body to match the higher platforms of the BLS stations...