Swiss train derailment
 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...ne-ravine.html

I've been on this route many times. Scary! Gives you an idea of what the weather has been like this summer.

Also:
http://www.20min.ch/ro/news/suisse/s...urdit-15925536

(note: when I wrote: Scary! I meant what happened today, not the route itself, which is normally a lovely ride.)

As I recall the Rhaetian Railway has had other "washouts" in the past. Several years ago when I was riding the Glacier Express we had to use a bus to go around a washout along the route that was still under repair.

Yep, scary. Saw a report in the German news recently. Have also travelled this route many times.

Once a rock had fallen on the railroad between Poschiavo and Alp Grüm. The train driver fortunately saw it from afar and the train stopped early enough. We were stuck there for a couple of hours, though. But everyone was happy nothing serious had happened.

That news sent a shiver down my spine, too. Sounds like it could have been much worse, though. And I'm still REALLY glad I got to ride that stunning route!

A follow-up report:
http://www.20min.ch/ro/news/suisse/s...yage--15925536

"Scary" is right! Can't imagine the feelings of the passengers on that trip. Wish a speedy recovery to all the injured!

We're leaving the US next week for about 3 1/2 weeks in "the Alps" region: eastern Austria, the Dolomites, the Engadine, and finally the BO. We'll have a rental car. We've been following the weather in the areas. . .seemingly so much rain this summer. This train wreck with the news of the mudslides gives us some pause. Are we overly-worried?

We'd appreciate any information from Fodorites who live in the surrounding areas as to the general travel conditions in the mountains. Are local officials expressing concern or caution regarding driving on the mountain roads? Thanks to all who can provide some insights!

This absolutely freaked me out... I can't imagine being on a train that's dangling over a cliff like that :(

If you look closely at the photos, you'll see that the two dangling cars are the first class cars -- sometimes first class is in the front, sometimes the back, occasionally in the middle.

Tomarkot, we've had a lot of rain in Switzerland this summer. In fact, today in Basel we had three heavy downpours - each lasting about 30 minutes. Normally at this time of year, the Rhine would be fairly low, the water fairly warm, and people would be floating down the river all afternoon into the early evening. But nobody's been in the water for at least three weeks -- with all the rain, the river is too high, too fast, and too cold. There has been at least one drowning and a barge crashed into a cruise ship about 10 days ago (nobody hurt).

A few routes are more risky than others at the moment, but overall, Swiss train travel is about as safe as train travel gets. Just keep your eye on the weather and ask your local hotel's staff or the local tourist info stand or other local sources of info if there are warnings up for roads you plan to drive or trails you plan to hike. You can also check this travel advisory page on the Swiss weather service site:
http://www.meteoschweiz.admin.ch/web.../gefahren.html

WeisserTee, thanks so much for your prompt response, and for the link to the Swiss weather advisory site; especially since there is an English translation! Would appreciate any updates or info you can provide. We have our itinerary pretty well set as we have most of our hotels booked. Some have cancellations privileges, but most expire long before we're due to arrive at their location.

Yes, IMO you definitely are "over-worried."

Thanks, Dukey1! Respect your opinion.