thumb|right|The track descending from the summit, with the Lombardy Plain in the background.

thumb|right|Bellavista station and restaurant, with passing trains.

thumb|right|Trains waiting to depart from the Capolago-Riva San Vitale station.

thumb|right|Capolago: the terminus of Monte Generoso railway near Capolago Lago landing on the shore of Lake Lugano. The mainline railway is behind the hedge to the right.

thumb|right|Diesel railcars at the summit prior to electrification: Bhm 1/2 (left), Bhm 2/4 (right).

The Monte Generoso Railway or Ferrovia Monte Generoso (MG) is a mountain railway line in the Italian speaking canton of Ticino, in south-east Switzerland. The line runs from Capolago, on Lake Lugano, to a terminus near the summit of Monte Generoso. It is the highest railway in Ticino. The summit () offers extensive views over the Lombardy Plain, part of the Po Valley, and towards the Alps.

Whilst the railway lies entirely within Switzerland, the summit station is only a few metres from the international border with the Italian region of Lombardy. The line is owned by the Migros group, better known for operating supermarkets throughout Switzerland.

However the owning company encountered financial difficulties at various times during the first half of the 20th century. In the 1939, the then owners approached Gottlieb Duttweiler, the founder of the Migros group, for assistance, and in 1941 the railway became part of that group.

At the end of the season in 2013, the line closed for the winter as normal. It was then announced that it would not reopen to passengers until 2015, in order to facilitate the rebuilding of the hotel and restaurant at the summit. The closure was extended twice, and eventually the new building, designed by Mario Botta, opened on 8 April 2017. In the meantime, the railway was used for the transport of construction materials and workers.

Route

The line commences at Capolago Lago station, where trains connect with boat services of the Società Navigazione del Lago di Lugano on Lake Lugano. However most trains start up the line at Capolago-Riva San Vitale station, at an altitude of , where they connect with Swiss Federal Railways trains on the line from Lugano to Milan via Chiasso. The line's car shed and workshop are both situated on the line between the two Capolago stops.

The line operates from mid-March to early November, with trains running hourly during daylight hours. If traffic requires it, the hourly departure may be operated as multiple trains running in convoy. A late evening train operates on Fridays and Saturdays only. Only one train a day runs through to Capolago Lago, in order to connect with a boat service from Lugano.

One steam locomotive still exists, as does one of the original coaches, and two diesel locomotives. The remaining steam and diesel locomotives operate occasional services. One of the Bhm 1/2 diesel railcars is preserved in the Museo Europeo dei Trasporti Ogliari in Ranco on the Italian shore of Lake Maggiore.

See also

  • List of mountain railways in Switzerland
  • List of narrow-gauge railways in Switzerland

References

Bibliography

  • Ferrovia Monte Generoso website