![The electric railcar BCFe 4/4, No. 18, passing the church in Tegna, photographed on 24 August 1925.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/01-Tegna-Centovallibahn-ki-300x225.jpg)
The 100-year history of the Centovalli Railway
The Vigezzina-Centovalli Railway crosses 83 bridges and goes through 31 tunnels. It connects Switzerland to Italy and is the most direct route between the Gotthard and Simplon lines. The legendary narrow gauge railway in southern Switzerland celebrates its centenary in 2023/24.
![The construction of the Centovalli line, occasionally using very basic tools was extremely arduous for the workers.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/02-bau-centovallibahn-300x225.jpg)
Locarno’s tramway and the Maggia Valley Railway
![Construction of the majestic steel bridge over the Isorno near Intragna, c. 1916.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/03-bau-der-ruinaccibrucke-gbe-146261-lm-171256-294x300.jpg)
A beacon of hope in the Second World War
![Evacuees at the window of a train carriage organised by the Swiss Red Cross, c. 1944.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/07-fluchtlingskinder-am-fenster-eines-vom-schweizerischen-roten-kreuz-organisierten-bahnwagens-um-1944-209x300.jpg)
Infrastructure projects and the storm of the century
![During the construction of the Palagnedra reservoir, the material was delivered directly to the building site by freight trains on the Centovalli Railway (top left) via chutes c. 1950.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/08-bau-des-palagnedra-stausees-300x216.jpg)
![Destroyed track on the Italian side following the storm of August 1978.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/09-zerstortes-schienentrassee-auf-der-italienischen-seite-der-centovallibahn-nach-dem-unwetter-im-august-1978-197x300.jpg)
![When the Centovalli Railway still ran above ground on the square in front of the station in Locarno, 1967.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/bahnhofplatz-in-locarno-1967-300x206.jpg)
One of the world’s most beautiful railway lines
![The Ruinacci Viaduct on an idyllic autumn day.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/ruinacci-fart-240x300.jpg)
100 years of the Vigezzina-Centovalli Railway
The Swiss Museum of Transport is organising various activities and exhibitions to mark the centenary, such as a thematic display featuring a carriage from 1923.