Mt. Rigi railways - from past to present

1863: Engineer Riggenbach patents his cogwheel system in France

1871: Inauguration of the Vitznau-Rigi railway (VRB) from Vitznau to Staffelhöhe

1873: Inauguration of the VRB operation between Staffelhöhe and Kulm

1874: Inauguration of the VRB double track between Freibergen and Rigi Kaltbad
Inauguration of the Rigi-Scheidegg Railway (Kaltbad - Scheidegg)

1875: Inauguration of the Arth-Rigi Railway (ARB): Valley railway from Arth am See - Oberarth and cogwheel railway Oberarth - Rigi Kulm

1882: The steam boilers of the VRB locomotives are converted from a vertical to a horizontal position

1884: Section of route, from Arth to Goldau, in operation throughout the year for the first time

1897: Inauguration of the elevated platform in Arth-Goldau

1906: Start of winter service between Vitznau and Rigi Staffelhöhe
Electrification of the valley railway from Arth - Goldau

1907: Electrification of the mountain railway from Goldau - Rigi Kulm

1928: Start of winter service between Goldau and Rigi Kulm

1931: The Rigi-Scheidegg Railway closes

1937: Electrification of the Vitznau - Rigi Kulm route

1959: The valley railway of Arth - Goldau stops operating and is replaced by a bus service

1968: Inauguration of the Weggis - Rigi Kaltbad Aerial Cableway (LWRK)

1990: Opening of the rail connection ARB-VRB in Rigi Staffel

1991: Inauguration of the new depot and workshop building in Vitznau

1992: Merger of the Vitznau-Rigi Railway and the Arth-Rigi Railway to form the Rigi Railways Company; Takeover of the Rigi ski lift company

1993: Launch of the new panoramic cable car cabins of the LWRK

1999: Invention of the special flexible rack railway switch by Mt. Rigi Railways and application for the worldwide patent

2000: Operation of the first flexible rack railway switch

2000: 125 years anniversary of the Arth-Rigi-Railways

2006: 100 years anniversary of the winter service and winter sport activities on Mt. Rigi

2007: Opening of the new Mt. Rigi event marquee (space for up to 800 people) at Rigi Staffel

The story of Mt. Rigi's name - Riginun, mons regina, Rigam, Reginam montium, Rigi...

In his description of Switzerland in 1479, the eminent humanist Albrecht von Bonstetten (1442-1504) referred to the "mons regina" and its description by the local population as the Queen of the Mountains.

A further reference to the mountain was found in a 1561 copy of a document dating from 1360 with the words "the highest extent Riginun".

The Town Clerk of Lucerne, Renward Cysat (1545-1614), wrote of the Reginam montium and of the "Rigam" referred to by the rural population. According to Cysat, both names originated from the Latin or the Italian "Riga" - meaning line or streak in the rocks. This has been confirmed by modern research as a reference to the clearly visible rock ledges on the north and west side of the Kulm

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