As the train winds up the hillside above Lac Léman’s north shore, leaving Montreux behind, I know exactly where we’re heading because I’ve done this journey before. The bustle of the so-called Swiss Riviera will give way to the tranquil farming country of the Pays d’Enhaut, followed by the upmarket resort of Gstaad, before a gentle descent to Interlaken, between the twin lakes of Thun and Brienz in the Bernese Oberland. This 70-mile route, which crosses the röstigraben (the French-Swiss German language border) and links some of Switzerland’s most famous tourist centres, has existed for more than 100 years. But there’s one big difference today: thanks to a world first in rail technology, I don’t have to change trains halfway through.
