The Waldenburgerbahn (WB) is a narrow-gauge light rail system in the canton of Basel-Country. The 13.1-kilometre (8.1 mi) long[1] single-track line runs from Liestal, the capital of the canton, to Waldenburg, with stops in Bad Bubendorf, Höstein, Niederdorf, and Oberdorf. The line is operated by Waldenburgerbahn AG. It connects to SBB train services in Liestal. It is the only railway in Switzerland with a track gauge of 750 mm (2 ft 5½ in).[1]
The line was opened on 1 November 1880 and was operated by steam-hauled trains until 1953, when electric operation (1500 V DC) began.[1]
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A concession was granted by the canton of Basel-Country on 18 June 1871 for the construction of a narrow gauge railway from Liestal to Waldenburg and eventually further to Langenbruck. In 1873 the concession was altered to give the Swiss Central Railway the commission to build the railway. For financial reasons in 1876 the Swiss Central Railway requested a deadline extension. On 25 November 1879 the Waldenburgerbahn was founded as a separate company and took over the concession for the railway from Liestal to Waldenburg.
After only eight months' construction, the railway opened on 30 October 1880. Seats were provided in second- and third-class carriages. In 1881 the railway served eight stations with four journeys in each direction. The fastest journey over the whole 13 km line took 56 minutes.
In 1909 a committee made an application for the construction of and operation of an electric narrow-gauge railway from Waldenburg through Langenbruck to Balsthal, with a connection from St.Wolfgang to Mümliswil. The outbreak of World War I stopped plans for the extension of the line, and a 1912 proposal to electrify the line and regauge it to 1000 mm gauge (metre gauge).
On 26 October 1953 electric operation of the railway began, using 1500 V DC. New rolling stock was acquired for this.
The current rolling stock, consisting of seven railcars and 10 control cars was acquired in 1986 and 1993.
The Waldenburgerbahn has 11 stops, and the journey over the whole line takes around 24 minutes. The line is numbered 19 in the Basel tram network, but this number is not displayed on the vehicles.
From spring to autumn tourist trains are operated, hauled by the only operating steam locomotive on the line, 1902-built Number 5 Gedeon Thommen.
There are plans to regauge the line to metre gauge, to reduce the cost of new rolling stock. This would also make it possible for the line to be connected to Basel tram line 14, which currently ends in Pratteln
For normal services the Waldenburgerbahn uses trains formed from