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Walter Gubser<br />
in his element:<br />
at night on an<br />
inspection trip<br />
along 'his' track.<br />
At the Rugnux Tunnel a different solution has been found: between trains<br />
the tunnel is closed by gates.<br />
A dream job <strong>–</strong> even if nobody applauds you<br />
Gubser cannot imagine a better job than this. Not even when he has to<br />
remove the remains of a stag that has been hit by a train. Not even when<br />
he is accomplishing a dangerous job close to the power lines on a steep<br />
slope. Not even when he had to fear for his life: once, he was driving<br />
a draisine (a light auxiliary rail vehicle) through a tunnel<br />
at night when he suddenly saw a pair of headlights<br />
"We want our trains<br />
coming towards him. But the headlights belonged to a<br />
and passengers to<br />
car and - for a seemingly endless moment - they were<br />
travel safely on the shining into the tunnel from a nearby bend in the road.<br />
RhB network." Scary incidents may come and go, but the pleasure in<br />
Walter Gubser<br />
his work remains. "It is our job to keep the railway line<br />
and the engineering structures in perfect working order,<br />
maintain the track and keep it open, as well as looking after the area surrounding<br />
the track and a host of other tasks - and we do it all against this<br />
fantastic backdrop", says Walter Gubser. "Naturally, we are proud when<br />
a train with its passengers safely passes along a stretch of track that we<br />
have just finished reconstructing or repairing."<br />
The next morning we are on the platform at the station in Bergün. Our<br />
train pulls into the station and several tourists wave to the driver. Further<br />
away is a group of men dressed in orange overalls. Nobody waves to them.<br />
Text: Franz Bamert<br />
30<br />
www.rhb.ch/contura
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