As you know, I like bridges, trains and the view from a mountain. So for my 5000th contribution to RP, I chose this picture of the brand new, impressive and elegant bridge "Pont des Paluds" over the Rhone river near Massongex. The double track Simplon line from Lausanne (on the right) through the canton of Vaud is crossing the Rhone on this 125 meter long and 24 meter high bowstring steel arch construction (longest of its kind in Switzerland) between Bex and St-Maurice, entering the canton Valais towards Martigny, Brig and the Simplon tunnel to Italy. Built from 2300 ton of steel and about 5000 ton of concrete for the track bed, it costed about 35 Mio swiss francs and was inaugurated on december 19th, 2016. It replaced two single truss bridges of 87 meter length (70 meter span) from 1903 and 1923. Interregio # 1813 from Geneva Airport to Brig is crossing the bridge, with locomotives Re 460 top and tail. On the left is 3178 meter high east peak of the Dents du Midi. Behind the bridge, not clearly visible, is the single track line from St-Maurice to Monthey and St-Gingolph on the shore of Lake Geneva.
