in its early days, relied on steamship connections with the rest of the Swiss railway network. Unlike the Brünig line, the StEB line was electrified from its opening, using a three-phase alternating current overhead line supply. It also used the Riggenbach rack system on its final approaches to Engelberg, but with a very steep maximum gradient of 25%. In 1960 work started on connecting the Engelberg line to the Swiss railway network by constructing a new line between Stansstad and Hergiswil on the Brünig line. This involved constructing a bridge over the narrow Alpnachersee arm of Lake Lucerne, followed by the Lopper II tunnel, under a shoulder of Mount Pilatus. In order to allow Engelberg trains to run over the Brünig line into Lucerne, the whole railway was converted to the same electrical system (), and new rolling stock acquired. The line reopened in 1964, and the owning company changed its name to the Luzern–Stans–Engelberg Railway (LSE). For 40 years, the ownership structure of the two lines remained unchanged, with LSE owned trains running over SBB owned tracks between Hergiswil and Lucerne. However, in June 2004, the Swiss Federal Council empowered the SBB to transfer the Brünig line to the LSE with effect from January 2005. In return the LSE issued shares to the SBB, and as a result 2/3 of its shares are now owned by SBB. The LSE was subsequently renamed the Zentralbahn to reflect its much larger scale of operation. At the end of 2009, the Zentralbahn took over the operation of the (standard gauge) tracks of the Kriens-Luzern-Bahn between Lucerne and Horw. Most of these tracks were already laid in a dual gauge configuration with the metre gauge tracks of the Brünig line. Since the merger several major projects have been undertaken. In 2010, the Grafenort to Engelberg tunnel was constructed to replace the very steep final approach to Engelberg. Whilst still rack operated, the tunnel has a maximum gradient of 10.5% as opposed to 25%. In late 2012, a new tunnel route was opened between Kriens Mattenhof station and the approaches to Lucerne station, on the stretch of the Brünig line also used by Engelberg trains. The tunnel replaces a less direct surface alignment, allowing the abolition of several congested level crossings and the provision of double track. A new station, Lucerne Allmend/Messe, built within the tunnel, serves the Swissporarena. References External links Railway companies