Achilles Schucan

Achilles Schucan (19 January 1844 - 18 July 1927) was a Swiss engineer and rail industry executive. He was the first director of the Rhaetian Railway, which expanded from a single line to a substantial rail network under his direction.

Early life and education Achilles Schucan was born on January 19, 1844, in Avignon, France. His father was Luzi Schucan, a confectioner from the Engadin valley in the Swiss canton of Grisons. After attending school in Zuoz, Ftan, and Winterthur, he graduated from the cantonal school in Zürich, earning his Matura. He then enrolled at the ETH Zürich and graduated with an engineering degree in 1864.

Career Schucan started his professional career in Pirmasens, Germany as an assistant to a construction site manager. In 1869, he worked as a construction supervisor on a section of the Nuremberg–Regensburg railway. After the opening of the railway, he returned to Switzerland in 1872 and held several positions in the Swiss railroad industry: He worked as section engineer for the Jura Railway and later for the Bernese Oberland Railway, before taking a position as assistant to the Federal Railroad Inspector in 1879.