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List of mountain railways in Switzerland

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A train on the open-air section of the Jungfrau Railway, the highest in Europe

This is a list of mountain railways in operation in Switzerland. It includes railways that overcome steep gradients (over 5%) or whose culminating point is over 800 m (2,600 ft) above sea level. Most of them are located in the Alps, which include the highest European railways, both dead-end railways, such as the Jungfrau and Gornergrat, and railway crossings, such as the Bernina and Furka. Many of these railways converge on mountain railway hubs, notably Lucerne, Interlaken, Montreux, Aigle, Brig and Chur.

Lines that are both adhesion and standard gauge railways and part of the main Swiss (and European) rail network are boldfaced in the list. Cantons where the line continues but does not fit the aforementioned criteria are indicated in small letters.

This list only includes non-cable railways. For a list of funiculars, see List of funiculars in Switzerland, for a list of aerial tramways, see List of aerial tramways in Switzerland. For a list of individual railway stations, see List of highest railway stations in Switzerland.

List

Railway Canton(s) Range Highest point Highest elevation Maximum incline Gauge Rack railway Type Notes
Jungfrau Bern/Valais Alps Jungfraujoch 3,454 m (11,332 ft) 25% 1,000 mm Yes Dead-end rail Underground above 2,350 m, highest railway in Europe, one of the highest railways in the world at the opening
Gornergrat Valais Alps Gornergrat 3,090 m (10,138 ft) 20% 1,000 mm Yes Dead-end rail Highest open-air railway in Europe
Bernina Graubünden Alps Ospizio Bernina 2,253 m (7,392 ft) 7% 1,000 mm No Rail crossing Highest railway crossing in Europe[1]
Brienz–Rothorn Bern Alps Brienzer Rothorn 2,244 m (7,362 ft) 25% 800 mm Yes Dead-end rail Highest unelectrified line in Europe
Riffelalp Valais Alps Riffelalp Resort 2,222 m (7,290 ft) 5% 800 mm No Dead-end rail Not electrified, highest tram line in Europe[2]
Furka Steam Railway Valais/Uri Alps Furka railway station 2,163 m (7,096 ft) 11.8% 1,000 mm Yes Rail crossing Longest unelectrified line in Switzerland (18 km), seasonal operations
Pilatus Obwalden Alps Pilatus 2,073 m (6,801 ft) 48% 800 mm Yes Dead-end rail Steepest railway in the world[3]
Lauterbrunnen–Kleine Scheidegg–Grindelwald Bern Alps Kleine Scheidegg 2,061 m (6,762 ft) 25% 800 mm Yes Rail crossing Rail crossing usually involves change of train at Kleine Scheidegg
Andermatt–Chur Uri/Graubünden Alps Oberalp Pass 2,033 m (6,670 ft) 11% 1,000 mm Yes Rail crossing
Montreux–Glion–Rochers-de-Naye Vaud Alps Rochers de Naye 1,968 m (6,457 ft) 22% 800 mm Yes Dead-end rail
Schynige Platte Bern Alps Schynige Platte 1,967 m (6,453 ft) 25% 800 mm Yes Dead-end rail
Les Montuires–Emosson Valais Alps Les Montuires 1,822 m (5,978 ft) 1.46% 600 mm No Dead-end rail Part of the Parc d'attractions du Châtelard[4]
Albula Graubünden Alps Albula Tunnel 1,820 m (5,971 ft) 3.5% 1,000 mm No Rail crossing
Bex–Villars–Bretaye Vaud Alps Bretaye 1,806 m (5,925 ft) 20% 1,000 mm Yes Dead-end rail
Pontresina–Scuol-Tarasp Graubünden Alps Pontresina 1,774 m (5,820 ft) 2.5% 1,000 mm No Dead-end rail Lowest point at the terminus station (Scuol-Tarasp)
Rigi Lucerne/Schwyz Alps Rigi Kulm 1,752 m (5,748 ft) 25% 1,435 mm Yes Rail crossing at Rigi Staffel, dead-end rail to the summit Oldest mountain rack railway in Europe (1873), highest standard gauge in Europe, rail crossing involves change of train at Rigi Staffel
Chur–Arosa Graubünden Alps Arosa 1,739 m (5,705 ft) 6% 1,000 mm No Dead-end rail
Grütschalp–Mürren Bern Alps Mürren 1,639 m (5,377 ft) 5% 1,000 mm No Dead-end rail Accessible only by cable car
Landquart–Klosters–Davos Graubünden Alps Davos Wolfgang 1,625 m (5,331 ft) 4.5% 1,000 mm No Rail crossing
Visp–Zermatt Valais Alps Zermatt 1,605 m (5,266 ft) 12.5% 1,000 mm Yes Dead-end rail
Monte Generoso Ticino Alps Generoso Vetta 1,601 m (5,253 ft) 22% 800 mm Yes Dead-end rail
Brig–Andermatt Valais/Uri Alps Realp 1,538 m (5,046 ft) 1,000 mm Yes Rail crossing
Aigle–Leysin Vaud Alps Leysin Grand Hôtel 1,450 m (4,757 ft) 23% 1,000 mm Yes Dead-end rail
Göschenen–Andermatt Uri Alps Andermatt 1,436 m (4,711 ft) 17.9% 1,000 mm Yes Rail crossing
Vevey–Les Pléiades Vaud Alps Les Pléiades 1,360 m (4,462 ft) 20% 1,000 mm Yes Dead-end rail
Montbovon–Zweisimmen (MOB) Vaud/Fribourg/Bern Alps Saanenmöser Pass 1,279 m (4,196 ft) 7% 1,000 mm No Rail crossing
Lötschberg Bern/Valais Alps Lötschberg Tunnel 1,240 m (4,068 ft) 2.7% 1,435 mm No Rail crossing Highest adhesion and standard gauge railway in Switzerland
Nyon–St-Cergue–La Cure Vaud Jura Mountains Col de la Givrine 1,228 m (4,029 ft) 6% 1,000 mm No Dead-end rail Highest railway in the Jura Mountains
Martigny–Châtelard Valais Alps Finhaut 1,224 m (4,016 ft) 20% 1,000 mm Yes Rail crossing International line
Aigle–Sépey–Diablerets Vaud Alps Les Diablerets 1,155 m (3,789 ft) 6% 1,000 mm No Dead-end rail
Gotthard Uri/Ticino/Schwyz Alps Gotthard Tunnel 1,151 m (3,776 ft) 2.7% 1,435 mm No Rail crossing
La Chaux-de-Fonds–Ponts-de-Martel Neuchâtel Jura Mountains Above L'Abbaye 1,120 m (3,675 ft) 1,000 mm No Dead-end rail
Montreux–Montbovon (MOB) Vaud/Fribourg Alps Les Cases 1,111 m (3,645 ft) 7% 1,000 mm No Rail crossing
La Chaux-de-Fonds–Le Noirmont–Glovelier Neuchâtel/Bern/Jura Jura Mountains Hotel de Bellevue 1,071 m (3,514 ft) 1,000 mm No Rail crossing
Zweisimmen–Lenk (MOB) Bern Alps Lenk 1,068 m (3,504 ft) 1,000 mm No Dead-end rail
Yverdon–Ste-Croix Vaud Jura Mountains Sainte-Croix 1,066 m (3,497 ft) 4.4% 1,000 mm No Dead-end rail
Vallorbe–Le Brassus Vaud Jura Mountains Le Lieu 1,050 m (3,445 ft) 2.3% 1,435 mm No Dead-end rail
Neuchâtel–La Chaux-de-Fonds–Col-des-Roches[5] Neuchâtel Jura Mountains Les Convers 1,048 m (3,438 ft) 3.1% 1,435 mm No Rail crossing
Monthey–Champéry Valais Alps Champéry (north station) 1,044 m (3,425 ft) 13.5% 1,000 mm Yes Dead-end rail
Interlaken–Grindelwald Bern Alps Grindelwald 1,034 m (3,392 ft) 12% 1,000 mm Yes Rail crossing
Brünig Bern/Obwalden Alps Brünig 1,002 m (3,287 ft) 12% 1,000 mm Yes Rail crossing
Lucerne–Engelberg Obwalden/Nidwalden Alps Engelberg 999 m (3,278 ft) 10.5% 1,000 mm Yes Dead-end rail
St. Gallen–Gais–Altstätten Appenzell A./St. Gallen Alps Hebrig 972 m (3,189 ft) 1,000 mm Yes Rail crossing
St. Gallen–Trogen Appenzell A./St. Gallen Alps Schützengarten 956 m (3,136 ft) 7.6% 1,000 mm No Dead-end rail
Spiez–Zweisimmen Bern Alps Zweisimmen 941 m (3,087 ft) 2.5% 1,435 mm No Rail crossing
Goldau–Pfäffikon Schwyz Alps Sattel Pass 932 m (3,058 ft) 1,435 mm No Rail crossing
Gossau–Appenzell–Wasserauen Appenzell A./Appenzell I./St. Gallen Alps Gonten 904 m (2,966 ft) 3.7% 1,000 mm No Dead-end rail
Martigny–Orsières Valais Alps Orsières 901 m (2,956 ft) 4% 1,435 mm No Dead-end rail
Zurich–Uetliberg Zurich Albis Uetliberg 813 m (2,667 ft) 7.9% 1,435 mm No Dead-end rail
Rorschach-Heiden Appenzell A./St. Gallen Alps Heiden 791 m (2,595 ft) 9% 1,435 mm Yes Dead-end rail
Rheineck–Walzenhausen Appenzell A./St. Gallen Alps Walzenhausen 672 m (2,205 ft) 25% 1,200 mm Yes Dead-end rail
Dolderbahn Zurich Adlisberg Dolder Grand 606 m (1,988 ft) 19.6% 1,000 mm Yes Dead-end rail Opened as a funicular railway and converted to rack operation later
Centovalli Ticino Alps Càmedo 549 m (1,801 ft) 6% 1,000 mm No Rail crossing International line

See also

References

  1. ^ Nicola Williams, Damien Simonis, Kerry Walker. Switzerland (ebook Edition). Lonely Planet
  2. ^ "Riffelalp Tram". Riffelalp Resort. Archived from the original on 2014-03-03. Retrieved 2014-06-05.
  3. ^ Engineering Magazine, Volume 14, p. 81
  4. ^ See fr:Parc d'attractions du Châtelard
  5. ^ See fr:Ligne Neuchâtel – La Chaux-de-Fonds – Le Locle-Col-des-Roches


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