List of highest railways

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A train pulled by an NJ2 locomotive travels on the Qinghai–Tibet Railway.

This article lists the highest railways in the world.[1] Before the opening of the Qinghai–Tibet Railway in 2006, a line passing through Tanggula Mountains and Tanggula Pass, the highest railways were located in the Andean countries of Peru, Bolivia and Argentina. The list only includes non-cable railways whose culminating point is over 2,000 metres above sea level.

For a list by country, see List of highest railways by country.

List

Completed

Railway line Highest point Highest elevation Country Opened Notes
Xining-Golmud-Lhasa Tanggula 5,068 m (16,627 ft)[2][3]  China 2006
Lima-Huancayo Ticlio 4,829 m (15,843 ft)[4][5]  Peru 1893 Highest railway in America
Rio Mulatos-Potosí Cóndor 4,786 m (15,702 ft)  Bolivia  
Cuzco-Lake Titicaca La Raya 4,313 m (14,150 ft)  Peru  
Manitou and Pike's Peak Railway Pikes Peak Summit 4,301 m (14,111 ft)[6]  USA 1891 highest railway in North America
Salta-Antofagasta La Polvorilla 4,220 m (13,845 ft)  Argentina
 Chile		 1948 "Tren a las Nubes" tourist service between Salta and La Polvorilla
Jungfraubahn Jungfraujoch 3,454 m (11,332 ft)[7]   Switzerland 1912 highest railway in Europe, underground above 2,350 m.[7][8]
Gornergratbahn Gornergrat 3,090 m (10,138 ft)   Switzerland 1898 highest open-air railway in Europe
Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad Cumbres Pass 3,054 m (10,020 ft)  USA 1881 Highest narrow gauge railroad in North America
Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Silverton 2,837 m (9,308 ft)  USA 1881
Union Pacific Railroad, Moffat Tunnel Subdivision Moffat Tunnel 2,816 m (9,239 ft)  USA 1928 Apex in tunnel; highest point in Amtrak network
Bavarian Zugspitze Railway Schneefernerhaus 2,650 m (8,694 ft)  Germany 1930 Underground above 1,640 m
Alishan Forest Railway Chushan 2,451 m (8,041 ft)  Taiwan 1986 highest railway in Taiwan
Tramway du Mont-Blanc[9] Nid d'aigle de Bionnassay 2,380 m (7,808 ft)  France 1909
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Ghum 2,257 m (7,405 ft)[10]  India 1891 highest railway in India[10]
Bernina Railway Ospizio Bernina 2,253 m (7,392 ft)   Switzerland 1909 Highest rail crossing in Europe[11]
Nilgiri Mountain Railway Ooty 2,210 m (7,251 ft)[12]  India 1908 highest railway in south India
Kalka-Shimla Railway Shimla 2,086 m (6,844 ft)[13]  India 1898
Pilatus Railway Mount Pilatus 2,073 m (6,801 ft)   Switzerland 1889 Steepest non-cable railway in the world[14]
Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn Oberalp Pass 2,043 m (6,703 ft)   Switzerland 1926

Closed railways

Railway line Highest point Highest elevation Country Opened / closed Notes
Mendoza-Los Andes Los Caracoles 3,176 m (10,420 ft)  Argentina
 Chile		 1910 / 1984
Dumaresq-Glen Innes Ben Lomond 1,363 m (4,472 ft)  Australia August 19, 1884 /
December 10, 1985		 formerly the highest station in Australia

See also

References

  1. ↑ Infos at mikes.railhistory.railfan.net
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ http://www.compagniedumontblanc.fr/fr/presentation-des-sites/tramway-du-mont-blanc
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Nicola Williams, Damien Simonis, Kerry Walker. Switzerland (ebook Edition). Lonely Planet
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Engineering Magazine, Volume 14, p. 81
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