This article lists the highest railways in the world. The table only includes non-cable passenger railways whose culminating point is over 3,000 metres above sea level, regardless of their location, gauge or type.
For simplicity, absolute elevation is the only criterion of this list, though two places at exactly the same elevation above sea level can have drastically different topographic or climatic conditions. For example, the permanent snow line is located at sea level near the poles, at 3,000 metres in the Alps and at 6,000 metres in some areas of the Andes and the Himalayas. The tree line also depends on latitude, thus making comparisons between elevations difficult on a world scale. At high altitudes, snow, cold, wind and harsh weather conditions make construction and maintenance an expensive challenge.
Before the opening of the Qinghai–Tibet Railway in China, currently the highest in the world, the highest three railways were located in the Andean countries of Peru and Bolivia. In the Alps, the Jungfrau Railway has the particularity of reaching an elevation that is higher than the local snow line.
For a list by country, without elevation cutoff, see List of highest railways by country.
Railway line | Highest point | Highest elevation | Country | Opened | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Xining-Golmud-Lhasa | Tanggula | 5,068 m (16,627 ft) [1] | China | 2006 | |
Lima–Huancayo | Galera Summit Tunnel | 4,783 m (15,692 ft) [2] [3] | Peru | 1893 | Highest railway in the Americas |
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) [4] | USA | 1891 / 2017, 2021 | Highest railway in North America. Reopened in 2021 [5] |
Salta–Antofagasta | La Polvorilla | 4,220 m (13,845 ft) | Argentina Chile | 1948 | "Tren a las Nubes" tourist service between San Antonio de los Cobres and La Polvorilla |
Quito-Guayaquil | Urbina | 3,609 m (11,841 ft) | Ecuador | 1908 | Reopened 2011 |
Lanzhou–Xinjiang High-Speed Railway | Qilianshan No.2 Tunnel | 3,608 m (11,837 ft) | China | 2014 | Highest high-speed railway |
Jungfrau Railway | Jungfraujoch | 3,454 m (11,332 ft) [6] | Switzerland | 1912 | Highest railway in Europe, underground above 2,350 m. [6] [7] |
Leadville, Colorado and Southern Railroad | Leadville | 3,414 m (11,201 ft) | USA | Highest Adhesion railway in North America | |
Gornergrat Railway | 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 |
Railway line | Highest point | Highest elevation | Country | Opened / closed | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Salta–Antofagasta | Abra Chorrillos | 4,475 m (14,682 ft) | Argentina | 1948 | Freight only, formerly also a passenger railway. Actually only takes passengers till La Polvorilla |
Arica–La Paz | General Lagos | 4,257 m (13,967 ft) | Chile Bolivia | 1913 / 2005 | |
Antofagasta-La Paz | Ascotán | 3,956 m (12,979 ft) | Chile Bolivia | 1873 | Freight only, formerly also a passenger railway |
Denver South Park & Pacific | Alpine Tunnel | 3,512 m (11,522 ft) | USA | 1882 / 1910 | |
Mendoza–Los Andes | Los Caracoles | 3,176 m (10,420 ft) | Argentina Chile | 1910 / 1984 | |
DRG&W Tennessee Pass Route | Tennessee Pass | 3,116 m (10,223 ft) | USA | 1881 / 1997 | Out of service. Can be reactivated if traffic permits. |
The Alps are the highest and most extensive mountain range that is entirely in Europe, stretching approximately 1,200 km (750 mi) across eight Alpine countries : Monaco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Slovenia.
A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher than a hill, typically rising at least 300 metres (980 ft) above the surrounding land. A few mountains are isolated summits, but most occur in mountain ranges.
The Alpine region of Switzerland, conventionally referred to as the Swiss Alps, represents a major natural feature of the country and is, along with the Swiss Plateau and the Swiss portion of the Jura Mountains, one of its three main physiographic regions. The Swiss Alps extend over both the Western Alps and the Eastern Alps, encompassing an area sometimes called Central Alps. While the northern ranges from the Bernese Alps to the Appenzell Alps are entirely in Switzerland, the southern ranges from the Mont Blanc massif to the Bernina massif are shared with other countries such as France, Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein.
The Jungfrau Railway is a mountain rack railway in the Bernese Alps, Switzerland, connecting Kleine Scheidegg in the Bernese Oberland to the Jungfraujoch, across the Valais border. It is the highest railway in Switzerland and Europe, running 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) from the station of Kleine Scheidegg to the Jungfraujoch, well above the perennial snow line. As a consequence, the railway runs essentially within the Jungfrau Tunnel, built into the neighbouring Eiger and Mönch, to protect the line from snow and extreme weather.
The Caucasus Mountains are a mountain range at the intersection of Asia and Europe. Stretching between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, they are surrounded by the Caucasus region and are home to Mount Elbrus, the highest peak in Europe at 5,642 metres (18,510 ft) above sea level.
The Jungfrau, at 4,158 meters (13,642 ft) is one of the main summits of the Bernese Alps, located between the northern canton of Bern and the southern canton of Valais, halfway between Interlaken and Fiesch. Together with the Eiger and Mönch, the Jungfrau forms a massive wall of mountains overlooking the Bernese Oberland and the Swiss Plateau, one of the most distinctive sights of the Swiss Alps.
A mountain pass is a navigable route through a mountain range or over a ridge. Since mountain ranges can present formidable barriers to travel, passes have played a key role in trade, war, and both human and animal migration throughout history. At lower elevations it may be called a hill pass. A mountain pass is typically formed between two volcanic peaks or created by erosion from water or wind.
The Jungfraujoch is a saddle connecting two major 4000ers of the Bernese Alps: the Jungfrau and the Mönch. It lies at an elevation of 3,463 metres (11,362 ft) above sea level and is directly overlooked by the rocky prominence of the Sphinx. The Jungfraujoch is a glacier saddle, on the upper snows of the Aletsch Glacier, and part of the Jungfrau-Aletsch area, situated on the boundary between the cantons of Bern and Valais, halfway between Interlaken and Fiesch.
This article lists extreme locations on Earth that hold geographical records or are otherwise known for their geophysical or meteorological superlatives. All of these locations are Earth-wide extremes; extremes of individual continents or countries are not listed.
The Yungas is a bioregion of a narrow band of forest along the eastern slope of the Andes Mountains from Peru and Bolivia, and extends into Northwest Argentina at the slope of the Andes pre-cordillera. It is a transitional zone between the Andean highlands and the eastern forests. Like the surrounding areas, the Yungas belong to the Neotropical realm; the climate is rainy, humid, and warm.
Climate of Peru describes the diverse climates of this large South American country with an area of 1,285,216 km2 (496,225 sq mi). Peru is located entirely in the tropics but features desert and mountain climates as well as tropical rainforests. Elevations above sea level in the country range from −37 to 6,778 m and precipitation ranges from less than 20 mm (0.79 in) annually to more than 8,000 mm (310 in). There are three main climatic regions: the Pacific Ocean coast is one of the driest deserts in the world but with some unique features; the high Andes mountains have a variety of microclimates depending on elevation and exposure and with temperatures and precipitation from temperate to polar and wet to dry; and the Amazon basin has tropical climates, mostly with abundant precipitation, along with sub-tropical climates in elevations above 1,550 m (5,090 ft).
Jungfraujoch is an underground railway station situated near the Jungfraujoch, in the canton of Valais, a few metres from the border with the canton of Bern. At 3,454 metres (11,332 ft) above sea level, it is the terminus of the Jungfrau Railway and the highest railway station in Switzerland and Europe. The Jungfrau Railway runs from Kleine Scheidegg in the Bernese Oberland, through the Jungfrau Tunnel and crosses the border between the two cantons shortly before the terminus.
Pikes Peak is the highest summit of the southern Front Range of the Rocky Mountains in North America. The ultra-prominent 14,115-foot (4,302.31 m) fourteener is located in Pike National Forest, 12 miles (19 km) west of downtown Colorado Springs, Colorado. The town of Manitou Springs lies at its base.
Three-thousanders are mountains with a height of between 3,000 metres (9,800 ft), but less than 4,000 metres (13,000 ft) above sea level. Similar terms are commonly used for mountains of other height brackets e. g. four-thousanders or eight-thousanders. In Britain, the term may refer to mountains above 3,000 feet (910 m).
The Titlis Cliff Walk is a pedestrian bridge along the cliff of Mount Titlis in the Swiss Alps. Built at around 3,000 m (9,800 ft) above sea level, it is believed to be the highest-elevation suspension bridge in Europe. It broke the record held by Salbit Bridge, also located in Switzerland. The bridge spans a distance of around 100 m (320 ft) but is just 1 m (3 ft) wide.