List of highest railways

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

Rank Railway line Highest point Highest elevation Country Opened Notes
1 Xining-Golmud-Lhasa Tanggula 5,068 m (16,627 ft)[2][3]  China 2006
2 Lima-Huancayo Ticlio 4,829 m (15,843 ft)[4][5]  Peru 1893 Highest railway in America
3 Rio Mulatos-Potosí Cóndor 4,786 m (15,702 ft)  Bolivia  
4 Cuzco-Lake Titicaca La Raya 4,313 m (14,150 ft)  Peru  
5 Manitou and Pike's Peak Railway Pikes Peak Summit 4,301 m (14,111 ft)[6]  USA 1891 highest railway in North America
6 Salta-Antofagasta La Polvorilla 4,220 m (13,845 ft)  Argentina
 Chile 		1948 "Tren a las Nubes" tourist service between Salta and La Polvorilla
7 Lanzhou–Xinjiang High-Speed Railway Qilianshan No.2 Tunnel 3,608 m (11,837 ft)  China 2014 Highest High-speed railway
8 Jungfraubahn Jungfraujoch 3,454 m (11,332 ft)[7]   Switzerland 1912 highest railway in Europe, underground above 2,350 m.[7][8]
9 Leadville, Colorado and Southern Railroad Leadville 3,414 m (11,201 ft)  USA Highest Adhesion railway in North America
10 Gornergratbahn Gornergrat 3,090 m (10,138 ft)   Switzerland 1898 highest open-air railway in Europe
11 Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad Cumbres Pass 3,054 m (10,020 ft)  USA 1881 Highest narrow gauge railroad in North America
12 Yuergou-Yanqi Railway Kuixian Tunnel 2,980 m (9,777 ft)  China 1978 Main line of Southern Xinjiang Railway before 2014
13 Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Silverton 2,837 m (9,308 ft)  USA 1881
14 Union Pacific Railroad, Moffat Tunnel Subdivision Moffat Tunnel 2,816 m (9,239 ft)  USA 1928 Apex in tunnel; highest point in Amtrak network
15 Lanzhou–Xinjiang Railway Wushaoling Tunnel 2,663 m (8,737 ft)  China 2006
16 Bavarian Zugspitze Railway Schneefernerhaus 2,650 m (8,694 ft)  Germany 1930 Underground above 1,640 m
17 Alishan Forest Railway Chushan 2,451 m (8,041 ft)  Taiwan 1986 highest railway in Taiwan
18 Tramway du Mont-Blanc[9] Nid d'aigle de Bionnassay 2,380 m (7,808 ft)  France 1909
19 BNSF Raton Pass Line Raton Pass 2,312 m (7,585 ft)  USA 1879 Highest point on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
20 Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Ghum 2,257 m (7,405 ft)[10]  India 1891 highest railway in India[10]
21 Bernina Railway Ospizio Bernina 2,253 m (7,392 ft)   Switzerland 1909 Highest rail crossing in Europe[11]
22 Chengdu–Kunming Railway Shamalada Tunnel 2,244 m (7,362 ft)[12]  China 1969
23 Nilgiri Mountain Railway Ooty 2,210 m (7,251 ft)[13]  India 1908 highest railway in south India
24 Overland Route Donner Pass 2,151 m (7,057 ft)  USA 1869 Part of First Transcontinental Railroad
25 Kalka-Shimla Railway Shimla 2,086 m (6,844 ft)[14]  India 1898
26 Pilatus Railway Pilatus 2,073 m (6,801 ft)   Switzerland 1889 Steepest non-cable railway in the world[15]
27 Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn Oberalp Pass 2,043 m (6,703 ft)   Switzerland 1926

Closed railways

Rank Railway line Highest point Highest elevation Country Opened / closed Notes
1 Mendoza-Los Andes Los Caracoles 3,176 m (10,420 ft)  Argentina
 Chile 		1910 / 1984
2 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.
3 Dumaresq-Glen Innes Ben Lomond 1,363 m (4,472 ft)  Australia August 19, 1884 /
December 10, 1985 		formerly the highest station in Australia

Gallery

See also

References

  1. ↑ Infos at mikes.railhistory.railfan.net
  2. ↑ China Railways. "Qinghai-Tibet Railway Scenery". China Tibet Train. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
  3. ↑ "World's highest railway station enters key construction period". Canada Tibet Committee. July 28, 2005. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
  4. ↑ Bennett, Suzy (October 2003). "A train journey through the Peruvian Andes". Wanderlust. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
  5. ↑ "Our Train - The Highest in the World". Incas del Peru. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
  6. ↑ Manitou & Pike's Peak Cog Railway. "Along The Route". Pikes Peak Cog Railway. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
  7. 1 2 Jungfraubahnen. "Jungfraujoch - Top of Europe". Jungfrau Ski Region. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
  8. ↑ Switzerland Tourism. "Highest railway in Europe". My Switzerland. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
  9. ↑ http://www.compagniedumontblanc.fr/fr/presentation-des-sites/tramway-du-mont-blanc
  10. 1 2 "Toy train from NJP to Darjeeling". Go2India.in. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
  11. ↑ Nicola Williams, Damien Simonis, Kerry Walker. Switzerland (ebook Edition). Lonely Planet
  12. ↑ "发现金口河大峡谷".
  13. ↑ "Ooty Railway Station". indiarailinfo.com.
  14. ↑ "Shimla Railway Station". indiarailinfo.com.
  15. ↑ Engineering Magazine, Volume 14, p. 81
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