List of highest railway stations in Europe
This is a list of high-altitude railway stations in Europe. It includes any railway station or location with passenger railway services (on adhesion or rack railways), located at an elevation of over 2,000 metres above sea level. These are all found in the Alps in three countries: Switzerland (20), France (2) and Germany (1). At this elevation, typically above the tree line, snow becomes the main form of precipitation, therefore making railways more difficult to maintain and operate. For a list by railway line, with a lower elevation cutoff, see list of highest railways in Europe.
In the list are indicated the elevation, region, country, railway and nearest location, inhabited or not.
Main list[edit]
| Station[1] | Elevation | Region | Country | Railway | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jungfraujoch | 3,454 m (11,332 ft) | Valais | Switzerland | Jungfrau | Jungfraujoch | Terminus, underground |
| Eismeer | 3,160 m (10,367 ft) | Bern | Switzerland | Jungfrau | Eismeer | Underground |
| Gornergrat | 3,090 m (10,138 ft) | Valais | Switzerland | Gornergrat | Gornergrat | Terminus, highest open-air station in Europe[2] |
| Eigerwand | 2,865 m (9,400 ft) | Bern | Switzerland | Jungfrau | Eiger north face | Underground |
| Rotenboden | 2,815 m (9,236 ft) | Valais | Switzerland | Gornergrat | Rotenboden | |
| Zugspitzplatt[3] | 2,588 m (8,491 ft) | Bavaria | Germany | Zugspitze | Zugspitzplatt | Terminus, underground, highest station in Germany[4] |
| Riffelberg | 2,582 m (8,471 ft) | Valais | Switzerland | Gornergrat | Riffelberg | |
| Nid d'Aigle | 2,372 m (7,782 ft) | Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | France | Mont Blanc | Nid d'Aigle | Terminus, highest station in France[5] |
| Eigergletscher | 2,320 m (7,612 ft) | Bern | Switzerland | Jungfrau | Eiger Glacier | |
| Ospizio Bernina | 2,253 m (7,392 ft) | Graubünden | Switzerland | Bernina | Ospizio Bernina | Highest rail crossing in Europe (summit)[6] |
| Brienzer Rothorn | 2,244 m (7,362 ft) | Bern | Switzerland | Brienz–Rothorn | Brienzer Rothorn | Terminus |
| Riffelalp Resort | 2,222 m (7,290 ft) | Valais | Switzerland | Riffelalp tram | Riffelalp Resort | Terminus |
| Riffelalp | 2,211 m (7,254 ft) | Valais | Switzerland | Gornergrat/Riffelalp tram | Riffelalp | Highest station in Europe with two distinct railways |
| Furka | 2,163 m (7,096 ft) | Uri | Switzerland | Furka Cogwheel Steam Railway | East portal of Furka Summit Tunnel | Rail crossing (summit) |
| Muttbach-Belvédère | 2,118 m (6,949 ft) | Valais | Switzerland | Furka Cogwheel Steam Railway | West portal of Furka Summit Tunnel | |
| Bernina Lagalb | 2,100 m (6,890 ft) | Graubünden | Switzerland | Bernina | Bernina Lagalb | |
| Bernina Diavolezza | 2,093 m (6,867 ft) | Graubünden | Switzerland | Bernina | Bernina Diavolezza | |
| Alp Grüm | 2,091 m (6,860 ft) | Graubünden | Switzerland | Bernina | Alp Grüm | |
| Mont Lachat | 2,074 m (6,804 ft) | Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | France | Mont Blanc | Col du Mont Lachat | |
| Pilatus Kulm | 2,073 m (6,801 ft) | Obwalden | Switzerland | Pilatus | Pilatus | Terminus |
| Kleine Scheidegg | 2,061 m (6,762 ft) | Bern | Switzerland | Wengernalp/Jungfrau | Kleine Scheidegg | Rail crossing (summit), highest railway hub in Switzerland[7] |
| Bernina Suot | 2,046 m (6,713 ft) | Graubünden | Switzerland | Bernina | Bernina Suot | |
| Oberalp Pass | 2,033 m (6,670 ft) | Uri | Switzerland | Andermatt–Chur | Oberalp Pass | Rail crossing (summit) |
By country[edit]
| Country | Station | Elevation | Railway | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Switzerland | Jungfraujoch | 3,454 m (11,332 ft) | Jungfrau | Jungfraujoch | Terminus, underground |
| Germany | Zugspitzplatt | 2,588 m (8,491 ft) | Zugspitze | Zugspitzplatt | Terminus, underground |
| France | Nid d'Aigle | 2,372 m (7,782 ft) | Mont Blanc | Nid d'Aigle | Terminus |
| Norway | Finse Station | 1,222 m (4,009 ft) | Bergen Line | ||
| Sweden | Storlien railway station | 592 m (1,942 ft) | Central Line |
See also[edit]
- List of busiest railway stations in Europe
- Rail transport in Europe
- List of highest railway stations in Switzerland
Notes[edit]
References[edit]
- ^
- Switzerland: Swisstopo topographic maps, available on the geoportal
- France: Institut Géographique National topographic maps, available on the geoportal
- Germany: see inline citation
- Exhaustivity of the list: List of highest railways by country
- ^ "Zermatt winter superlatives". zermatt.ch. Zermatt Tourism. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
Europe's highest outdoor railway station lies in Zermatt, at 3,089 metres above sea level.
- ^ Ride the Zugspitzbahn rack railway up Germany's highest mountain, discover-bavaria.com
- ^ "Bahnland Bayern in Zahlen". bahnland-bayern.de. Bayerische Eisenbahngesellschaft. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
Der höchstgelegene Bahnhof befindet sich auf Deutschlands höchstem Berg: Es ist der Bahnhof Zugspitzplatt mit 2.588 m über dem Meeresspiegel.
[The highest station is on Germany's highest mountain: it is the Zugspitzplatt station at 2,588 m above sea level.] - ^ "Mountain railways: The most beautiful rack railway routes in Europe". archyde.com. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
The French have called a Nid d'Aigle – eagle's nest – the highest train station in their country.
- ^ Nicola Williams, Damien Simonis, Kerry Walker. Switzerland (ebook Edition). Lonely Planet
- ^ 61512 Proceedings 2006/2007. IRSE Convention 2006: Interlaken, Switzerland. Institution of Railway Signal Engineers.
Kleine Scheidegg, the highest railway junction in Switzerland