This article lists the highest
railway
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
s 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
The climatic snow line is the boundary between a snow-covered and snow-free surface. The actual snow line may adjust seasonally, and be either significantly higher in elevation, or lower. The permanent snow line is the level above which snow wil ...
is located at sea level near the
poles
Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, who share a common history, culture, the Polish language and are identified with the country of Poland in Ce ...
, at 3,000 metres in the
Alps
The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Sw ...
and at 6,000 metres in some areas of the
Andes
The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...
and the
Himalayas
The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 100 ...
. The
tree line
The tree line is the edge of the habitat at which trees are capable of growing. It is found at high elevations and high latitudes. Beyond the tree line, trees cannot tolerate the environmental conditions (usually cold temperatures, extreme snowp ...
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
The Jungfrau Railway (german: Jungfraubahn, JB) is a mountain railway in the Bernese Alps, connecting Kleine Scheidegg in the Bernese Oberland to the Jungfraujoch, across the Valais border. The railway, which uses a and racks, runs from the st ...
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
This is a list of the highest railways by country. It includes the name of the railway, its highest point and highest elevation and its opening year.
List
See also
*Rail transport
*List of highest railways in the world
*List of countries by high ...
.
List
Current passenger railways
Closed railways
See also
*
Bilaspur–Leh line
Bilaspur–Manali-Leh line is an under-construction high-elevation all-weather broad gauge railway track connecting Bilaspur in Himachal Pradesh to Leh in Ladakh union territory of India. It will connect major hill towns of Bilaspur, Mandi, K ...
, railway project that would be the highest in the world
*
List of highest railways by country
This is a list of the highest railways by country. It includes the name of the railway, its highest point and highest elevation and its opening year.
List
See also
*Rail transport
*List of highest railways in the world
*List of countries by high ...
*
List of highest railways in Europe
This is a list of highest passenger railways in operation in Europe. It only includes non-cable railways whose culminating point is over 1,200 metres above sea level. Most of them are located in the Alps, where two railways, the Jungfrau and Gorne ...
*
List of railway stations
The following is a list of railway stations (also known as railroad stations in the United States), which is indexed by country.
Africa
* Railway stations in Angola
* Railway stations in Benin
* Railway stations in Botswana
* Railway station ...
References
External links
Infos at mikes.railhistory.railfan.net
{{Highest train stations of the world
Highest railways in the world
Railways
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
Railways
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...