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 Track (rail transport), tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the ...

zig zag or switchback, is a method of climbing steep gradients with minimal need for tunnels and heavy earthworks. For a short distance (corresponding to the middle leg of the letter "Z"), the direction of travel is reversed, before the original direction is resumed. Some switchbacks do not come in pairs, and the train may then need to travel backwards for a considerable distance. A location on railways constructed by using a zig-zag alignment at which trains must reverse direction to continue is a reversing station. One of the best examples is the

Darjeeling Himalayan Railway The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, also known as the DHR or the Toy Train, is a gauge railway that runs between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling in the Indian state of West Bengal. Built between 1879 and 1881, it is about long. It climbs from ...

, a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. I ...

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

railway in India, that has six full zig zags and three

spiral In mathematics, a spiral is a curve which emanates from a point, moving farther away as it revolves around the point. Helices Two major definitions of "spiral" in the American Heritage Dictionary are:Lithgow Zig Zag's stubs were extended at great expense in 1908. Even then, delays were such that the zig zag had eventually to be bypassed by a new route, opened two years later. * Reversing a locomotive-hauled train not purposely equipped for push-pull operation without first running the engine around to the rear of the train can be hazardous – although operating the train with two locomotives, one at each end (a practice known as " topping-and-tailing"), can mitigate the dangers. * The need to stop the train after each segment, throw the switch, and then reverse means that progress through the zig zag is slow. * Passenger cars with transverse seating force riders to travel in reverse for at least part of the journey, though this issue is largely solved by longitudinal seating on cars serving such routes.

Hazards

If the wagons in a freight train are marshaled poorly, with a light vehicle located between heavier ones (particularly with buffer couplings), the move on the middle road of a zig zag can cause derailment of the light wagon.

Examples

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, t ...

** '' Tren a las Nubes'' (1921) * Australia ** Lithgow Zig Zag,

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

(1869–1910) preserved - see Zig Zag Railway ** Out of use: *** Kalamunda Zig Zag,

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to ...

– two reversals (dismantled) *** Lake Margaret Tram,

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

, (dismantled) *** Lapstone Zig Zag, New South Wales – two reversals (1865) (dismantled) *** Mundaring Weir Branch Railway, Western Australia (dismantled) *** Thornleigh Zig Zag, New South Wales (dismantled) *** Yarloop, Western Australia (dismantled) *** Yarraglen (dismantled) *

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the eas ...

** Pisagua – Three reversals; long out of use but earthworks easy to trace * China ** Mifengyan on the

Jiayang Coal Railway The Jiayang Coal Railway, also known as Shixi–Huangcunjing Railway or Shibanxi Railway, is a narrow gauge railway in Sichuan in Qianwei County near Leshan, China. History A coal mine was established at Bajiaogou (芭蕉沟) in 1938. The coa ...

- one reversal ** Qinglongqiao on the Jingbao Railway *

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. Th ...

** Dubí - local railway between Moldava and Most ( Most–Moldava railway), trains have to change direction in station Dubí in order to continue further. Only one halt of a 'Z' is placed *

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establishe ...

** Lemvig – Small side track from the harbor to the railway station, used only on special occasions. In reality only half a 'Z' as only one reversal is needed. *

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechuan languages, Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar language, Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechuan ...

** Sibambe on the

Quito Quito (; qu, Kitu), formally San Francisco de Quito, is the capital city, capital and largest city of Ecuador, with an estimated population of 2.8 million in its urban area. It is also the capital of the province of Pichincha Province, Pichincha ...

Guayaquil , motto = Por Guayaquil Independiente en, For Independent Guayaquil , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Ecuador#South America , pushpin_re ...

line (cf.

Empresa de Ferrocarriles Ecuatorianos The Ferrocarriles del Ecuador Empresa Pública (Ecuadorian Railways Company) is the national railway of Ecuador. The railway system was devised to connect the Pacific coast with the Andean highlands. After many decades of service the railway was se ...

) *

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

** Froissy Dompierre Light Railway *

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...

** In use: *** Altenkirchen station, Limburg–Altenkirchen railway *** Rauenstein ('' Hinterland Railway'') *** Ernstthal am Rennsteig: created by closure of the Ernstthal–Probstzella railway *** Lauscha ( Sonneberg – Probstzella railway) *** Lüttmoorsiel-Nordstrandischmoor island railway *** Michaelstein (

Rübeland Railway The Rübeland Railway (german: Rübelandbahn) is a railway link from Blankenburg via Rübeland and Königshütte to Tanne in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It was built by the Halberstadt-Blankenburg railway (HBE) between 1880 and 1886 ...

) *** Rennsteig ( Rennsteig Railway,

Ilmenau Ilmenau () is a town in Thuringia, central Germany. It is the largest town within the Ilm district with a population of 38,600, while the district capital is Arnstadt. Ilmenau is located approximately south of Erfurt and north of Nuremberg ...

– Themar) *** Wurzbach (

Saalfeld Saalfeld (german: Saalfeld/Saale) is a town in Germany, capital of the Saalfeld-Rudolstadt district of Thuringia. It is best known internationally as the ancestral seat of the Saxe-Coburg and Gotha branch of the Saxon House of Wettin. Geography ...

– Blankenstein railway) ** out of use ***

Lenzkirch Lenzkirch is a municipality in the Black Forest. It lies in the district of Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald in Baden-Württemberg in Germany. Geography Lenzkirch is on the Black Forest plateau, in the valley of the river Haslach, which near the sout ...

in the

Black Forest The Black Forest (german: Schwarzwald ) is a large forested mountain range in the state of Baden-Württemberg in southwest Germany, bounded by the Rhine Valley to the west and south and close to the borders with France and Switzerland. It is ...

(dismantled) *** ''Mainspitze'' station in

Frankfurt am Main Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian dialects, Hessian: , "Franks, Frank ford (crossing), ford on the Main (river), Main"), is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as o ...

, used from 1846–1848 to reach the provisional Frankfurt terminal of the Main-Neckar Railway (dismantled) *** Schillingsfürst (dismantled) *** Elm (replaced in 1914 by Distelrasen Tunnel, but the structure is conserved within the Frankfurt-Fulda and Fulda-Gemünden railways and the connecting curve between the stations at Elm and Schlüchtern *** Steinhelle-Medebach railway (double zig zag) *

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croa ...

** The Szob-Nagybörzsöny forest railway has a simple zig zag at the middle of the railway line between Kisirtás and Tolmács-hegy stations, with a loop in the middle of the Z shape *

India India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...

has six full zig zags and 3 spirals, most are from the construction of the current railway but one was added in the 1940s and at least one other was used temporarily following storm damage *

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

** Jalur kereta api Cikampek–Padalarang Dutch East Indies made this line to shorten the travel time between the two biggest cities Jakarta and

Bandung Bandung ( su, ᮘᮔ᮪ᮓᮥᮀ, Bandung, ; ) is the capital city of the Indonesian province of West Java. It has a population of 2,452,943 within its city limits according to the official estimates as at mid 2021, making it the fourth mos ...

it was home to some of the most powerful steam locomotive in Java the SS 1200 made by ALCO or the Indonesian class Lokomotif DD50 *

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

** Ferrovia Genova-Casella has one zig zag currently in regular use at Casella Deposito (actually a single reversal) ** Cecina-Volterra railway (this section of the line was closed in 1958) ** the Menaggio–Porlezza railway had a single reversal near Menaggio * Japan ** Hakone Tozan Line has three zig zags, namely at Deyama S.B., Ōhiradai Station, Kami-Ōhidradai S.B. ** Hisatsu Line at Okoba and Masaki stations ** Hōhi Main Line at Tateno Station ** Itsukaichi Line at Musashi-Itsukaichi Station to Musashi-Iwai Station (this section of the line was closed in 1981). ** Kisuki Line at Izumo-Sakane Station ** Keikyu Main Line at Keikyū Kamata Station for trains operating direct service between Yokohama Station and

Haneda Airport , officially , and sometimes called as Tokyo Haneda Airport or Haneda International Airport , is one of two international airports serving the Greater Tokyo Area, the other one being Narita International Airport (NRT). It serves as the primar ...

Shinonoi Line The is a railway line in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It connects Shinonoi Station in Nagano with Shiojiri Station in Shiojiri. The line is a corridor between the Shinetsu Main Line and the Ch ...

Obasute Station in Chikuma, Nagano, is on a switchback ** The

Tateyama Sabō Erosion Control Works Service Train The , commonly called , is a Japanese, narrow gauge industrial railway line in Tateyama, Toyama. It is operated by the Tateyama Mountain Area Sabō Office, which belongs to the Hokuriku Regional Development Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infr ...

(not publicly accessible) is notable for operating on a line with 38 zig zags, 18 of them in a row *

Mexico Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guate ...

** Ferrocarril Noroeste de México, between Juan Mata Ortiz to Chico *

Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...

(also known as Burma) ** Passenger line between Thazi and Kalaw, with four switchbacks; still in use ** Passenger line between Mandalay and Lashio *

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 List of islands of New Zealand, smaller islands. It is the ...

** Driving Creek Railway, Coromandel *

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and ...

** Kanggye Line, between Hwangp'o and Simrip'yŏng stations ** Kŭmgangsan Electric Railway, between Tanballyŏng and Malhwiri (Kŭmganggu) stations. Entire line destroyed during the

Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top: ...

and not rebuilt **

Paengmu Line The Paengmu Line is a partially electrified narrow gauge line of the Korean State Railway running from Paeg'am on the Paektusan Ch'ŏngnyŏn Line to Musan on the Musan Line, in the Ryanggang and North Hamgyŏng provinces of North Korea.Ko ...

, between Yugok and Rajŏk stations, and at Samyu station (station is located on a single reverse) ** in addition, there are numerous switchbacks on spurs into underground facilities located off main lines. *

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

** Khyber Pass Railway *

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

** PeruRail between Cuzco to

Machu Picchu Machu Picchu is a 15th-century Inca citadel located in the Eastern Cordillera of southern Peru on a mountain range.UNESCO World Heritage Centre. It is located in the Machupicchu District within Urubamba Province above the Sacred Valley, whi ...

– Five switchbacks ** Seven full Zigzags and one single reverse on the Central Railway of Peru *

Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the ...

** Historical Logging Switchback Railway in Vychylovka *

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring count ...

** Tierkrans Switchback Railway, between Barkley East station and Aliwal-North station. For economic reasons regular service was finally discontinued in 1991. Railway enthusiasts also know the line for the famous set of eight reverses. *

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

Yeongdong Line The Yeongdong Line is a line of Korail. It connects Yeongju in North Gyeongsang Province with Gangneung in Gangwon Province. From Yeongju, it crosses the Taebaek Mountains and reaches the Sea of Japan (East Sea) at Donghae, thence proceeding ...

, between Heungjeon station and Nahanjeong station. This section closed in 2012 and replaced by Solan tunnel * Sweden ** Lövsjöväxeln (''Lövsjö points'') on Hällefors-Fredriksbergs Järnvägar (1875–1940) ** Visby harbour från Visby station, 32 meters of difference, (1868-1962), * Switzerland ** Chambrelien station on the Neuchâtel–Le Locle-Col-des-Roches line. Before electrification, a turntable was required to allow large tender locomotives to be turned as they ran around their trains ** Combe-Tabeillon station on the Saignelégier-Glovelier line ** Grindelwald Grund railway station ** trains on each of the three narrow gauge lines out of Aigle have to reverse somewhere en route ( Aigle–Leysin, Aigle–Sépey–Diablerets, Aigle–Ollon–Monthey–Champéry) *

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northe ...

** Alishan Forest Railway *

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

** Spittal, Northumberland, – The former mineral branch to Tweed Dock required 2 reversals to descend 20m from the

East Coast Main Line The East Coast Main Line (ECML) is a electrified railway between London and Edinburgh via Peterborough, Doncaster, York, Darlington, Durham and Newcastle. The line is a key transport artery on the eastern side of Great Britain runni ...

to near sea level. *

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

** Buckingham Branch Railroad, New Canton, Virginia – One switchback at New Canton ** Eight switchbacks at Cascade on GN – Replaced by tunnel which was in turn replaced by a longer tunnel ** Cass Scenic Railroad, West Virginia – Two switchbacks with 11% grade between, still in use **

Colorado and Southern Railway The Colorado and Southern Railway was an American Class I railroad in the western United States that operated independently from 1898 to 1908, then as part of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad until it was absorbed into the Burli ...

Central City, Colorado The historic City of Central, commonly known as Central City, is a home rule municipality located in Gilpin and Clear Creek counties, Colorado, United States. Central City is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Gilpin County ...

– Two switchbacks on the ascent from Black Hawk, Colorado to Central City ** Confusion Hill Mountain Train Ride, Piercy, California – Several switchbacks in use ** Fern Rock Transportation Center,

Fern Rock, Philadelphia Fern Rock is a neighborhood in the upper North Philadelphia section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania bounded by Olney to the east, Ogontz to the west, Logan to the south, and East Oak Lane to the north. It is approximately situated between Broad ...

- One switchback, connects the Broad Street Line with SEPTA Regional Rail, still in limited use ** Hagans Switchback in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the East Coast of the United States, Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography an ...

, Still in use by CSX for Coal trains ** Industrial switchback, Montage Mountain Road,

Scranton, Pennsylvania Scranton is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Lackawanna County. With a population of 76,328 as of the 2020 U.S. census, Scranton is the largest city in Northeastern Pennsylvania, the Wyoming V ...

– Still in use ** Market Street Railway 33 18th and Park streetcar,

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

, California – One switchback, route converted to

trolleybus A trolleybus (also known as trolley bus, trolley coach, trackless trolley, trackless tramin the 1910s and 1920sJoyce, J.; King, J. S.; and Newman, A. G. (1986). ''British Trolleybus Systems'', pp. 9, 12. London: Ian Allan Publishing. .or trol ...

but still largely following original alignment with a very sharp turn at the former switchback ** Mount Hood Railroad, Hood River, Oregon – One switchback, still in use ** Northern Pacific's Coeur d'Alene Branch, Lookout Pass – One switchback east of Mullan, Idaho along its 4% descent towards Wallace ** Roaring Camp and Big Trees Narrow Gauge Railroad, Felton,

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...

– One switchback, still in use **

Shasta Sunset Dinner Train The Shasta Sunset Dinner Train was a scenic dinner train that was operated by the McCloud Railway that started in McCloud, California to Mount Shasta, California, Mt. Shasta City from 1996 to 2010. Before 2005, the train also saw service between McC ...

, McCloud, California – One switchback, "Signal Butte Switchback", in use ** Sierra Railway, Melones, California - Two switchbacks, abandoned, used by SRY's Angels Branch to cross Stanislaus River Canyon, one switchback inundated by New Melones Lake

References

{{Railway track layouts Railway track layouts