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 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 C ...

, 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, Swi ...

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 10 ...

. 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 snow ...

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 s ...

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

References

External links

Infos at mikes.railhistory.railfan.net
{{Highest train stations of the world Lists of railway lines, Highest railways in the world Lists of construction records, Railways Lists of highest points, Railways