List of highest railways

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 three railways were located in the Andean countries of Peru and Bolivia. The list only includes non-cable railways whose culminating point is over 2,000 metres above sea level.

A train pulled by an NJ2 locomotive travels on the Qinghai–Tibet Railway.

For a list by country, see List of highest railways by country.

List

Current passenger railways
Railway line Highest point Highest elevation Country Opened Notes
Xining-Golmud-LhasaTanggula5,068 m (16,627 ft)[2] China2006
Lima–HuancayoTiclio4,829 m (15,843 ft)[3][4] Peru1893Highest railway in the Americas
Rio Mulatos–PotosíCóndor4,786 m (15,702 ft) Bolivia 
Cuzco-Lake TiticacaLa Raya4,313 m (14,150 ft) Peru 
Salta–AntofagastaLa Polvorilla4,220 m (13,845 ft) Argentina
 Chile		1948"Tren a las Nubes" tourist service between Salta and La Polvorilla
Quito-Guayaquil Urbina 3,609 m (11,841 ft)  Ecuador 1908 Reopened 2011
Lanzhou–Xinjiang High-Speed Railway Qilianshan No.2 Tunnel 3,608 m (11,837 ft)  China 2014 Highest high-speed railway
JungfraubahnJungfraujoch3,454 m (11,332 ft)[5]  Switzerland1912Highest railway in Europe, underground above 2,350 m.[5][6]
Leadville, Colorado and Southern RailroadLeadville3,414 m (11,201 ft) USAHighest Adhesion railway in North America
GornergratbahnGornergrat3,090 m (10,138 ft)  Switzerland1898Highest open-air railway in Europe
Cumbres and Toltec Scenic RailroadCumbres Pass3,054 m (10,020 ft) USA1881Highest narrow gauge railroad in North America
Yuergou–Yanqi Railway Kuixian Tunnel 2,980 m (9,777 ft)  China 1978 Main line of Southern Xinjiang Railway before 2014
Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge RailroadSilverton2,837 m (9,308 ft) USA1881
Union Pacific Railroad, Moffat Tunnel SubdivisionMoffat Tunnel2,816 m (9,239 ft) USA1928Apex in tunnel; highest point in Amtrak network, used by California Zephyr
Uganda RailwayBaringo County, Kenya2,785 m (9,137 ft) Kenya1930Highest railway in Africa
Lanzhou–Xinjiang Railway Wushaoling Tunnel 2,663 m (8,737 ft)  China 2006
Bavarian Zugspitze RailwaySchneefernerhaus2,650 m (8,694 ft) Germany1930Underground above 1,640 m
Lanzhou–Chongqing Railway Muzhailing Tunnel 2,549 m (8,363 ft)[7]  China 2017
Alishan Forest RailwayChushan2,451 m (8,041 ft) Taiwan1912Highest railway in Taiwan
Massawa–Asmara RailwayAsmara2,394 m (7,854 ft) Eritrea1911Highest railway in Eritrea
Tramway du Mont-Blanc[8]Nid d'aigle de Bionnassay2,380 m (7,808 ft) France1909
BNSF Raton Pass LineRaton Pass2,312 m (7,585 ft) USA1879Highest point on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway; continues to be used by Amtrak's Southwest Chief.
Addis Ababa–Djibouti RailwayAddis Ababa2,293 m (7,523 ft) Ethiopia2018Highest railway in Ethiopia
Darjeeling Himalayan RailwayGhum2,257 m (7,405 ft)  India1891Highest railway in India
Bernina RailwayOspizio Bernina2,253 m (7,392 ft)  Switzerland1909Highest rail crossing in Europe[9]
Chengdu–Kunming Railway Shamalada Tunnel 2,244 m (7,362 ft)[10]  China 1969
Nilgiri Mountain RailwayOoty2,210 m (7,251 ft)[11] India1908Highest railway in south India
Overland RouteDonner Pass2,151 m (7,057 ft) USA1869Part of First Transcontinental Railroad
Kalka–Shimla RailwayShimla2,086 m (6,844 ft)[12] India1898
Pilatus RailwayPilatus2,073 m (6,801 ft)   Switzerland1889Steepest non-cable railway in the world[13]
Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn Oberalp Pass2,043 m (6,703 ft)   Switzerland1926

Closed railways
Railway line Highest point Highest elevation Country Opened / closed Notes
Manitou and Pike's Peak RailwayPikes Peak Summit4,301 m (14,111 ft)[14] USA1891 / 2017Highest railway in North America. Might reopen in 2020 [15]
Arica–La Paz General Lagos 4,257 m (13,967 ft)  Chile
 Bolivia		 1913 Closed in 2005
Antofagasta-La Paz Ascotán 3,956 m (12,979 ft)  Chile
 Bolivia		 1873 Freight only, formerly also a passenger railway
Denver South Park & PacificAlpine Tunnel3,512 m (11,522 ft) USA1882 / 1910
Mendoza–Los AndesLos Caracoles3,176 m (10,420 ft) Argentina
 Chile		1910 / 1984
DRG&W Tennessee Pass RouteTennessee Pass3,116 m (10,223 ft) USA1881 / 1997Out of service. Can be reactivated if traffic permits.
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See also

References
  1. Infos at mikes.railhistory.railfan.net
  2. "World's highest railway station enters key construction period". Canada Tibet Committee. July 28, 2005. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
  3. Bennett, Suzy (October 2003). "A train journey through the Peruvian Andes". Wanderlust. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
  4. "Our Train - The Highest in the World". Incas del Peru. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
  5. Jungfraubahnen. "Jungfraujoch - Top of Europe". Jungfrau Ski Region. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
  6. Switzerland Tourism. "Highest railway in Europe". My Switzerland. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
  7. https://wk.baidu.com/view/2ed2676d0066f5335a812149?pcf=2#1. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  8. http://www.compagniedumontblanc.fr/fr/presentation-des-sites/tramway-du-mont-blanc
  9. Nicola Williams, Damien Simonis, Kerry Walker. Switzerland (ebook Edition). Lonely Planet
  10. "发现金口河大峡谷".
  11. "Ooty Railway Station". indiarailinfo.com.
  12. "Shimla Railway Station". indiarailinfo.com.
  13. Engineering Magazine, Volume 14, p. 81
  14. Manitou & Pike's Peak Cog Railway. "Along The Route". Pikes Peak Cog Railway. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
  15. "Plan To Rebuild Cog Railway Chugs Ahead". CBS Denver. CBS Denver. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
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