Gornergrat Railway
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The Gornergrat Railway (Template:Langx; GGB) is a mountain rack railway, located in the Swiss canton of Valais. It links the resort village of Zermatt, situated at Script error: No such module "convert". above mean sea level, to the summit of the Gornergrat. The Gornergrat railway station is situated at an altitude of Script error: No such module "convert"., which makes the Gornergrat Railway the second highest railway in Europe after the Jungfrau, and the highest open-air railway of the continent. The line opened in 1898, and was the first electric rack railway to be built in Switzerland.[1][2][3] The Gornergrat is a starting point for many hikes, as it lies surrounded by 29 peaks rising above Script error: No such module "convert". in the Alps and several glaciers, including the Gorner Glacier (which is billed as the second longest glacier in the Alps). At the end of the line on Gornergrat, the Matterhorn is visible on a clear day. It is also a popular skiing area.[3]
The Gornergrat Railway Ltd (Gornergrat Bahn AG) is a wholly owned subsidiary of BVZ Holdings AG, who are also the majority owners of the Matterhorn Gotthard Verkehrs AG, the company that operates the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (MGB), with which the GGB connects in Zermatt.[3][4]
History
Work on the railway started in 1896, five years after the Visp-Zermatt-Bahn had linked Zermatt to Visp and the Rhone Valley. The line opened on August 20, 1898, and was electrified from the start. Initially it operated only in summer, but year-round operation was extended to the lower section of the line in 1929, and to the summit in 1941.[3][5] The Gornegrat Railway was the highest railway in Europe until the opening of the Jungfrau Railway in 1912.
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Operation
Route
There are several passenger stops on the line:[6][7]
| Station | Distance | Height (AMSL) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zermatt GGB | 0.00
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Link to Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn and the Zermatt–Sunnegga funicular |
| Findelbach | Script error: No such module "convert".
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| Riffelalp | Script error: No such module "convert".
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Link to the Riffelalp tram, providing connection to Riffelalp Resort |
| Riffelberg | Script error: No such module "convert".
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With a three-star hotel |
| Rotenboden | Script error: No such module "convert".
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| Gornergrat | Script error: No such module "convert".
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With a three-star hotel and observatory |
There are also freight-only stations at Ladegleis Findelbach, which is on a short branch from the passenger station at Findelbach, and at Riffelboden, which is situated between Riffelalp and Riffelberg passenger stations.[7]
Infrastructure
The line is Script error: No such module "convert". in length, including Script error: No such module "convert". of double track, and traverses an altitude difference of Script error: No such module "convert".. It is built to metre gauge (Template:RailGauge) and uses the Abt rack system throughout. It is one of four lines in the world using three-phase electric power, requiring two overhead conductors, with the track forming the third conductor.[1][2] There is a non-powered connection with the metre gauge Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn at Zermatt to allow transfer of freight and delivery of rolling stock.
Rolling stock
The line uses the following rolling stock:[7]
| Image | Numbers | Notation | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| File:GGB 3001.jpg | 3001–3003 | He 2/2 | 1898 | Locomotives. Unit 3002 is displayed on a roundabout at Stalden, while 3003 is displayed at the Gornergrat railway station with gold paint as of September 2023. |
| 3015 | Dhe 2/4 | Baggage car, rebuilt from sister car to 3019-3022 | ||
| File:2012-08-17 15-31-24 Switzerland Canton du Valais Blatten.JPG | 3017 | Xhe 2/4 | Works car, rebuilt from sister car to 3019-3022. Carries re-railing equipment and equipment to apply anti-freeze to the overhead wires. | |
| File:Riffelberg station.jpg | 3019-3022 | Bhe 2/4 | 1947-61 | Single unit railcars, remaining four cars of a once much larger class (3011-3022). Two other members of this class have been rebuilt (3015/3017), the remainder have been scrapped. |
| File:Trains du Gornergrat 4.jpg | 3041-3044 | Bhe 4/8 | 1965-75 | Twin unit railcars |
| File:GGB Bhe 4-8 Riffelboden.jpg | 3051-3054 | Bhe 4/8 | 1993 | Twin unit railcars |
| File:GGB Bhe 4-4 Gornergrat - Rotenboden.jpg | 3061-3062 | Bhe 4/4 | 1981 | Multi-purpose railcars, which can operate in passenger service with matching driving trailers Bt 3071-3072, or in freight/works service. |
| File:2012-08-17 15-28-20 Switzerland Canton du Valais Blatten.JPG | 3081-3084 | Bhe 4/6 | 2006 | Low floor two-section articulated railcars, built by Stadler Rail.[8] |
| File:Stadler POLARIS EMU at the Gornergrat summit terminal.jpg | 3091-3095 | Bhe 4/6 | 2022 | Low floor two-section articulated railcars, built by Stadler Rail, designed by Pininfarina[9] |
The railway typically operates two-railcar trains, and can carry approximately 2,500 people per hour from Zermatt to the mountain summit.[7]
Gallery
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Above Riffelberg
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Summit station; the train has two pantographs for the three-phase power-supply
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Riffelalp intermediate station. In the left, beside station building, the track of the RiffelalptramRiffelalp intermediate station. In the left, beside station building, the track of the Riffelalptram
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Gornergrat station building
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Above Rotenboden
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Switch point
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Map of the railway
See also
References
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- ↑ a b c Cite error: Script error: No such module "Namespace detect".Script error: No such module "Namespace detect".
- ↑ a b c Harris, Ken (Ed.) (2001). Jane's World Railways 2001–2002 (43rd edition), p. 352. Coulsdon, Surrey (UK): Jane's Information Group. Template:ISBN.
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External links
- Gornergrat Bahn website (English version)
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- Pages with script errors
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- Railway lines in Switzerland
- Metre-gauge railways in Switzerland
- Mountain railways
- Railway companies of Switzerland
- Railway lines opened in 1898
- Railways using three-phase power
- Rack railways in Switzerland
- Electric railways in Switzerland
- Transport in Zermatt
- 1898 establishments in Switzerland