Gornergratbahn
Encyclopedia
Metre gauge
Metre gauge refers to narrow gauge railways and tramways with a track gauge of . In some African, American and Asian countries it is the main gauge. In Europe it has been used for local railways in France, Germany, and Belgium, most of which were closed down in mid 20th century. Only in Switzerland...
mountain rack railway
Rack railway
A rack-and-pinion railway is a railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with this rack rail...
, with Abt rack system. It leads from Zermatt, Switzerland
Zermatt
Zermatt is a municipality in the district of Visp in the German-speaking section of the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It has a population of about 5,800 inhabitants....
(1604 m (5,262.5 ft)), up to the Gornergrat
Gornergrat
The Gornergrat is a ridge of the Pennine Alps, Switzerland, overlooking the Gorner Glacier to the south. It can be reached by the Gornergratbahn rack railway from Zermatt...
(3089 m (10,134.5 ft)). The Gornergrat is a starting point for many hikes, as it lies surrounded by 29 peaks rising above 4000 m (13,123.4 ft) in the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
and several glaciers, including the Gorner Glacier
Gornergletscher
The Gorner Glacier is a valley glacier found on the west side of the Monte Rosa Massif close to Zermatt in the canton of Valais, Switzerland. It is about long and wide. The entire glacial area of the glacier related to Gorner Glacier is , which makes it the second largest glacial system in the...
(which is billed as the second longest glacier in the Alps). At the end of the line on Gornergrat, the Matterhorn
Matterhorn
The Matterhorn , Monte Cervino or Mont Cervin , is a mountain in the Pennine Alps on the border between Switzerland and Italy. Its summit is 4,478 metres high, making it one of the highest peaks in the Alps. The four steep faces, rising above the surrounding glaciers, face the four compass points...
is visible on a clear day. It is also a popular skiing area
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
.
Work on the railway started in 1896, it opened on August 20, 1898 for summer only operation. Year round operation to the summit began in 1942. The upper terminal was remodelled in 2004. The Gornergratbahn has always been electrified. The entire line is 9339 m (30,639.8 ft) in length, including 3790 m (12,434.4 ft) of double track, and traverses an altitude difference of 1469 m (4,819.6 ft). The railway typically operates two-railcar units that can carry approximately 2,400 people per hour from Zermatt to the mountain summit. The railway is owned by the BVZ Holding and under common management with the Matterhorn-Gotthard-Bahn
Matterhorn-Gotthard-Bahn
The Matterhorn-Gotthard-Bahn is a narrow gauge railway in Switzerland. The track width is . It was created in 2003 through an amalgamation of Furka-Oberalp-Bahn and BVZ Zermatt-Bahn . The name comes from the Matterhorn and St...
.
There are several stops on the line:
- ZermattZermattZermatt is a municipality in the district of Visp in the German-speaking section of the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It has a population of about 5,800 inhabitants....
- Findelbach
- Riffelalp (with a five-star hotel)
- Riffelboden
- Riffelberg (with a three-star hotel)
- Rotenboden
- GornergratGornergratThe Gornergrat is a ridge of the Pennine Alps, Switzerland, overlooking the Gorner Glacier to the south. It can be reached by the Gornergratbahn rack railway from Zermatt...
(with a three-star hotel and observatoryKOSMAThe Kölner Observatorium für SubMillimeter Astronomie ' was a 3-m radio telescope for submillimeter astronomy located at 3,135 m on Gornergrat near Zermatt . It was operated by the and the , University of Bonn...
)
The railway is notable for using three-phase electric power
Three-phase electric power
Three-phase electric power is a common method of alternating-current electric power generation, transmission, and distribution. It is a type of polyphase system and is the most common method used by grids worldwide to transfer power. It is also used to power large motors and other heavy loads...
for the supply, requiring the use of two overhead lines
Overhead lines
Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains at a distance from the energy supply point...
, with the track work forming the third conductor.