Gornergrat RailwayThe Gornergrat RailwayThe Gornergrat railway (German: Gornergratbahn or Gornergrat-Bahn; GGB) is a mountain rack railway, located in the Swiss canton of Valais. It links the resort village of Zermatt, situated at 1,604 m (5,262 ft) above mean sea level, to the summit of the Gornergrat. The Gornergrat railway station is situated at an altitude of 3,089 m (10,135 ft), 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. The Gornergrat is a starting point for many hikes, as it lies surrounded by 29 peaks rising above 4,000 m (13,123 ft) 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. The Gornergrat railway company (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 railway (MGB), with which the GGB connects in Zermatt. Gornergrat Railway 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 only operated in summer, but year-round operation was extended to the lower section of the line in 1929, and to the summit in 1941. The upper terminal was remodelled in 2004 Gornergrat Railway Route There are several passenger stops on the line:
Note: Link to Matterhorn-Gotthard railway and the Zermatt-Sunnegga funicular
The 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. Gornergrat Railway Infrastructure The line is 9,339 m (30,640 ft) in length, including 3,790 m (12,434 ft) of double track, and traverses an altitude difference of 1,469 m (4,820 ft). It is built to metre gauge (3 ft 3 3/8 in) 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. Gornergrat Railway Rolling Stock The Gornergrat railway line uses the following rolling stock: Gornergrat Railway Train Numbers: 3001/3003 Notation: He 2/2 Year of Manufacture: 1898 Train details: Locomotives. Unit 3002 survives, and is displayed on a roundabout at Stalden. Gornergrat Railway Train Numbers: 3015 Notation: Dhe 2/4 Train details: Baggage car, rebuilt from sister car to 3019-3022 Gornergrat Railway Train Numbers: 3017 Notation: Xhe 2/4 Train details: Works car, rebuilt from sister car to 3019-3022. Carries re-railing equipment and equipment to apply anti-freeze to the overhead wires. Gornergrat Railway Train Numbers: 3019-3022 Notation: Bhe 2/4 Year of Manufacture: 1947-61 Train details: 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. Gornergrat Railway Train Numbers: 3041-3044 Notation: Bhe 4/8 Year of Manufacture: 1965-75 Train details: Twin unit railcars Gornergrat Railway Train Numbers: 3051-3054 Notation: Bhe 4/8 Year of Manufacture: 1993 Train details: Twin unit railcars Gornergrat Railway Train Numbers: 3061-3062 Notation: Bhe 4/4 Year of Manufacture: 1981 Train details: Multi-purpose railcars, which can operate in passenger service with matching driving trailers Bt 3071-3072, or in freight/works service. Gornergrat Railway Train Numbers: 3081-3084 Notation: Bhe 4/6 Year of Manufacture: 2006 Train details: Low floor two-section articulated railcars, built by Stadler Rail. The railway typically operates two-railcar trains, and can carry approximately 2,500 people per hour from Zermatt to the mountain summit Gornergrat Railway Operation Gornergrat Railway Owner: BVZ Holding Gornergrat Railway Line Length: 9.339 km (5.803 mi) Gornergrat Railway Number of Tracks: Single track Gornergrat Railway Length of Track: 3.79 km (2.355 mi) Gornergrat Railway Type of Track: Double track Gornergrat Railway Track Gauge: 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3/8 in) Gornergrat Railway Electrification: 725 V, 50 Hz, 3-phase, 2 Overhead lines Gornergrat Railway Elevation and Incline Gornergrat Railway Highest Elevation: 3,089 m (10,135 ft) Gornergrat Railway Rack System: Abt | |||||||
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