List of highest railway stations in Europe

This is a list of high-altitude railway stations in Europe. It includes any railway station or location with passenger railway services (on adhesion or rack railways), located at an elevation of over 2,000 metres above sea level. These are all found in the Alps in three countries: Switzerland (20), France (2) and Germany (1). At this elevation, typically above the tree line, snow becomes the main form of precipitation, therefore making railways more difficult to maintain and operate. For a list by railway line, with a lower elevation cutoff, see list of highest railways in Europe.

The Gornergrat railway station, the highest (open-air) railway station building on the continent

In the list are indicated the elevation, region, country, railway and nearest location, inhabited or not.

Main list

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Station[1] Elevation Region Country Railway Location Notes
Jungfraujoch 3,454 m (11,332 ft) Valais Switzerland Jungfrau Jungfraujoch Terminus, underground
Eismeer 3,160 m (10,367 ft) Bern Switzerland Jungfrau Eismeer Underground
Gornergrat 3,090 m (10,138 ft) Valais Switzerland Gornergrat Gornergrat Terminus, highest open-air station in Europe[2]
Eigerwand 2,865 m (9,400 ft) Bern Switzerland Jungfrau Eiger north face Underground
Rotenboden 2,815 m (9,236 ft) Valais Switzerland Gornergrat Rotenboden
Zugspitzplatt[3] 2,588 m (8,491 ft) Bavaria Germany Zugspitze Zugspitzplatt Terminus, underground, highest station in Germany[4]
Riffelberg 2,582 m (8,471 ft) Valais Switzerland Gornergrat Riffelberg
Nid d'Aigle 2,372 m (7,782 ft) Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes France Mont Blanc Nid d'Aigle Terminus, highest station in France[5]
Eigergletscher 2,320 m (7,612 ft) Bern Switzerland Jungfrau Eiger Glacier
Ospizio Bernina 2,253 m (7,392 ft) Graubünden Switzerland Bernina Ospizio Bernina Highest rail crossing in Europe (summit)[6]
Brienzer Rothorn 2,244 m (7,362 ft) Bern Switzerland Brienz–Rothorn Brienzer Rothorn Terminus
Riffelalp Resort 2,222 m (7,290 ft) Valais Switzerland Riffelalp tram Riffelalp Resort Terminus
Riffelalp 2,211 m (7,254 ft) Valais Switzerland Gornergrat/Riffelalp tram Riffelalp Highest station in Europe with two distinct railways
Furka 2,163 m (7,096 ft) Uri Switzerland Furka Cogwheel Steam Railway East portal of Furka Summit Tunnel Rail crossing (summit)
Muttbach-Belvédère 2,118 m (6,949 ft) Valais Switzerland Furka Cogwheel Steam Railway West portal of Furka Summit Tunnel
Bernina Lagalb 2,100 m (6,890 ft) Graubünden Switzerland Bernina Bernina Lagalb
Bernina Diavolezza 2,093 m (6,867 ft) Graubünden Switzerland Bernina Bernina Diavolezza
Alp Grüm 2,091 m (6,860 ft) Graubünden Switzerland Bernina Alp Grüm
Mont Lachat 2,074 m (6,804 ft) Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes France Mont Blanc Col du Mont Lachat
Pilatus Kulm 2,073 m (6,801 ft) Obwalden Switzerland Pilatus Pilatus Terminus
Kleine Scheidegg 2,061 m (6,762 ft) Bern Switzerland Wengernalp/Jungfrau Kleine Scheidegg Rail crossing (summit), highest railway hub in Switzerland[7]
Bernina Suot 2,046 m (6,713 ft) Graubünden Switzerland Bernina Bernina Suot
Oberalp Pass 2,033 m (6,670 ft) Uri Switzerland Andermatt–Chur Oberalp Pass Rail crossing (summit)

By country

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Country Station Elevation Railway Location Notes
Switzerland Jungfraujoch 3,454 m (11,332 ft) Jungfrau Jungfraujoch Terminus, underground
Germany Zugspitzplatt 2,588 m (8,491 ft) Zugspitze Zugspitzplatt Terminus, underground
France Nid d'Aigle 2,372 m (7,782 ft) Mont Blanc Nid d'Aigle Terminus
Norway Finse Station 1,222 m (4,009 ft) Bergen Line
Sweden Storlien railway station 592 m (1,942 ft) Central Line

See also

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Notes

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References

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  1. ^
  2. ^ "Zermatt winter superlatives". zermatt.ch. Zermatt Tourism. Retrieved 17 June 2021. Europe's highest outdoor railway station lies in Zermatt, at 3,089 metres above sea level.
  3. ^ Ride the Zugspitzbahn rack railway up Germany's highest mountain, discover-bavaria.com
  4. ^ "Bahnland Bayern in Zahlen". bahnland-bayern.de. Bayerische Eisenbahngesellschaft. Retrieved 17 June 2021. Der höchstgelegene Bahnhof befindet sich auf Deutschlands höchstem Berg: Es ist der Bahnhof Zugspitzplatt mit 2.588 m über dem Meeresspiegel. [The highest station is on Germany's highest mountain: it is the Zugspitzplatt station at 2,588 m above sea level.]
  5. ^ "Mountain railways: The most beautiful rack railway routes in Europe". archyde.com. Retrieved 17 March 2021. The French have called a Nid d'Aigle – eagle's nest – the highest train station in their country.
  6. ^ Nicola Williams, Damien Simonis, Kerry Walker. Switzerland (ebook Edition). Lonely Planet
  7. ^ 61512 Proceedings 2006/2007. IRSE Convention 2006: Interlaken, Switzerland. Institution of Railway Signal Engineers. Kleine Scheidegg, the highest railway junction in Switzerland