Mountain railway

Updated on Dec 03, 2023

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A mountain railway is a railway that operates in a mountain region. It may operate through the mountains, for example by following mountain valleys and tunneling beneath mountain passes. Or it may climb mountains, in order to provide transport to and from their summits.

Mountain railways often, but by no means always, use narrow gauge to allow for tight curves in the track and reduce tunnel size and structure gauge, and hence construction cost and effort. Where a mountain railway needs to climb steep gradients, it may use steep grade railway technology, or even operate as a funicular railway.

Argentina

Mendoza to Los Andes, Chile, see Chile below

Australia

Glenreagh Mountain Railway

Mt Morgan Rack Railway - abandoned in 1955.

Skitube Alpine Railway

West Coast Wilderness Railway

Austria

Achensee Railway

Arlberg Railway

Mariazell Railway

Pöstlingberg Railway

Semmering Railway - A world Heritage Site

Schafberg Railway

Schneeberg Railway

Bolivia

Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a Bolivia

Ferrocarril de Arica a La Paz, Arica–La Paz

Rio Mulatos-Potosí line

Brazil

Corcovado Rack Railway

São Paulo Railway

Canada

BC Rail, crosses the Pacific Coast Range of the Coast Mountains (Garibaldi & Lillooet Ranges)

Kicking Horse Pass

Rogers Pass

White Pass and Yukon Route

Yellowhead Pass

Chile

Ferrocarill Arica La Paz, Arica–La Paz

Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a Bolivia

El Ferrocarril Trasandino Los Andes - Mendoza, Los Andes - Mendoza. The rebuild will be adhesion only.

China

Gebishi Railway

Kunming–Hai Phong Railway

Qingzang railway

Colombia

Colombian Railways

Croatia

Lika line

Rijeka line

Eritrea

Eritrean Railway

France

Artouste (Petit train d')

La Rhune (Petit train de)

Mont Blanc Tramway

Montenvers Railway

Saint Gervais-Vallorcine (Ligne de)

Germany

Berchtesgaden Mountain Railway

Drachenfels Railway (Drachenfelsbahn)

Harz Railway (Harzbahn)

Rübeland Railway (Rübelandbahn)

Harz Narrow Gauge Railways (Harzer Schmalspurbahnen)

Harz Railway (Harzquerbahn)

Brocken Railway (Brockenbahn)

Selke Valley Railway(Selketalbahn)

Murg Valley Railway (Murgtalbahn)

Schwarza Valley Railway (Schwarzatalbahn)

Wendelstein Railway (Wendelsteinbahn)

Bavarian Zugspitze Railway (Bayerische Zugspitzbahn)

Georgia

Borjomi-Bakuriani railway "Kukushka" (ბაკურიანი-ბორჯომი რკინიგზა)

Greece

Diakofto Kalavrita Railway

Hong Kong

Peak Tramways

India

Darjeeling Himalayan Railway - A world Heritage Site

Nilgiri Mountain Railway - A world Heritage Site

Kalka-Shimla Railway - A world Heritage Site

Matheran Hill Railway

Isle of Man

Snaefell Mountain Railway

Italy

Superga Rack Railway

Japan

Hakone Tozan Railway

Ikawa Line, Oigawa Railway

Mexico

Ferrocarril de Córdoba a Huatusco

New Zealand

Rimutaka Incline Commenced operation in 1878 and ceased operation in 1955.

Norway

Flåmsbana

Peru

Empresa nacional de ferrocarriles del Peru

Ferrocarril Central Andino (Standard gauge)

Ferrocarril Huancayo - Huancavelica, (built to narrow gauge 3 ft (914 mm))

Ferrocarril del sur de Peru Arequipa - Puno, (Standard gauge)

Cusco - Machu Picchu, Cusco - Machu Picchu (3 ft (914 mm) gauge)

Romania

Ploiești - Braşov railway

Braşov - Sibiu - Arad railway

Râmnicu Vâlcea - Sibiu railway

Târgu Jiu - Simeria railway

Drobeta Turnu Severin - Caransebeş railway

Oraviţa - Anina railway

Cluj Napoca - Oradea railway

Braşov - Miercurea Ciuc - Deda railway, and Braşov - Întorsura Buzăului

Salva - Sighetul Marmatiei railway

Adjud - Siculeni railway

Suceava - Ilva Mică railway, and Vama - Moldovita

Arad - Ineu - Brad

Buzău - Nehoiaşu.

Russia

Apsheronsk narrow-gauge railway - located in the Krasnodar Krai, gauge of 750 mm (2 ft 5 ¹⁄₂ in).

Spain

Montserrat Rack Railway

Vall de Núria Rack Railway

Switzerland

Appenzeller Bahnen,

Bergbahn Lauterbrunnen-Mürren

Bergbahn Rheineck-Walzenhausen,

Lötschberg railway line

Berner Oberland Bahn

Brienz Rothorn Bahn

Chemin de fer Aigle-Leysin, , ,

Chemin de fer Aigle-Ollon-Monthey-Champéry, ,

Chemin de fer Aigle-Sépey-Diablerets, ,

Chemin de fer Bex-Villars-Bretaye, ,

Chemins de fer electriques Veveysans,

Chemin de fer Montreux-Glion-Rochers-de-Naye

Chemin de fer Nyon-St-Cergue-Morez

Emmental-Burgdorf-Thun-Bahn,

Gornergratbahn

Gotthardbahn

Jungfraubahn

Matterhorn-Gotthard-Bahn (formerly Brig-Visp-Zermatt-Bahn, Furka-Oberalp-Bahn)

Monte Generoso Railway

Montreux-Oberland-Bahn

Pilatus Railway

Rhaetian Railway

Rigi-Bahnen (Arth-Rigi-Bahn, Vitznau-Rigi-Bahn)

Rorschach-Heiden-Bahn

Schynige Platte Railway

Transports de Martigny et Régions (Martigny–Châtelard and Martigny–Orsières railways)

Trogenerbahn,

Uetlibergbahn,

Wädenswil-Einsiedeln-Bahn,

Wengernalpbahn

Waldenburgerbahn

Zentralbahn (former Luzern-Stans-Engelberg-Bahn, Brünigbahn)

Taiwan (Republic of China)

Alishan Forest Railway

United Kingdom

Brecon Mountain Railway

Cairngorm Mountain Railway

Snowdon Mountain Railway

United States

Alamogordo and Sacramento Mountain Railway

Cascade Tunnel

Cass Scenic Railroad State Park

Central Pacific Railroad

Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad

Denver and Salt Lake Railway

Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad

Feather River Route

Georgetown Loop Railroad

Gilpin Railroad

Lookout Mountain Incline Railway in Chattanooga, Tennessee

Manitou and Pike's Peak Railway

Mount Lowe Railway

Mount Washington Cog Railway

Mountain Division

Northwestern Pacific Railroad

Otis Elevating Railway

Raton Pass

Rio Grande Southern Railroad

San Diego and Arizona Railway

Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad

Silver City, Pinos Altos and Mogollon Railroad

Silverton Railroad

Tehachapi Loop

Uintah Railway

White Pass and Yukon Route

Venezuela

Gran Ferrocarril de Venezuela

Vietnam

Đà Lạt–Tháp Chàm Railway - Abandoned after the Vietnam War.