Gornergratbahn

Gornergratbahn
Summit station with observatory
Operation
Owner	BVZ Holding
Technical
Line length	9.339 km (5.803 mi)
No. of tracks	Single track 3.79 km (2.355 mi) Double track
Track gauge	1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in)
Electrification	725 V, 50 Hz, 3-phase, 2 Overhead lines
Highest elevation	3,089 m (10,135 ft)
Rack system	Abt

Riffelalp intermediate station

Above Riffelberg

Summit station; the train has two pantographs for the three-phase power-supply

The Gornergratbahn (GGB) is a nine-kilometre metre-gauge mountain rack railway, with Abt rack system. It leads from Zermatt, Switzerland (1,604 m/5,262 ft), up to the Gornergrat (3,089 m/10,135 ft). 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.

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 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). 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.

There are several stops on the line:

• Zermatt
• Findelbach
• Riffelalp (with a five-star hotel)
• Riffelboden
• Riffelberg (with a three-star hotel)
• Rotenboden
• Gornergrat (with a three-star hotel and observatory)

The railway is notable for using three-phase electric power for the supply, requiring the use of two overhead lines, with the track work forming the third conductor.

External links

• [1]

Coordinates: 46°01′25″N 7°44′59″E / 46.02361°N 7.74972°E / 46.02361; 7.74972