Thursday 2 August 2012
Railway History / Anniversary

Switzerland: Jungfrau mountain railway celebrates its centenary

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The Jungfrau railway, a true engineering feat, was inaugurated in 1912. It is one of the most emblematic sights of the Swiss Alps and attracts 700,000 visitors a year. The railway line connects Kleine Scheidegg railway station to Jungfraujoch by a cog railway tunnel. This legendary line, located in the canton of Bern, celebrates its 100 years in 2012.

The route, which is just over 9 kilometres, takes you up 1,393 metres in altitude from the station at Kleine Scheidegg, cuts through the Eiger and the Mönch, and offers fantastic views before stopping at Jungfraujoch.
At 3,454 metres above sea-level, it is the highest railway station in Europe. At the end of the 19th century, the construction of the railway was merely a dream envisaged by Adolf Guyer-Zeller, an entrepreneur from Zurich. Thanks to his perseverance, it became a reality. After much work, the boring of the tunnel was finally completed at the beginning of 1912, and on 1 August of the same year, the cogwheel railway began operating.

Over the last one hundred years, the Jungfrau railway has made a name for itself across the globe. Every year, hundreds of thousands of tourists are comfortably transported to the Jungfraujoch, a pleasure that was hitherto reserved for experienced mountain climbers.

For further information please visit: http://www.jungfrautours.ch

(Source: http://www.jungfrautours.ch)

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Construction of the Jungfraubahn Tunnel. Workers at Eismeer station
Eigergletscher railway station in the early 1900s