Gornergratbahn

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Summit station with observatory

Riffelalp intermediate stion

The Gornergratbahn (GGB) is a 9 km long 1,000 mm (3 ft 3⅜ in) gauge mountain rack railway, with Abt rack system. It leads from Zermatt, Switzerland (1604 m), up to the Gornergrat (3089 m). The Gornergrat is a starting point for many hikes, as it lies surrounded by 29 peaks rising above 4,000 m 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 in 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 in length, including 3,790 m of double track, and traverses an altitude difference of 1,469 m. 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.