Bavarian Zugspitze Railway

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Garmisch–Zugspitzplatt
Early photograph from May 1931
Overview
Line number	9540
Locale	Bayern
Service
Route number	11031
Technical
Line length	19.0 km (11.8 mi)
Rack system	Riggenbach
Track gauge	1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre gauge
Electrification	Catenary (1500 V DC)
Operating speed	70 km/h (43 mph) max.
Maximum incline	Adhesion 3.51  % Rack rail 25  %
Route map Legend from Munich 0,0 Garmisch-Partenkirchen 705 m Mittenwald Railway to Innsbruck 1,2 Hausbergbahn 2.0 Rießersee closed in 1985 3.0 Bridge over the Außerfern Railway to Kempten (Allgäu) 3.1 Katzenstein Tunnel (75 m) 4.1 Kreuzeck- / Alpspitz Railway 754 m 5.5 Hammersbach 766 m 7.5 Grainau Start of rack 751 m Depot 8.4 Crossing loop 1 9.8 Crossing loop 2 10.7 Eibsee 1008 m 11.9 Water tank station 1152 m 13.0 Kleiner Tunnel (70 m) 13.4 Crossing loop 3 1478 m 14.1 Riffelriss 1640 m 14.2 1640 m 15.0 Window 1 1820 m 16.2 Crossing loop 4 2115 m 17.1 Höllental not realized, now Trafo station 18.1 0.0 2525 m Zugspitze Tunnel (4466 m) 18.6 Schneefernerhaus 2650 m Rosi Tunnel (975 m) 0.9 Zugspitzplatt 2588 m

The Bavarian Zugspitze Railway (German: Bayerische Zugspitzbahn) is one of four rack railways still working in Germany, along with the Wendelstein Railway, the Drachenfels Railway and the Stuttgart Rack Railway. The metre gauge line runs from Garmisch in the centre of Garmisch-Partenkirchen to the Zugspitzplatt, approximately 300 metres below Zugspitze, the highest mountain in Germany. The line culminates at 2,650 metres above sea level, which makes it the highest railway in Germany and the third highest in Europe. It is also the railway in Europe with the biggest height difference: 1,945 metres (6,381 feet), the lower half being open-air and the upper half being underground.

The line is operated by the Bayerische Zugspitzbahn Bergbahn AG (BZB), whose majority owner is the Garmisch-Partenkirchen Municipal Works. In 2007 the Zugspitze Railway was nominated for a Historic landmarks of civil engineering in Germany [de] award.

The Zugspitze is accessible via the Seilbahn Zugspitze from Eibsee Lake or Tyrolean Zugspitze Cable Car.