The Jungfrau Railway - Taking a trip to the Top of Europe Switzerland's 5,000 kilometre (3,000 mile) railway network - much of it over mountainous terrain - is an engineering marvel by any standards. And among the most impressive accomplishments of all is the spectacular Jungfrau Railway in the beautiful Bernese Oberland. The railway took 16 years to build and was opened in 1912, operating from Kleine Scheidegg to the Jungfraujoch - at 3,454 metres (11,333ft) still the highest-altitude station in Europe. The route to the Top of Europe covers 12 kilometres (5.8 miles). It runs through open terrain for only the first two kilometres (1.2 miles) from the Kleine Scheidegg to the Eigergletscher (Eiger Glacier) station. From then on it climbs through a tunnel hewn out of the Alpine rock. Two observation windows offer breathtaking vistas of the Alpine landscape. From the Eigerwand (North Wall) Station at 2,865 metres (9,400ft), passengers can look down to the Grindelwald Valley, the Kleine Scheidegg and beyond Interlaken to Lake Thun. From the Eismeer (Sea of Ice) station at 3,160 metres (10,368ft), the landscape is one of eternal ice and rock. The summit itself is a glacier-and-grotto world. Visitors are afforded excellent views of the Aletsch Glacier, at 22 kilometres (14 miles) the longest in the Alps. On clear days, you can even see beyond Switzerland's frontiers to France's Vosges mountain range and the Black Forest in Germany.
Among other attractions are the Sphinx observation terrace, Ice Palace, audio-visual show and high Alpine research exhibition. The Jungfraujoch complex also includes restaurants, a souvenir shop, post office and even conference facilities - for "summit" meetings, of course. The completion of the new observation hall on the Sphinx in 1996 represented the climax to a 12-year, CHF 130 million expansion programme which also included: - the opening of the new Top of Europe "Berghaus" complex, with five restaurants and a seating capacity of 700 (1987)
- the construction of a second station hall on the Jungfraujoch (1992)
- the purchase of two new trains, with construction of sheds at the Kleine Scheidegg (1993)
- the renovation of the Ice Palace (1993)
- the inauguration of the historical and research exhibition (1996)
For most of this century already, the trip to the Jungfraujoch has been the highlight of many a holiday in Switzerland. Visitors are now assured an even more memorable experience on the Top of Europe. Jungfrau Railways - Long tradition and high achievements Our company, Jungfrau Railways, with its head office in the Bernese Oberland metropolis of Interlaken, comprises six spectacular mountain railways, under joint management and privately owned by shareholders. The Jungfrau Railway, a cogwheel railway which takes privileged passengers from Kleine Scheidegg (2,061m / 6,764ft) to the Jungfraujoch-Top of Europe at 3,454m / 11,333ft Europe's highest-altitude railway station. The Jungfrau Railway, a true masterpiece of technology, was built between 1896 and 1912 by Swiss rail pioneer Adolf Guyer-Zeller. The Wengernalp Railway is the longest cogwheel rail route in Switzerland (19km / 12 miles) and takes passengers to Kleine Scheidegg on two different routes; one leading along the famous Eiger North Wall. The railway began operation in 1893. The Schynige Platte Railway which opened in 1893 offers a nostalgic and leisurely trip to Schynige Platte summit (1,967m / 6,454ft) and the Alpine Garden with its 500 different species of plants. Passengers are also offered spectacular views of Lakes Thun and Brienz and the Triple Peaks - Eiger Mönch & Jungfrau. The Harder Railway, actually a funicular, is 90 years old, and still going strong! From the world famous resort of Interlaken it climbs the 1.4 km track to the Harder Kulm (1,322m / 3,966ft) to offer a marvellous bird's-eye view of the whole Jungfrau Region. The Lauterbrunnen-Mürren Mountain Railway, (5.7km / 3.5 miles funicular/adhesion railway) was opened in 1891. It starts in Lauterbrunnen as a funicular with a gradient of 61%. At Grütschalp passengers change to a panoramic narrow-gauge train that carries them through breathtaking Alpine scenery to the car-free resort of Mürren (1,634m / 5,361ft). The Bernese Oberland Railway has been taking visitors comfortably and safely through some of the loveliest landscape in Switzerland - into the valleys of the Lütschine to glorious Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen, whatever the season, since 1893. The Jungfrau Railway - 100 years of technical challenge for the "railway to the sky" Europe's highest-altitude railway station was opened on 1 August (Swiss National Day) in 1912. At 3,454 metres (11,333ft) above sea level, the scenically spectacular Jungfraujoch-Top of Europe - became accessible to a wider public. The Jungfrau Region, the Bernese Oberland and Switzerland had yet another attraction to offer. The idea of building a railway up the Jungfrau Mountain (claimed by many to be an impossible dream) came to Adolf Guyer-Zeller, an already renowned railway pioneer, while hiking in the Jungfrau Region in 1893. Captivated by the towering trio of the Eiger, Mönch & Jungfrau, he jotted down notes and sketches which corresponded very closely to the subsequent planning and construction of the Jungfrau Railway. Others before him had dreamed of building what became known as the "railway to the sky". The 19th century was witnessing the Golden Age of mountaineering, and the Jungfrau had already been climbed in 1811. One-by-one, the snow-capped peaks of Switzerland were being made even more accessible by mountain railways. Guyer-Zeller's idea had advantages over previous Jungfrau projects. Firstly, it would not start down in the valley but at Kleine Scheidegg, where it would link up with another railway already in operation. This alone meant a huge saving in altitude. The railway would also run through a tunnel, thus not be exposed to the Alpine elements. Guyer-Zeller also proposed intermediate stations, each with outstanding panoramic views, tourist attractions in themselves. This would permit the railway to be opened in stages and earn money before it was even completed. He applied for building permission, describing in high-flown terms the beauty and wonders of the Alpine world to be opened up to the public. The Swiss Parliament granted his application - possibly less impressed by his poetic prose than by his offer to spend CHF. 100,000 of his own money on equipping a meteorological station on the Jungfraujoch summit. Guyer-Zeller began constructing the Jungfrau Railway in 1896. Several hundred workers, lodged in barracks, worked round-the-clock in shifts. But delays were caused by geological problems, financial difficulties, disputes and tunnelling accidents with loss of life. It had been calculated that the railway would take seven years to build - but it took 16 years. The cost had been estimated at around CHF 10 million - the final figure was CHF 15 million. The Jungfrau Railway was inaugurated in 1912 on 1 August, Swiss National Day. Although the calculations for cost and completion were well wide of the mark, Adolf Guyer-Zeller was right about the ultimate financial success of the Jungfrau Railway. It made a profit from the first full year of operation and only once has it recorded a loss. Guyer-Zeller himself did not live to see his dream fulfilled - he died in 1899 at the age of 60. Reputed to be a tough, even ruthless businessman, he was a kind employer. He often visited his workers, eating with them on site and handing out money. Workers wept when news of his death reached them. More than 100 years after Guyer-Zeller's "impossible" dream, the Jungfrau Railway continues to pose a challenge to construction technology. This was clearly demonstrated in the 1970s when a new "Top of Europe" complex was constructed to replace the burnt down Mountain Lodge which dated from 1924. The climatic conditions on the Jungfraujoch put both men and machines to the test. The workforce had to contend with an average temperature of minus eight degrees Celsius / 18° Fahrenheit and risk avalanches, lightning, storms and winds of up to 250 kilometres / 150 miles an hour. Overnight storms resulted in snowdrifts up to six metres / 20 feet deep. For these reasons, the roof was built together with the exterior construction to provide much-needed protection for the interior work. Power and energy supplies also posed a problem - but here, at least, the high altitude has proved a positive factor. The intensive insolation serves to provide a natural energy potential which is harnessed in a highly innovative way; the solar warmth collected during the day is stored overnight. In addition, unlikely heat sources such as light-bulbs, electrical appliances and even the body temperature of visitors are taken into account. As a result, there is no need for radiators. Even when the sun does not shine and the outside temperature drops as low as minus 30° Celsius / minus 22° Fahrenheit, supplementary heating is not necessary. Only at night is heating supplied by means of electrical energy from the Jungfrau Railway's own power station, to ensure that room temperature is maintained at 18° Celsius / 65° Fahrenheit. Fresh drinking water is transported by Jungfrau Railway to the Jungfraujoch from Kleine Scheidegg. Industrial water is obtained from melted snow. Sewage disposal is effected by means of a special 9.4 kilometre / 6-mile duct leading down to Grindelwald. (January 2001) |