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38-671: Since 1912, the Jungfraujoch has been accessible to tourists by the Jungfrau line , a railway from Interlaken and Kleine Scheidegg , running partly underground through a tunnel through the Eiger and Mönch. The Jungfraujoch railway station , at an elevation of 3,454 metres (11,332 ft) is the highest in Europe . It lies east of the saddle, below the Sphinx station, and is connected to

76-437: A Strub rack. The Jungfrau Railway is electrified and one of only four lines in the world with three-phase electric power . The line runs using a 3-phase alternating current (AC) system which requires the trains to collect power from twin overhead wires using two pantographs (the third phase is earthed to the track). Tunnels make up 80% of length of the entire railway. In early 2008, Jungfraubahn Holding AG announced it

114-453: A great wall of ice, whose projecting cornice of snow was fringed by long icicles, had to be avoided bearing left in the direction of the Mönch, along the base of the wall by a slippery pathway of ice formed from the dripping from the icicles above. At a point where the pathway thinned out nearly to a point, and was cut across by a transverse crevasse , the wall became low enough to be scaled by

152-702: A height of 3,572 metres (11,719 ft), the second-highest in Switzerland . It can be reached by an elevator from the Jungfraujoch. The observatory houses one of the Global Atmosphere Watch 's atmospheric research stations. The Jungfraujoch radio relay station , which is not accessible to the public, is installed west of the Jungfraujoch, on the Jungfrau ridge. It is Europe's highest radio relay station. The Swiss- and Austro-Bavarian-German term Joch means "saddle", in this case referring to

190-411: A plateau. This halting place was reached in about three hours. Above the bergschrund was a second and smaller plateau which was situated immediately under the long slopes of broken neve that lay below the saddle. The final and very arduous stage in the ascent was a single patch of dark rocks jutted out from the snow in the ridge connecting the Jungfrau with the Mönch. After more than an hour of climbing,

228-591: Is the highest railway in Switzerland and Europe , running 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) from the station of Kleine Scheidegg (2,061 m (6,762 ft)) to the Jungfraujoch (3,454 m (11,332 ft)), well above the perennial snow line . As a consequence, the railway runs essentially within the Jungfrau Tunnel , built into the neighbouring Eiger and Mönch , to protect the line from snow and extreme weather. The Jungfrau Railway got its name from

266-577: Is a tradition in the Bernese Oberland, supported by some documentary evidence, that a pass existed between Grindelwald and Fiesch in Valais in the late medieval period, later lost to the advancing glaciers. With the early development of tourism in Switzerland and the exploration of the High Alps in the 19th century, there were once again attempts to traverse the great ridge that encloses

304-474: Is about 7 kilometers (4.3 mi) long, with gradients of up to 25%. The journey from Kleine Scheidegg to Jungfraujoch takes approximately 50 minutes including the stops at Eigerwand and Eismeer; the downhill return journey taking only 35 minutes. The Jungfraujoch complex plays an important role in John Christopher 's The Tripods novels. Located above the permanent snow line , the Jungfraujoch

342-691: Is constituted by the Jungfraufirn, one of the branches of the Aletsch Glacier , the longest in the Alps . From the south, the Jungfraujoch can be relatively easily accessed by mountaineers in two days from the region of Fiesch , via the Konkordia Hut . The north side (canton of Bern) is almost vertical with a difference of height of nearly 3,000 metres from the bottom of the valley at Interlaken , with no easy natural access. For those reasons,

380-655: Is equipped similarly to a normal single-phase locomotive. This rolling stock can travel at variable speeds, which enabled a reduction in journey time from 52 to 35 min with the timetable starting 11 December 2016. Pre-1992 rolling stock can no longer be used in regular traffic and most of the earlier trains have been scrapped. Snow clearing equipment is essential on the open section of line between Kleine Scheidegg railway station and Eigergletscher railway station . Originally snow ploughs were used, but more recently snow blowing equipment has been brought into service. The railway also operates some dedicated freight vehicles to supply

418-411: Is officially the coldest place in Switzerland, although other higher locations with no weather station, for example the top of the nearby Jungfrau and Finsteraarhorn , probably experience a more extreme climate. According to Köppen climate classification , the Jungfraujoch has an alpine climate on the border between tundra climate (ET) and ice cap climate (EF) with long, cold winters lasting most of

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456-794: The Jungfraujoch railway station , Top of Europe complex and the Sphinx Observatory , are on the Valais side of the border, therefore in the municipality of Fieschertal. The ridge between the Jungfrau and the Mönch is a major European watershed as well. The north side is drained by the Weisse Lütschine , the Aare and the Rhine . The south side is drained by the Massa and the Rhone . There

494-672: The Lauterbrunnen Valley to Zweilütschinen. The common stretch of the river has a length of 8.6 kilometres (5.3 mi), whilst the Schwarze Lütschine is 12.3 kilometres (7.6 mi) long and the Weisse Lütschine is 13.1 kilometres (8.1 mi) long. Both branches of the Lütschine include a large number of mountain streams as tributaries. A notable tributary of the Schwarze Lütschine, emerging from

532-561: The Top of Europe building, which includes several panoramic restaurants, shops, exhibitions, and a post office. Several tunnels lead outside, where secured hiking trails on the crevassed glacier can be followed, in particular to the Mönchsjoch Hut . The normal route to the Jungfrau and Mönch starts from there. The Sphinx Observatory , one of the highest astronomical observatories in the world , provides an additional viewing platform at

570-921: The Jungfrau Railway connects with the Wengernalpbahn (WAB), which has two routes down the mountain, running respectively to the villages of Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald . From both villages, branches of the Berner Oberland-Bahn (BOB) connect to the Swiss Federal Railways at Interlaken . The line is owned by the Jungfraubahn AG , a subsidiary of the Jungfraubahn Holding AG , a holding company that owns several mountain railways, cable railways, hotels, restaurants and travel agencies in

608-540: The company announced plans to build an aerial cableway between Grindelwald Terminal , a new station on the Interlaken-Grindelwald line, and Eigergletscher from where the Jungfrau railway could be joined for the journey to the summit. This aerial cableway, known as the Eiger Express , opened to the public on 5 December 2020 and provides an alternative, faster way to access the Jungfraujoch from

646-496: The gorge of the Lower Grindelwald Glacier , is confusingly referred to as "Weisse Lütschine". The highest point of the drainage basin is the Jungfrau . A story passed on by word of mouth showing friendly banter between villagers that lived on the two rivers is that the people on the Weisse Lütschine said the others "were so dirty it turned the river black" and the villagers on the Schwarze Lütschine claimed

684-884: The head of the Aletsch Glacier , and connecting Fiesch with Grindelwald and Wengernalp . Four such routes were found, with the Jungfraujoch and the Eigerjoch being among the most difficult passes in the Alps, despite the former having a relatively easy southern approach on the Aletsch Glacier. The first ascent of the north side of the Jungfraujoch succeeded in July 1862, by a party of six English climbers and six Swiss guides: Leslie Stephen , F. J. Hardy, H. B. George , Living, Moore, and Henry Morgan , with Christian Almer , Christian and Peter Michel, Ulrich Kauffmann, P. Baumann, and C. Bohren as guides. The time of ascent from Wengernalp

722-407: The highest mountain overlooking the Jungfraujoch, is most likely derived from the name Jungfrauenberg given to Wengernalp , so named for the nuns of Interlaken Monastery , its historical owner. However, the "virgin" peak was heavily romanticized as a "goddess" or "priestess" only in late 18th- to 19th-century Romanticism. After the first ascent in 1811 by Swiss alpinist Johann Rudolf Meyer, the peak

760-449: The highest of the three high peaks above it: the Jungfrau (English: Virgin ; 4,158 metres (13,642 ft)), which was the initial goal of the project. A lift connecting the summit of the Jungfrau with an underground railway was planned. In 1912, the project ultimately ended at the Jungfraujoch, the saddle between the Mönch and Jungfrau. It was one of the highest railways in the world at the time of its inauguration. At Kleine Scheidegg

798-458: The ladder. This was the last serious obstacle: a moderate slope of névé, unbroken by crevasses, then led up to the summit of the saddle. After reaching the first patch of rocks, a short way below the saddle on the south side, the party divided: George and Moore, with C. Almer and U. Kaufmann went down to the Eggishorn and Fiesch, therefore completing the first crossing of the Jungfraujoch, while

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836-461: The less steep part of the ascent (above Eismeer station). The motors operate in a regenerative mode which allows the trains to generate electricity during the descent, which is fed back into the power distribution system. Approximately 50% of the energy required for an ascent is recovered during the descent. This generation regulates the descent speed. Motive power delivered since 1992 (numbers 211–224) no longer has directly-fed three-phase motors but

874-579: The neighbouring mountains through windows built into the east face of the Eiger, overlooking the Eismeer (the "sea of ice"). Source: Additional locations along the line include Rotstock Station, at 2,520 m (8,268 ft), which was closed in 1903, and Stollenloch, a person-sized tunnel-opening which exits directly onto the north face of the Eiger. The line uses a 1,000 mm ( 3 ft  3 + 3 ⁄ 8  in ) metre gauge and uses

912-467: The only easy and quick access to the Jungfraujoch is through the 7 kilometre-long tunnel of the Jungfrau Railway , accessed via Kleine Scheidegg on the north side, the railway pass between Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald . Administrativelly, the Jungfraujoch is split between the territories of the municipalities of Lauterbrunnen and Fieschertal . Nearly all built infrastructure, including

950-474: The others "never even washed so the other tributary remained perfectly white". A modern observer standing at Zweilütschinen in winter might note that during the day the Schwarze Lütschine valley to the east is dark, shaded and cold, whereas the south facing Weisse Lütschine valley to the south (the Lauterbrunnen Valley) is sunny and light. From Wilderswil to Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald ,

988-525: The railway reached only to the height of the Jungfraujoch saddle, rather than the summit of the Sphinx, and had only two intermediate stations. However, even in its current state, the Jungfraubahn is a significant achievement in engineering and construction, still holding the title for highest railway in Europe. The train into the mountain leaves from Kleine Scheidegg , which can be reached by trains from Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen . The train enters

1026-674: The remainder of the party returned to Grindelwald by the Mönchsjoch . Adolf Guyer-Zeller first thought of the idea of a tunnel in 1893, and at that point, he had planned to have seven stations inside the tunnel before reaching the peak of the Sphinx. The building of the tunnel started on July 27, 1896 and took 16 years to complete. The construction phase was troubled by many problems including monetary shortages, inclement weather and mounting deaths due to construction accidents. The worst accident occurred in 1908, when 30 tons of dynamite accidentally exploded. When construction finally finished,

1064-402: The ridge between two higher peaks, as recorded in the 14th century (Grimm, Deutsches Wörterbuch "bereits im 14. jahrh. als ortsname: des gotzhus zwing und ban vahet an Rotenhalden und denne die roten bachtalen uf unz an den grat, und den grat obnan hin ob Grüblen hin iemerme, unz an Joch. und ab Joch unz an Stoerben. weisth. 1, 4 (Zürich)"). The name Jungfrau ('Virgin'), which refers to

1102-477: The same region. Through that holding company it is part of the Allianz - Jungfrau Top of Europe marketing alliance, which also includes the separately owned Berner Oberland-Bahn and Schynige Platte-Bahn . The Jungfrau Railway has four operational stations, a previous station at Eigerwand having closed in 2016. The base station hub of Kleine Scheidegg is the highest starting point for a railroad in Europe, and

1140-530: The top terminus of Jungfraujoch is the highest railway station in Europe. The initial open-air section culminates just after Eigergletscher station, at around 2,350 metres, which makes the line the second highest open-air railway in Switzerland . The other station is Eismeer , located in the Jungfrau Tunnel, where passengers travelling towards Jungfraujoch can disembark for a short time to observe

1178-437: The tunnel running eastward through the Eiger shortly after leaving Kleine Scheidegg. It runs close behind the Eiger's north face, stopping at Eigerwand, where there is a window about 8 m long and a metre high, halfway up the face. The windows have been placed in holes used to remove excavated rock from the tunnel during construction, and are also occasionally used as access points, by climbers, and also rescue parties. This window

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1216-408: The valley. Since most of the railway is inside a tunnel, it was designed to be powered by electricity from conception. The current rolling stock consists of twin-unit motorcoaches carrying up to 230 people per train which operate at 12.5 kilometres per hour (7.8 mph) on the steepest parts of the ascent. The motors function at two speeds which allows the units to operate at double this speed on

1254-582: The visitor facilities at Jungfraujoch , including a tank to transport additional water. Weisse L%C3%BCtschine The Lütschine ( German pronunciation: [ˈlʏt͡ʃinə] ) is a river in the Bernese Oberland region of Switzerland . The Lütschine proper runs from Zweilütschinen , where its two tribututaries join, to Lake Brienz at Bönigen . The Schwarze Lütschine , or Black Lütschine , flows from Grindelwald to Zweilütschinen. The Weisse Lütschine , or White Lütschine , flows from

1292-479: The year and a brief period during summer where the average daily highs rise above freezing. Jungfrau railway The Jungfrau Railway ( German : Jungfraubahn , pronounced [ˈjʊŋfʁaʊ̯ˌbaːn] , JB ) is a mountain rack railway in the Bernese Alps , Switzerland , connecting Kleine Scheidegg in the Bernese Oberland to the Jungfraujoch , across the Valais border. It

1330-549: Was exploring the idea of an efficient fast form of access to the Jungfraujoch, using the world's longest tunnel-lift system, as an alternative to the rack railway. A feasibility study was undertaken to determine if and how such a system—for example, as a fast lift or funicular —from the Lauterbrunnen Valley to the Jungfraujoch could be realised without disturbing the unique landscape of the UNESCO World Heritage Site . These plans were abandoned and in 2017

1368-516: Was jokingly referred to as Mme Meyer (Mrs. Meyer). The Jungfraujoch is a snow saddle located directly between the summits of Mathildespitze (west) and Sphinx (east). It is, however, most notably the lowest point between the Jungfrau and the Mönch , respectively third and fourth highest mountains in the Bernese Alps, and the key col of the former. The south side (canton of Valais), almost flat,

1406-491: Was nine hours. The party turned back on the first day at a bergschrund , returning on the following day with a ladder 25 ft (7.6 m) in length, carried by Peter Rubi, a porter from Grindelwald. The way lay at first by the rocky buttress of the Mönch , separating the Eiger and Guggi glaciers. From the buttress the route descended a short distance in order to reach the Guggi Glacier, which could be ascended to

1444-429: Was used for one of the final scenes of a Clint Eastwood spy movie , The Eiger Sanction . There one can get off the train to admire the view before the train continues five minutes later. The tunnel then turns west, heading towards the Jungfrau. There is a second stop at a window looking out on the Eismeer ("Sea of Ice") before the train continues to the Jungfraujoch. The tunnel was constructed between 1898 and 1912; it

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