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Rigi Railways

Rigi Railways
Rigi Bahnen, Rigi Staffel.jpg
The junction at Rigi Staffel in the snow (February 2009) as viewed from Rotstock. The VRB descends to the left, the ARB to the right, with both lines continuing together to the summit, upper right. An ARB train is in the passing loop, whilst another descends to Arth. A third train is stabled on the connecting track between ARB and VRB.
Overview
Native name Rigi Bahnen
Type VRB, ARB: rack railway
LWRK, LKR, LORB, LKüS, LVH, LVW, LBU: cable car
System Rigi Bahnen
Status operational
Locale Lucerne/Schwyz, Switzerland
Termini VRB: Vitznau
ARB: Arth-Goldau
LWRK: Weggis (Luftseilbahn)
LKR: Kräbel LKR
LORB: Gersau Gschwend
LKüS: Küssnacht am Rigi LKüS
LVH: Buholz Vitznau LVH
LVW: Buholz Vitznau LVW
LBU: Brunnen, Seilbahn Urmiberg
VRB, ARB: Rigi Kulm
LWRK: Rigi Kaltbad
LKR: Rigi Scheidegg
LORB: Burggeist (Rigi Scheidegg)
LKüS: Seebodenalp
LVH: Hiterbergen
LVW: Wissifluh
LBU: Timpelweid
Stations 27
Services 9
Daily ridership 4300 (2015)
Operation
Opened 1873
Owner VRB, ARB, LWRK: Rigi Bahnen AG
LKR: Luftseilbahn Kräbel-Rigi Scheidegg AG
LORB: Rigi-Scheidegg AG
LKüS: Luftseilbahn Seebodenalp AG
LVH: Seilbahngenossenschaft Hinterbergen
LVW:
LBU: Luftseilbahn Urmiberg AG
Operator(s) VRB, ARB, LWRK: Rigi Bahnen AG
Character Mountainous
Technical
Line length VRB: 5 km (3.1 mi)
ARB: 6.8 km (4.2 mi)
Number of tracks single with passing loops
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 12 in) standard gauge
Electrification 1500 V, DC, overhead wire
Highest elevation VRB, ARB: 1,748 m (5,735 ft)
LWRK: 1,424 m (4,672 ft)
Maximum incline VRB: 25 %
ARB: 20 %
Rack system Riggenbach

Rigi Railways (German: Rigi Bahnen) is a group of railways on the mountain Rigi, located between two of the arms of Lake Lucerne, in Switzerland. They include two standard gauge rack railways, the Vitznau–Rigi Bahn (VRB) and the Arth–Rigi Bahn (ARB), along with the Luftseilbahn Weggis–Rigi Kaltbad (LWRK) cable car and six smaller cable cars: Luftseilbahn Kräbel–Rigi Scheidegg (LKR), Luftseilbahn Obergschwend–Rigi Burggeist (LORB), Luftseilbahn Küssnacht–Seebodenalp (LKüS), Luftseilbahn Vitznau–Hinterbergen (LVH), Luftseilbahn Vitznau–Wissifluh (LVW), and Luftseilbahn Brunnen–Urmiberg (LBU).

Reaching a height of 1,752 metres (5,748 ft) above sea level, the Rigi Railways are the highest standard gauge railway in Europe. They are also the highest railway in both cantons of Lucerne and Schwyz. The Vitznau–Rigi Bahn is also notable as the first mountain rack railway in Europe, and only the second in the world, after the Mount Washington Cog Railway in the United States.

Aware of the scenic location of Mount Rigi, Swiss engineer Niklaus Riggenbach masterminded the construction of a railway from Vitznau, on the shores of Lake Lucerne and the southern flank of Mount Rigi, to a point close to its summit. He already had the technology as he had patented, in France in 1863, a system of toothed racks set between the railway tracks interlocking with cogwheels fitted under the locomotives.

Jointly, with fellow engineers Olivier Zschokke and Adolf Naef, he submitted an application to the canton of Lucerne for permission to build a line from Vitznau to Rigi Staffelhöhe, a point somewhat below the summit of Rigi, but the nearest point to the summit within that canton. The cantonal administration already knew of the success of the Mount Washington Railway and saw the advantages in this construction, granting permission on 9 June 1869.


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