Jungfraubahn / Jungfrau Railway, Switzerland

The Jungfrau Railway (Jungfraubahn) is a cogwheel railway in the Bernese Oberland that climbs from Kleine Scheidegg to the Jungfraujoch, the “Top of Europe”. At 3,454 m, its terminus is the highest railway station in Europe. Most of the line runs in a tunnel through the Eiger and the Mönch, and it has been electric since it opened in 1912.

Location and Route

The Jungfrau Railway is the last stage of the trip from Interlaken. You can reach it by the Wengernalp Railway via Lauterbrunnen and Wengen or via Grindelwald to Kleine Scheidegg, or by the Eiger Express gondola from Grindelwald Terminal to the Eigergletscher station.

• Starting station: Kleine Scheidegg (2,061 m)
• Final station: Jungfraujoch (3,454 m)
• Route length: approx. 9.3 km, about 7 km of it in tunnel
• Travel time: about 35 minutes from Kleine Scheidegg, 26 minutes from Eigergletscher
• From Grindelwald Terminal: about 45 minutes with the Eiger Express and the Jungfrau Railway

After Eigergletscher the train enters the tunnel. On the way up it makes a short stop at Eismeer, where windows cut into the rock look out over the glaciers.

History

• Construction started: 1896
• Opened: 1912
• Founder: Adolf Guyer-Zeller

Guyer-Zeller sketched the line in 1893 after seeing a train on the new Wengernalp Railway, but he died in 1899, long before it was finished. The railway opened in stages – Eigergletscher in 1898, Eigerwand in 1903 and Eismeer in 1905 – and the tunnel broke through to the Jungfraujoch on 21 February 1912. About 30 workers died during the 16 years of construction, and the original plan to continue to the summit of the Jungfrau was dropped.

Tickets and Prices

The Jungfrau Railway has its own fares and is not covered in full by Swiss travel passes. Adult return fares to the Jungfraujoch in 2026:

• From Grindelwald or Wengen: CHF 239.20 from May to October, CHF 201.20 in the other months
• From Interlaken Ost: CHF 261.20 from May to October, CHF 224.40 in the other months
• Seat reservation: CHF 10, mandatory from 1 May to 31 October
• Discounts: 50% with the Half Fare Card; with the Swiss Travel Pass the return costs CHF 148.60–177.20; the Good Morning Ticket gives a discount on the first trains of the day from May to October

Children aged 6 to 15 pay half price, and children under 6 travel free.

Operating Schedule

• Operates: all year
• Typical hours: first train up at about 8:15, last train down at about 17:45; times vary by season
• Frequency: every 30 minutes

Because most of the line is in a tunnel, the trains run in almost any weather, but the view from the Jungfraujoch depends on the clouds, so check the webcam before you go.

Unique Features

The Jungfrau Railway is unique because it:

• Ends at 3,454 m, the highest railway station in Europe
• Runs for about 7 km through the rock of the Eiger and the Mönch
• Stops at Eismeer, a station inside the mountain with windows onto the glacier
• Leads into the UNESCO World Heritage Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch, with views of the Aletsch Glacier, the longest in the Alps

At the Jungfraujoch, a lift takes you up to the Sphinx terrace and observatory, and you can visit the Ice Palace, the Alpine Sensation tunnel and the snow plateau.