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Eismeer railway station

EigerRailway stations in Switzerland opened in 1905Railway stations in the canton of BernSwiss railway station stubs
2008 07 21 Eismeer railway station
2008 07 21 Eismeer railway station

Eismeer railway station (German for Ice Sea) is an underground railway station bored into the mountain Eiger on the Jungfrau Railway, which runs to the Jungfraujoch from Kleine Scheidegg. It lies at an altitude of 3,159 metres above sea level, which makes it the second highest railway station in Europe. Located just behind the south-east face of the Eiger, the station's principal purpose is to allow passengers to observe the view of the glacier Ischmeer (lit.: Ice Sea, formerly called Grindelwald-Fiescher Glacier). To that end, uphill trains stop at the station for five minutes.The station opened on 25 July 1905, with the extension of the Jungfraubahn from its previous terminus at Eigerwand station. The building of the line this far had depleted the railway company's finances, and for the next seven years, Eismeer was to remain the upper terminus. After further fund-raising and an extended construction period, the line was extended to Jungfraujoch station in 1912 and Eismeer became an intermediate stop.The station also enables access of the Mittellegi Hut via a tunnel that leads out onto the Challifirn glacier. As a consequence, it is also a frequent starting point for ascents of the Eiger via the Mittellegi Ridge.Administratively, the station is in the municipality of Grindelwald in the canton of Bern.The following passenger trains operate:

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Eismeer railway station (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Eismeer railway station
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N 46.572222222222 ° E 8.0102777777778 °
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3818
Bern, Switzerland
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2008 07 21 Eismeer railway station
2008 07 21 Eismeer railway station
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Eiger
Eiger

The Eiger (German pronunciation: [ˈaɪ̯ɡɐ] ) is a 3,967-metre (13,015 ft) mountain of the Bernese Alps, overlooking Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen in the Bernese Oberland of Switzerland, just north of the main watershed and border with Valais. It is the easternmost peak of a ridge crest that extends across the Mönch to the Jungfrau at 4,158 m (13,642 ft), constituting one of the most emblematic sights of the Swiss Alps. While the northern side of the mountain rises more than 3,000 m (10,000 ft) above the two valleys of Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen, the southern side faces the large glaciers of the Jungfrau-Aletsch area, the most glaciated region in the Alps. The most notable feature of the Eiger is its nearly 1,800-metre-high (5,900 ft) north face of rock and ice, named Eiger-Nordwand, Eigerwand or just Nordwand, which is the biggest north face in the Alps. This huge face towers over the resort of Kleine Scheidegg at its base, on the eponymous pass connecting the two valleys. The first ascent of the Eiger was made by Swiss guides Christian Almer and Peter Bohren and Irishman Charles Barrington, who climbed the west flank on August 11, 1858. The north face, the "last problem" of the Alps, considered amongst the most challenging and dangerous ascents, was first climbed in 1938 by an Austrian-German expedition. The Eiger has been highly publicized for the many tragedies involving climbing expeditions. Since 1935, at least 64 climbers have died attempting the north face, earning it the German nickname Mordwand, literally "murder(ous) wall"—a pun on its correct title of Nordwand (North Wall).Although the summit of the Eiger can be reached by experienced climbers only, a railway tunnel runs inside the mountain, and two internal stations provide easy access to viewing-windows carved into the rock face. They are both part of the Jungfrau Railway line, running from Kleine Scheidegg to the Jungfraujoch, between the Mönch and the Jungfrau, at the highest railway station in Europe. The two stations within the Eiger are Eigerwand (behind the north face) and Eismeer (behind the south face), at around 3,000 metres. The Eigerwand station has not been regularly served since 2016.

Eigerwand railway station
Eigerwand railway station

Eigerwand is a currently disused underground railway station on the Jungfrau railway, which runs to the Jungfraujoch from Kleine Scheidegg. The station is situated just behind the north wall of the Eiger, and its principal purpose was to allow passengers to observe the view through a series of windows carved into the rock face. Trains to Jungfraujoch used to stop at the station for five minutes.However, since late 2016, after the introduction of new, faster, rolling stock, the Jungfraubahn no longer stops here. Indeed, much of the 2017 publicity material fails to acknowledge that this viewpoint station ever existed. The station opened on 28 June 1903, with the extension of the Jungfraubahn from its previous temporary terminus at Rotstock station. After further construction, the line was extended to Eismeer station on 25 July 1905, and Eigerwand became an intermediate stop.Administratively, the station is in the municipality of Grindelwald in the canton of Bern. However, the only access to the station other than by train is a door in the sheer face of the mountain. This has, on occasion, been used to rescue mountaineers stranded on the mountain, most famously during the 1936 Eiger north face climbing disaster. It features in this capacity in the film The Eiger Sanction. It also lies right next to the Stollenloch, an exit and unofficial stop which is typically used by mountaineers to bypass the lower approach of the North Face.Prior to its closure, the following passenger trains operated:

Jungfraujoch railway station
Jungfraujoch railway station

Jungfraujoch is an underground railway station situated near the Jungfraujoch, in the canton of Valais, a few metres from the border with the canton of Bern. At 3,454 metres (11,332 ft) above sea level, it is the terminus of the Jungfrau Railway and the highest railway station in Switzerland and Europe. The Jungfrau Railway runs from Kleine Scheidegg in the Bernese Oberland, through the Jungfrau Tunnel (inside the Eiger and Mönch) and crosses the border between the two cantons shortly before the terminus. The station is located east of the Jungfraujoch, less than 300 metres away, below the Sphinx ridge. The Jungfraujoch itself is a snow saddle constituting the lowest point of the ridge between the Jungfrau and the Mönch. A complex of tunnels connects the railway station to the Top of Europe building, overlooking the Aletsch Glacier on the south side, and an elevator to the summit of the Sphinx, the peak overlooking the saddle from the east. At the Sphinx are enclosed and open viewing platforms, with views over both sides of the Jungfraujoch and the surrounding peaks. A scientific observatory, the Sphinx Observatory, is also located here.Also accessed via the tunnels is the Ice Palace, a series of ice caverns beneath the glacier, and the Alpine Sensation, which presents a display on the tourist development of the Alps and the history of the Jungfrau Railway.Administratively, the station is situated in the municipality of Fieschertal in the canton of Valais, albeit very close to the border with the municipality of Lauterbrunnen in the canton of Bern. The cantonal border follows the watershed across the Jungfraujoch above the station.The station is served by trains of the Jungfrau railway, which run from Kleine Scheidegg, where they connect with services from Interlaken, Lauterbrunnen, Wengen and Grindelwald via the Bernese Oberland railway and the Wengernalp railway. The following passenger trains operate: