The Pilatus Railway climbs Mount Pilatus and is known as the world’s steepest cogwheel railway.
The railway runs from Alpnachstad to Pilatus Kulm in central Switzerland. It opened in 1889 and uses a distinctive rack-and-pinion system to handle gradients as steep as 48 percent, or roughly 1 metre of rise for every 2.08 metres of track.
Its engineers used a horizontal toothed rail and specially designed vertical drive wheels. This arrangement differs from the more familiar Abt rack system used on many mountain railways, and it helped the trains remain engaged on the exceptionally steep route.
The Pilatus Railway is seasonal and forms part of the popular Golden Round Trip excursion from Lucerne. It is separate from the nearby Rigi Railway and Jungfrau Railway, which serve different mountain destinations.