The highest railway stations in the world sit at breathtaking altitudes — on Himalayan passes, Andean peaks, and Tibetan plateaus — and they are a recurring topic in UPSC, SSC CGL, Banking, Railways, and State PSC competitive exams.
From China\u2019s record-breaking Tanggula Station to India\u2019s iconic Ghum Station in Darjeeling, railway elevation records combine geography, engineering, and current affairs in one topic. This page gives you a complete, updated list with elevations, locations, and exam-focused facts for quick revision.
⚡ Quick Facts
- Tanggula Station (5,068 m) in Tibet, China, is the highest railway station in the world.
- Ghum Station (2,258 m) in West Bengal is the highest railway station in India and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Qinghai\u2013Tibet Railway in China is the world\u2019s highest railway line, with large sections above 4,000 m.
- Peru\u2019s Ticlio Station (4,818 m) held the world record before China\u2019s Tibetan line opened in 2006.
- Darjeeling Himalayan Railway \u2014 which includes Ghum Station \u2014 is one of three Indian mountain railways with UNESCO World Heritage status.
Students often confuse India\u2019s highest stations: Ghum/Ghoom (2,258 m) is the highest, above Ooty (2,193 m) and Shimla (2,076 m). Also, the Golden Gate Bridge is NOT the longest suspension bridge \u2014 similarly, Shimla Station is NOT India\u2019s highest. Also remember: Ticlio (Peru) was the world\u2019s highest before 2006 \u2014 Tanggula has held the record since 2006.
✅ My Progress Tracker
🚂 Complete List of Highest Railway Stations in the World
| # ↕ | Station Name ↕ | Elevation (m) ↕ | Railway Line | City / Region | Country ↕ | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tanggula Station | 5,068 | Qinghai\u2013Tibet Railway | Tanggula Pass, Tibet | China | World\u2019s highest railway station |
| 2 | Fenghuoshan Station | 4,905 | Qinghai\u2013Tibet Railway | Fenghuoshan, Tibet | China | 2nd highest in world |
| 3 | Kunlunshan Station | 4,767 | Qinghai\u2013Tibet Railway | Kunlun Mountains, Tibet | China | 3rd highest in world |
| 4 | Wudaoliang Station | 4,612 | Qinghai\u2013Tibet Railway | Qinghai Plateau | China | Part of highest rail corridor |
| 5 | Tuotuohe Station | 4,547 | Qinghai\u2013Tibet Railway | Qinghai Province | China | Near source of Yangtze River |
| 6 | Ticlio Station | 4,818 | Lima\u2013Huancayo Central Railway | Ticlio, Jun\u00edn | Peru | Highest in South America; pre-China record holder |
| 7 | Galera Station | 4,781 | Lima\u2013Huancayo Central Railway | Andes Mountains | Peru | 2nd highest outside China |
| 8 | La Cima Station | 4,757 | Lima\u2013Huancayo Central Railway | Andes | Peru | Part of Peru\u2019s Central Railway |
| 9 | Condor Station | 4,703 | Lima\u2013Huancayo Central Railway | Andes | Peru | High Andean route |
| 10 | Cuzco Station | 3,399 | Peru Rail | Cusco (Machu Picchu line) | Peru | Gateway to Machu Picchu |
| 11 | Lhasa Station | 3,642 | Qinghai\u2013Tibet Railway | Lhasa, Tibet | China | Terminus of Tibet Railway |
| 12 | Xining Station | 2,275 | Qinghai\u2013Tibet Railway | Xining, Qinghai | China | Starting point of Tibet Railway |
| 13 | Ghum Station (Ghoom) | 2,258 | Darjeeling Himalayan Railway | Ghum, West Bengal | India | Highest in India; UNESCO WHS |
| 14 | Darjeeling Station | 2,045 | Darjeeling Himalayan Railway | Darjeeling, West Bengal | India | Terminus of Toy Train route |
| 15 | Shimla Station | 2,076 | Kalka\u2013Shimla Railway | Shimla, Himachal Pradesh | India | UNESCO WHS |
| 16 | Barog Station | 1,144 | Kalka\u2013Shimla Railway | Barog, Himachal Pradesh | India | On UNESCO-listed mountain railway |
| 17 | Ooty (Udagamandalam) Station | 2,193 | Nilgiri Mountain Railway | Ooty, Tamil Nadu | India | Highest on Nilgiri line; UNESCO WHS |
| 18 | Coonoor Station | 1,858 | Nilgiri Mountain Railway | Coonoor, Tamil Nadu | India | Part of UNESCO Nilgiri Railway |
| 19 | Semmering Station | 895 | Semmering Railway | Semmering, Styria | Austria | World\u2019s first mountain railway; UNESCO WHS |
| 20 | Jungfraujoch Station | 3,454 | Jungfrau Railway | Bernese Alps | Switzerland | Highest railway station in Europe |
| 21 | Eigergletscher Station | 2,320 | Jungfrau Railway | Bernese Alps | Switzerland | En route to Jungfraujoch |
| 22 | Snowdon Summit Station | 1,085 | Snowdon Mountain Railway | Snowdonia | Wales, UK | Highest in UK |
| 23 | Rigi Kulm Station | 1,750 | Rigi Railways | Mount Rigi | Switzerland | Historic mountain railway |
| 24 | Pikes Peak Summit Station | 4,302 | Pikes Peak Cog Railway | Colorado | USA | Highest in North America (reopened 2021) |
| 25 | Nanu Oya Station | 1,890 | Kandy\u2013Badulla Line | Nuwara Eliya, Central Province | Sri Lanka | Highest station in Sri Lanka |
⚖️ Compare Two Stations
📝 Key Notes & Memory Tips
Tanggula Station in Tibet, China, at 5,068 m is the world\u2019s highest railway station \u2014 part of the Qinghai\u2013Tibet Railway (also called the Sky Train), inaugurated in 2006. The top 5 highest stations in the world are ALL on this single railway line in China. Passengers need supplemental oxygen on the train due to thin air at these altitudes.
Ghum Station (also spelled Ghoom) at 2,258 m in Darjeeling, West Bengal, is India\u2019s highest railway station. It is on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway \u2014 popularly called the \u201cToy Train\u201d \u2014 which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. Do NOT confuse with Shimla (2,076 m) or Ooty (2,193 m) \u2014 Ghum is higher than both.
India has THREE UNESCO World Heritage mountain railways: Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (West Bengal, 1999), Nilgiri Mountain Railway (Tamil Nadu, 2005), and Kalka\u2013Shimla Railway (Himachal Pradesh, 2008). Collectively inscribed as \u201cMountain Railways of India.\u201d These three and their dates are among the most-repeated facts in Indian competitive exams.
Jungfraujoch Station in Switzerland at 3,454 m is the highest railway station in Europe. Peru\u2019s Ticlio Station (4,818 m) held the world record for highest railway station before China\u2019s Qinghai\u2013Tibet Railway opened in 2006. Ticlio remains the highest station in South America. This historical sequence is a common trick question.
Highest by region: Asia \u2014 Tanggula (5,068 m, China); South America \u2014 Ticlio (4,818 m, Peru); North America \u2014 Pikes Peak Summit (4,302 m, USA, reopened 2021); Europe \u2014 Jungfraujoch (3,454 m, Switzerland); UK \u2014 Snowdon Summit (1,085 m, Wales); India \u2014 Ghum (2,258 m, West Bengal).
\u201cDark Nights Keep\u201d
D = Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (1999) | N = Nilgiri Mountain Railway (2005) | K = Kalka\u2013Shimla Railway (2008)
🃏 Flashcards
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🧩 Practice Quiz
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Tanggula Station in Tibet, China, at 5,068 metres above sea level is the world\u2019s highest railway station. It is part of the Qinghai\u2013Tibet Railway, opened in 2006. The top five highest stations in the world are all on this single railway line.
Ghum Station (also spelled Ghoom) in Darjeeling, West Bengal, at 2,258 metres is India\u2019s highest railway station. It is on the UNESCO World Heritage\u2013listed Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, popularly called the Toy Train. Shimla (2,076 m) and Ooty (2,193 m) are lower.
Three Indian mountain railways have UNESCO World Heritage status \u2014 the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (1999), the Nilgiri Mountain Railway (2005), and the Kalka\u2013Shimla Railway (2008). They are collectively inscribed as \u201cMountain Railways of India.\u201d
Ticlio Station in Peru at 4,818 m held the world record for highest railway station before China\u2019s Qinghai\u2013Tibet Railway opened in 2006. Ticlio is on the Lima\u2013Huancayo Central Railway in the Andes Mountains and remains the highest railway station in South America.
The Qinghai\u2013Tibet Railway is popularly called the \u201cSky Train\u201d because it runs across the Tibetan Plateau \u2014 the \u201cRoof of the World\u201d \u2014 at elevations exceeding 4,000 m for much of its route. Passengers are provided supplemental oxygen onboard due to the extreme altitude.
✅ Key Takeaways
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Tanggula Station in Tibet, China, at 5,068 metres above sea level is the highest railway station in the world. It is located on the Qinghai\u2013Tibet Railway \u2014 popularly called the Sky Train \u2014 which was inaugurated in July 2006. The top five highest railway stations in the world are all on this single railway line. Due to the extreme altitude, trains are pressurised and passengers receive supplemental oxygen during the journey.
Ghum Station (also spelled Ghoom) in Darjeeling, West Bengal, at 2,258 metres above sea level is India\u2019s highest railway station. It is on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway \u2014 affectionately known as the Toy Train \u2014 which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. Ghum Station is higher than Ooty Station (2,193 m) on the Nilgiri Mountain Railway and Shimla Station (2,076 m) on the Kalka\u2013Shimla Railway, both of which are also UNESCO-listed mountain railways.
Three mountain railways in India have been designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites under the collective inscription \u201cMountain Railways of India.\u201d These are the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway in West Bengal (inscribed 1999), the Nilgiri Mountain Railway in Tamil Nadu (inscribed 2005), and the Kalka\u2013Shimla Railway in Himachal Pradesh (inscribed 2008). The Darjeeling Toy Train was the first to receive this recognition; the other two were added in subsequent years.
Railway elevation records appear in UPSC Prelims (Geography and current affairs), SSC CGL, Banking General Awareness, and Railway Recruitment Board exams. Key tested facts include the world\u2019s highest station (Tanggula, China), India\u2019s highest station (Ghum, Darjeeling), the three UNESCO mountain railways of India with their inscription years, the historical record-holder before 2006 (Ticlio, Peru), and the highest station in Europe (Jungfraujoch, Switzerland). The Darjeeling\u2013Nilgiri\u2013Kalka Shimla trio and their UNESCO dates is one of the most repeated fact sets in Indian competitive exam history.
