Cog railway

Germany’s first high-alpine railway

Otto von Steinbeis achieved a pioneering engineering masterpiece with the construction of an electric cog railway on the Wendelstein between 1910 and 1912. Now for over a century, the cog railway in Brannenburg has been providing mountaineers, hikers and skiers with a reliable and convenient method of ascending to the summit of one of the most beautiful panoramic mountains between Lake Chiemsee and Lake Tegernsee.

The cog railway was modernised in 1991. The journey time was reduced from 55 minutes for a single journey to just under 30 minutes with the new double railcars. The journey up to the Wendelstein is an unforgettable experience in itself as it passes through lush flowering alpine meadows, shady forests and over jagged cliffs!

Technical data on the Wendelstein cog railway:

  • Brannenburg/Inntal valley station: 508 m above sea level
  • Double railcar capacity: 130 seats and 70 standing places, i.e 200 people/journey, 400 people/hour
  • Journey time: 25 minutes uphill / 30 minutes downhill
  • Distance: 7.6 km
  • Friction section: 1.51 km
  • Cog/rack section: 6.15 km (Schub system)
  • Track width: 1,000 mm
  • Request stops: Aipl (980 m) and Mitteralm (1,200 m above sea level)
  • Mountain station: 1,723 m above sea level
  • Elevation difference: 1,217 m

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