Rank Railway line Highest point Highest elevation Country Opened Notes Xining - Golmud - Lhasa Tanggula 5,068 m (16,627 ft) China 2006 Lima - Huancayo Ticlio 4,829 m (15,843 ft) Peru 1893 Highest railway in the Americas Rio Mulatos - Potosí Cóndor 4,786 m (15,702 ft) Bolivia Cuzco - Lake Titicaca La Raya 4,313 m (14,150 ft) Peru Manitou and Pike 's Peak Railway Pikes Peak Summit 4,301 m (14,111 ft) USA 1891 Highest railway in North America 6 Salta - Antofagasta La Polvorilla 4,220 m (13,845 ft) Argentina Chile 1948 "Tren a las Nubes '' tourist service between Salta and La Polvorilla 7 Quito - Guayaquil Urbina 3,609 m (11,841 ft) Ecuador 1908 Reopened 2011 8 Lanzhou -- Xinjiang High - Speed Railway Qilianshan No. 2 Tunnel 3,608 m (11,837 ft) China 2014 Highest High - speed railway 9 Jungfraubahn Jungfraujoch 3,454 m (11,332 ft) Switzerland 1912 Highest railway in Europe, underground above 2,350 m. 10 Leadville, Colorado and Southern Railroad Leadville 3,414 m (11,201 ft) USA Highest Adhesion railway in North America 11 Gornergratbahn Gornergrat 3,090 m (10,138 ft) Switzerland 1898 Highest open - air railway in Europe 12 Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad Cumbres Pass 3,054 m (10,020 ft) USA 1881 Highest narrow gauge railroad in North America 13 Yuergou - Yanqi Railway Kuixian Tunnel 2,980 m (9,777 ft) China 1978 Main line of Southern Xinjiang Railway before 2014 14 Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Silverton 2,837 m (9,308 ft) USA 1881 15 Union Pacific Railroad, Moffat Tunnel Subdivision Moffat Tunnel 2,816 m (9,239 ft) USA 1928 Apex in tunnel; highest point in Amtrak network 16 Lanzhou -- Xinjiang Railway Wushaoling Tunnel 2,663 m (8,737 ft) China 2006 17 Bavarian Zugspitze Railway Schneefernerhaus 2,650 m (8,694 ft) Germany 1930 Underground above 1,640 m 18 Alishan Forest Railway Chushan 2,451 m (8,041 ft) Taiwan 1986 Highest railway in Taiwan 19 Tramway du Mont - Blanc Nid d'aigle de Bionnassay 2,380 m (7,808 ft) France 1909 20 BNSF Raton Pass Line Raton Pass 2,312 m (7,585 ft) USA 1879 Highest point on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway 21 Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Ghum 2,257 m (7,405 ft) India 1891 Highest railway in India 22 Bernina Railway Ospizio Bernina 2,253 m (7,392 ft) Switzerland 1909 Highest rail crossing in Europe 23 Chengdu -- Kunming Railway Shamalada Tunnel 2,244 m (7,362 ft) China 1969 24 Nilgiri Mountain Railway Ooty 2,210 m (7,251 ft) India 1908 Highest railway in south India 25 Overland Route Donner Pass 2,151 m (7,057 ft) USA 1869 Part of First Transcontinental Railroad 26 Kalka - Shimla Railway Shimla 2,086 m (6,844 ft) India 1898 27 Pilatus Railway Pilatus 2,073 m (6,801 ft) Switzerland 1889 Steepest non-cable railway in the world 28 Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn Oberalp Pass 2,043 m (6,703 ft) Switzerland 1926
where is the world's highest railway station located
Xining - Golmud - Lhasa