Historic Rack Railways on Steep Mountains in Switzerland and Colorado Operate Safely
The Pilatus Railway in Switzerland, opened in 1889, is the world's steepest rack railway with a maximum gradient of 48%, featuring a unique horizontal cogwheel system for safety. Similarly, the Pikes Peak Cog Railway in Colorado, operational since 1891, uses a toothed track to climb steep slopes up to 14,115 feet. Both railways have carried millions of passengers safely, have undergone technological updates, and remain engineering landmarks demonstrating innovative solutions to steep mountain rail travel.
First-hand measurement across 2 sources
We measured how 2 outlets covered this story. No outlet gave this story a measurable political slant — there is no left–right reading to report. Overall sentiment is positive (66/100). Lens Score 34/100.
Outlets measured: economictimes, economictimes. See how each one headlined and framed the same story in the source comparison below.
AI Analysis
Sentiment was consistent across outlets (62–70/100), indicating broadly factual reporting rather than editorialising.
Coverage timeline
economictimes broke this story on 22 Sept, 09:07 am. Other outlets followed.