The Tramway du Mont-Blanc has opened a new station at 2,412 meters [1], making it the highest rack railway in France.

This extension provides direct access to the Nid d'Aigle refuge in Haute-Savoie. The project completes a historical ambition to reach the refuge that began before the First World War, significantly increasing the site's accessibility for tourists and hikers.

The new terminal is located at the foot of the Nid d'Aigle refuge on the French side of Mont Blanc [3]. To achieve this final connection, engineers had to complete a missing section of track measuring 300 meters [3]. The extension allows the train to deliver passengers closer to the high-altitude sanctuary than ever before.

Work on the extension resumed in June 2023 [4]. The project reached completion with the inauguration of the station in 2024 [2]. The total cost of the extension project was approximately 110 million euros [1].

The rack railway system, which uses a toothed rail to climb steep gradients, is a centerpiece of the region's tourism infrastructure. By closing the gap to the refuge, the operator has finalized a century-long goal to integrate the railway with one of the most iconic landmarks of the Alps.

Visitors now arrive at the 2,412-meter peak [1] without the previous necessity of a longer trek to bridge the gap from the old terminus. This development is expected to strengthen the economic attractiveness of the Haute-Savoie region by streamlining the journey to the heights of Mont Blanc.

“The Tramway du Mont-Blanc has opened a new station at 2,412 meters.”

The completion of this rail link represents the resolution of a century-old infrastructure gap. By investing 110 million euros to bridge a final 300-meter stretch, the region has transitioned the Nid d'Aigle refuge from a destination requiring significant hiking to one accessible via industrial transport. This shift likely increases tourist volume while reducing the physical barrier to entry for the high-altitude site.