page_title: Zig zag (railway)
hierarchical_section_title: Zig zag (railway)
caption_attribution_description: English: Route Map of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
context_page_description: A railway zig zag or switchback, is a method of climbing steep gradients with minimal need for tunnels and heavy earthworks. For a short distance, the direction of travel is reversed, before the original direction is resumed. Not all switchbacks come in pairs, in which case the train may need to travel backwards for a considerable distance.
  A location on railways constructed by using a zig-zag alignment at which trains have to reverse direction in order to continue is a reversing station.
  One of the best examples is the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, a UNESCO World Heritage site railway in India, that has six full zig zags and three spirals.
context_section_description: A railway zig zag or switchback, is a method of climbing steep gradients with minimal need for tunnels and heavy earthworks. For a short distance (corresponding to the middle leg of the letter "Z"), the direction of travel is reversed, before the original direction is resumed.  Not all switchbacks come in pairs, in which case the train may need to travel backwards for a considerable distance.
  A location on railways constructed by using a zig-zag alignment at which trains have to reverse direction in order to continue is a reversing station.
  One of the best examples is the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, a UNESCO World Heritage site railway in India, that has six full zig zags and three spirals.
caption: India: the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, a  UNESCO World Heritage site, with six full zig zags
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