Zig Zag (railway)

Zig Zag (railway)

A railway zig zag, also called a switchback, is a way of climbing hills in difficult country with a 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.

A location on railways constructed e.g. to ascend very steep gradients by using a zig-zag alignment at which trains have to reverse direction in order to continue is a reversing station.