20 Francs Vitznau-Rigi Railway

The Vitznau-Rigi Bahn, opened in 1871, holds the distinction of being the first rack railway in Europe — a claim that generated genuine diplomatic friction with Austria, whose Kahlenberg line was under development at almost exactly the same moment. The Swiss line won by a matter of weeks. Designed by Niklaus Riggenbach, whose rack-and-pinion system became the template for mountain railways across three continents, the route climbs from Lake Lucerne to the Rigi summit through gradients that conventional adhesion traction cannot manage.

This 2008 commemorative marks the line's continued operation under essentially the same engineering principles Riggenbach patented in 1863.