In 1901, Wuppertal opened a railway suspended 26 to 40 feet above the city. 125 years later, the 8.3-mile Schwebebahn remains the backbone of local transport, carrying more than 80,000 passengers every day

A train ride in Wuppertal, western Germany, is unlike a typical journey. Instead of running along tracks on the ground, the city’s Schwebebahn hangs from an elevated steel structure, carrying passengers above the streets and the Wupper River.

Often called Germany’s “flying train,” its carriages travel between 26 and 40 feet above the ground. From inside, passengers can watch the Wupper, roads, buildings, cyclists and pedestrians pass below.