{{Short description|Railway line in Austria}} {{Infobox rail line |box_width=auto |name=Tauern Railway |other_name= |native_name=Tauernbahn |native_name_lang=de |color= |logo= |image=Railjet 793 bei Bad Hofgastein.jpg |image_width= 320px |caption=<small>Railjet 793 near [[Bad Hofgastein]], [[Salzburg]]</small> |type=[[Mountain railway]]<br/>[[Inter-city rail]] |system= |status=Operational |locale=[[Salzburg (state)|Salzburg]], [[Carinthia]] |start=[[Schwarzach im Pongau|Schwarzach]]-[[Sankt Veit im Pongau|St. Veit]] |end=[[Spittal an der Drau|Spittal]]-[[Millstätter See|Millstättersee]] |stations=21 |open=Stages between 1905–1909 |owner=[[Austrian Federal Railways]] |operator=Austrian Federal Railways |stock= |linelength={{convert|79|km|mi|abbr=on}} |tracks=[[Double track]]<br/><small>* Schwarzach-St. V. – Loifarn-Süd (5.4 km)</small><br /><small>* turnout Loifarn 1 – turnout Bad Hofg. 1 (13.3 km)</small><br /><small>* Angertal – turnout Angertal 1 (2.3 km)</small><br /><small>* Böckstein – Spittal-Millstättersee (46.5 km)</small><br/>[[Single-track railway|Single track]] |gauge={{Track gauge|sg|allk=on}} |minradius={{convert|247|m|ft|1|abbr=on}} |routenumber=220 |linenumber=222 01 |electrification=[[15 kV AC railway electrification|15 kV/16.7 Hz]] [[Alternating current|AC]] [[Overhead line]] |speed={{convert|130|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} |elevation= |maxincline=3.0 [[Percent sign|%]] |website= |map_state= |map = {{Routemap |inline = 1|title = no|footnote=Source: Austrian railway atlas{{Sfn|Railway Atlas|2010|pp=60, 76, 77}} |map = ~~km~~ ~~ ~~[[Height above mean sea level|elev]] CONTg~~ ~~ ~~[[Salzburg-Tyrol Railway|Salzburg-Tyrol Railway from Salzburg]] BHF~~0.000~~[[Schwarzach im Pongau|Schwarzach]]-[[Sankt Veit im Pongau|St. Veit]] STRc2\ABZg3\ exBS2c2!~CONT1\STRc4!~xBS2lxr\BS2c3~~ ~~ ~~[[Salzburg-Tyrol Railway|Salzburg-Tyrol Railway to Wörgl]] exTUNNEL1\STR~~ ~~ ~~Untersberg Tunnel (270 m) exSTR\TUNNEL1~~ ~~ ~~Kenlach Tunnel (314 m) exSTR\TUNNEL1~~ ~~ ~~Birgl Tunnel (960 m) eBS2l\BS2r d\vSHI2gnl- c\cd!~v-STR\nDST~~5.431~~Loifarn~~''(since 2006 no passenger services)'' d\vSHI2g+nl- PSL~~6.800~~Loifarn-Süd WCONTg\KMW\~~{{BSsplit|7.103|7.422|line=1|align=right}}~~ ~~break in kilometrage (-319 m) WASSER2\WSTRc3!~TUNNEL1\~~ ~~ ~~Lower Klamm Tunnel (739.38 m) WSTRc1\WKRZl+4u\WASSER+r \WSTRc2!~TUNNEL1\WASSER3~~ ~~ ~~Oberer Klamm Tunnel (744.01 m) WSTRc2!~tRP2!~MASKa\KRZ3+1Wo\WSTRc4 WASSER+1!~MSTRl!~hRP2l!~hPORTALg\WSTRc4!~SKRZ-G2hr\RP2+r~~ ~~ ~~{{Jctrdt|country=AUT|B|167}} Gasteiner Bundesstraße WASSER\PSL\~~{{BSsplit|9.292|9.337|line=1|align=right}}~~ ~~Loifarn 1 turnout ''(break in kilometrage (-45 m))'' WASSER2\WSTRc3!~eHST\~~ ~~Klammstein~~( closed 01.06.1991) WSTRc1\WKRZ2+4o\WSTRc3~~ ~~ ~~[[Gasteiner Ache]] \BHF!~WSTRc1\WASSER+4~~14.313~~[[Dorfgastein]] \BHF\WASSER~~19.281~~[[Bad Hofgastein]] \eHST\WASSER~~22.360~~Bad Hofgastein stop \PSL\WASSER~~22.570~~ ~~Bad Hofgastein 1 turnout c\BS2+l\cd!~eBS2+r\d!~vWSHI2l- d\hKRZWae\exhKRZWae\d!~WABZgr~~ ~~ ~~{{BSsplit|Angerschlucht Bridge|''(New bridge 138 m)''}} d\BS2l\eBS2r\d!~WSHI1r \DST\v-WASSER~~25.390~~Angertal~~''since 2006 no passenger services'' \BST\v-WASSER~~27.662~~ ~~turnout Angertal 1 \KMW\WSHI1+l~~{{BSsplit|27.840|27.900|line=1|align=right}}~~ ~~break in kilometrage (-60 m) \BHF\WFALLg~~30.078~~[[Bad Gastein]] WASSER+l\hKRZWae\WASSERr~~ ~~ ~~Nassfelder Ache WABZlr\hKRZWae\WCONTgeq~~ ~~ ~~Anlaufbach BHF~~34.183~~Böckstein~~([[Car shuttle train|Car shuttle]] [[File:BSicon_SHUTTLE.svg|16px]]) KMW~~{{BSsplit|34.200|34.204|line=1|align=right}}~~ ~~break in kilometrage (-4 m) tSTRa~~34.816~~ ~~[[Tauern Railway Tunnel|Tauern Tunnel]] (8370 m) tSTRe~~43.187~~ eHST~~ ~~Tauern Tunnel~~(closed 2001) BST~~43.347~~[[Mallnitz]]-Hintertal hKRZWae~~ ~~ ~~Seebach BST~~45.110~~Mallnitz-Nord BHF~~45.932~~{{BSsplit|Mallnitz-[[Obervellach]]|formerly Mallnitz}}~~([[Car shuttle train|Car shuttle]] [[File:BSicon_SHUTTLE.svg|16px]]) KMW~~{{BSsplit|46.000|46.862|line=1|align=right}}~~ ~~break in kilometrage (-862 m) tSTRa~~47.635~~ extKRW+le\etKRWgr\~~ ~~ ~~Dösen Tunnel (891.19 m) exSTR\tÜST\~~51.738~~Mallnitz-Obervellach [[Railroad switch#Crossover|crossover]] 2 exBHF\tSTR\~~51.767~~Kaponig formerly [[Obervellach]]~~ closed 1999 exSTR\tSTRe\~~52.731~~ ~~Kaponig Tunnel (5096 m) exTUNNEL2\STR\~~ ~~ ~~Upper Kaponig Tunnel (236.05 m) exSTRl\eKRZ\exSTR+r~~ ~~ ~~Rescue gallery \TUNNEL1\exSTR~~ ~~ ~~Ochenig Tunnel (690 m) \extKRW+le!~STR\extKRWra~~ ~~ ~~Lower Kaponig Tunnel (789.22 m) \extKRWla!~STR\extKRW+re~~ ~~ ~~Upper Lindisch Tunnel (260 m) \hSTRae\exSTRo~~ ~~ ~~Lindischgraben Bridge (283 m) \extKRW+le!~STR\extKRWra~~ ~~ ~~Lower Lindisch Tunnel (379 m) eHST~~55.819~~Oberfalkenstein \extKRWla!~STR\extKRW+re~~ ~~ ~~Leutschach Tunnel (247 m) WCONTfa\STR\exTUNNEL2!~BUILDINGr~~ ~~ ~~[[Burg Falkenstein (Niederfalkenstein)|Falkenstein]] Tunnel (67 m) WABZg+l\hKRZWae\exWBRÜCKE1~~ ~~ ~~Falkenstein Bridge (396 m) WASSER\extKRW+le!~STR\extKRWra~~ ~~ ~~Gratschach Tunnel (357 m) WASSER\extKRWla!~STR\extKRW+re~~ ~~ ~~Pfaffenberg Tunnel (499 m) WABZg+l\hKRZWae\exWBRÜCKE1~~ ~~ ~~Pfaffenberg Bridge (377 m) WASSER\extKRW+le!~STR\extKRWra~~ ~~ ~~Zwengenberg Tunnel (391 m) WASSER\KMW\~~{{BSsplit|57.942|58.300|line=1|align=right}}~~ ~~break in kilometrage (-358 m) WASSER\BHF\~~58.417~~[[Reißeck|Penk]] WABZg+l\hKRZWae\WCONTgeq~~ ~~ ~~Mölltheuergraben Bridge (94 m) WABZg+l\hKRZWae\WCONTgeq~~ ~~ ~~Litzelsdorfergraben Bridge (185 m) WABZg+l\hKRZWae\WCONTgeq~~ ~~ ~~Rieckenbach Bridge (190 m) WCONTf\BHF\~~64.790~~[[Reißeck|Kolbnitz]] ÜST~~69.124~~ Kolbnitz crossover 2 STR!~exlBHF2+r!~lHST-~~{{BSsplit|69.360|69.428}}~~{{BSto|[[Mühldorf, Carinthia|Mühldorf]]-[[Lurnfeld|Möllbrücke]]|replaced by Kolbnitz crossover 2|it=off}} BHF~~72.904~~[[Lurnfeld|Pusarnitz]] BST~~74.000~~Pusarnitz-Süd CONT2\STR+c3\~~ ~~ ~~[[Drava Valley Railway]] from [[Innichen]] STRc1\ABZg+4\~~74.394~~Line 407 01 turnout BHF~~80.897~~[[Spittal an der Drau|Spittal]]-[[Millstätter See|Millstättersee]] CONTf~~ ~~ ~~Drava Valley Railway to [[Villach]] and [[Maribor]] ~~km~~ }} }} The '''Tauern Railway''' ({{langx|de|Tauernbahn}}) is an [[Austria]]n railway line between [[Schwarzach im Pongau|Schwarzach]]-[[Sankt Veit im Pongau|Sankt Veit]] in the state of [[Salzburg (Bundesland)|Salzburg]] and [[Spittal an der Drau]] in [[Carinthia (state)|Carinthia]]. It is part of one of the most important north–south trunk routes (''Magistrale'') in Europe and also carries tourist traffic for the [[Bad Gastein|Gastein]] Valley. The [[standard gauge]] railway line is {{convert|79|km|mi|abbr=on}} long and climbs the [[High Tauern]] range of the [[Central Eastern Alps]] with a maximum incline of 2.5%, crossing the [[Main chain of the Alps|Alpine crest]] through the {{convert|8371|m|ft|abbr=on}} long [[Tauern Railway Tunnel|Tauern Tunnel]]. It is one of the [[List of highest railways in Europe|highest standard gauge railways in Europe]] and the third highest in Austria.
==History== Since the opening of the [[Suez Canal]] in 1869, the [[Cisleithania]]n government of [[Austria-Hungary]] had urged for a direct connection of the restored main Austrian seaport at [[Port of Trieste|Trieste]] with the [[Kingdom of Bohemia|Bohemian]] coalfields and iron works in the northern parts of the Monarchy. After lengthy discussions, the building of the ''Tauernbahn'' was set up as a part of the larger "New Alpine Railways" investment project, pushed by the newly established ''[[Imperial-Royal|k.k.]]'' Railway Ministry under [[Heinrich Ritter von Wittek|Heinrich von Wittek]] from 1901 onwards.
In 1901 plans for new Alpine railways (''Neue Alpenbahnen'') were published. The Tauern railway was the most important and it was opened in 1909 for passengers and freight.<ref>{{Cite web |author1=Nicky Gardner |title=Light at the end of the tunnels: classic rail routes through the Alps reopen |url=https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/jul/10/classic-rail-routes-through-alps-reopen-austria-switzerland-italy |access-date=12 July 2025 |publisher=The Guardian |date=10 July 2025}}</ref> Construction was executed by the public [[Imperial Royal Austrian State Railways]] to achieve an alternative route bypassing the [[Southern Railway (Austria)|Southern Railway]] line from [[Vienna]] to Trieste via the [[Semmering railway]] operated by the private [[Austrian Southern Railway]] company. Other sections built in the course of this infrastructure investment were the [[Karawanks Tunnel (railway)|Karawanks Railway]] from [[Villach]] to [[Jesenice, Jesenice|Jesenice]], continued by the [[Bohinj Railway]] (''Wocheiner Bahn'') leading through the [[Julian Alps]] to Trieste, as well as the railway line from the city of [[Linz]] across the [[Pyhrn Pass]] to the [[Selzthal]] rail hub.
[[File:Lageplan-der-Tauernbahn-(1921).jpg|thumb|left|Map of the Alpine Railways, 1921]] Construction of the Tauern Tunnel began on 24 June 1901, the northern ramp from Schwarzach-St. Veit was built from 1902 onwards. Significant construction cost overruns triggered fierce debates in the Austrian [[Imperial Council (Austria)|Imperial Council]], nevertheless on 20 September 1905 the first section of the line up to [[Bad Gastein]] station was ceremonially opened by Emperor [[Franz Joseph I of Austria|Franz Joseph I]], Minister-President [[Paul Gautsch von Frankenthurn]], and Archbishop Cardinal [[Johannes Katschthaler]]. The southern ramp down to Spittal an der Drau was erected from 1906 under the supervision of the Viennese engineer and entrepreneur [[:de:Wilhelm Carl Gustav von Doderer|Wilhelm Carl Gustav von Doderer]], father of the writer [[Heimito von Doderer]]. The railway line was completed in 1909 and inaugurated by the emperor at Spittal station on 5 July.
The tunnel itself had been built double-track, the northern and southern sections only single-track. The [[Obervellach]] station near the southern tunnel exit, situated on a slope {{convert|365|m|ft|abbr=on}} above the village, from 1931 could be reached by a [[cable car (aerial)|cable car]], that was dismantled in 1976. In 1999 the Obervellach station was finally abandoned and relocated to [[Mallnitz]]. In 1933-35 the Tauern Railway line was completely electrified. From 1969 onwards further sections were restored to double track including several new passages, viaducts and straightenings to cope with the high traffic load and to allow higher travelling speeds. The southern ramp down to [[Lurnfeld|Pusarnitz]] was completed double-track in 2009, while parts of the former track bed between Mallnitz and Obervellach were turned into a hiking trail. A new double-track bridge in the Gastein valley was put into operation in 2016.
==Rail service== [[File:1043 004 1998-04-08 Mallnitz.jpg|thumb|left|[[ÖBB Class 1043]] ''Tauernschleuse'' shuttle train in Mallnitz]] Since 1920 [[car shuttle train]]s (''Tauernschleuse'') through the Tauern Tunnel ply between the stations of Bad Gastein-Böckstein and Mallnitz. Up to World War II, the Tauern Railway mainly served Austrian domestic rail service, with a few links to [[Kingdom of Yugoslavia|Yugoslavia]] ([[Zagreb]], [[Belgrade]], and the [[Adriatic Sea|Adriatic]] coast). After the war, the number of international train services to [[Southeast Europe]] increased as the main route via [[Bratislava]] and [[Budapest]] was blocked by the [[Iron Curtain]]. From 1951 to 1988 the ''Tauern-Express'' ran from [[Ostend]] to Yugoslavia, including [[through coach]]es to [[Athens]] and [[Istanbul]], frequently used by migrant workers (''[[Gastarbeiter]]'') in [[West Germany]].
Long-distance services have decreased since the [[Yugoslav Wars]] in the 1990s, and by competition from expanded road connections and cheaper flights. Today the Tauern Railway provides [[EuroCity]] service to Zagreb and ÖBB [[InterCity]] connections link [[Salzburg]] with [[Klagenfurt]], partially served by [[Railjet]] trains.
==Reopening 2025== The Tauern railway was closed in November 2024 for construction works. It reopened July 2025 allowing key Alpine railway services to resume including the [[Nightjet]] from [[Munich]] to [[Rome]] and the overnight services from [[Stuttgart]] and [[Salzburg]] to [[Venice]].<ref>{{Cite web |author1=Nicky Gardner |title=Light at the end of the tunnels: classic rail routes through the Alps reopen |url=https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/jul/10/classic-rail-routes-through-alps-reopen-austria-switzerland-italy |access-date=12 July 2025 |publisher=The Guardian |date=10 July 2025}}</ref>
==See also== *[[Rail transport in Austria]] *[[Austrian Federal Railways]]
===Footnotes=== {{Reflist}}
=== Sources=== * {{cite book|last1=Eckert|first1=Klaus|first2=Gerald|last2=Kowarik|first3=Gerfried|last3=Moll|title=Tauernbahn - Österreichs moderne Alpenbahn|publisher= Europmedia-Verlag|date=2009|isbn=978-3-940262-03-5|language=de}} * {{cite book|editor-first=Christoph |editor-last=Posch |first=Detlef |last=Löffler|title=Jahre Tauernbahn – das waghalsige Unterfangen, eine Eisenbahnlinie über die Tauern in den Süden zu bauen. Hundert Jahre imposante Ingenieurskunst, die heute noch ihresgleichen sucht|publisher=Art Quarterly Publishing House|location=Vienna|date=2009|isbn=978-3-9502841-0-2|language=de}} * {{cite book|last=Horn |first=Alfred |title=Infrastrukturbauten, Fahrzeugbau, ausländische Triebfahrzeuge in Österreich, Einstellungen, Stillegungen in Niederösterreich. Eisenbahn-Bilderalbum |volume=12 |publisher=Bohmann Verlag |location=Vienna|date=2008|isbn=978-3-901983-81-8|language=de}} * {{cite book|title=Eisenbahnatlas Österreich |trans-title=Railway atlas of Austria|publisher= Schweers + Wall | date = 2010 |isbn= 978-3-89494-138-3|ref={{SfnRef|Railway Atlas|2010}}}}
== External links == * [https://web.archive.org/web/20071008134216/http://www.oebb.at/vip8/pv/de/Reisen_in_den_Bundeslaendern/Kaernten/Autoschleuse_Tauernbahn/index.jsp Departure times] * [http://www.museum-tauernbahn.at/ Tauern Railway Museum in Schwarzach im Pongau] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20110706092651/http://www.hochwarter.at/Seite13.html Buchtipp: 100 Jahre Tauernbahn] * [http://www.bildarchivaustria.at/Bildarchiv//272/B4186685T4186689.jpg Opening of the North Ramp of the Tauern Railway by Franz Joseph I 20 September 1905] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20100820152937/http://www.europmedia-verlag.de/angebot/102052/fr_102052_start.htm Tauern Railway – Austria’s Modern Alpine Railway / Buchtipp] * [http://www.tauernbahn.at The Tauern Railway - www.tauernbahn.at] * [http://www.zeno.org/Roell-1912/A/History of Construction of the Tauern Railway]{{Dead link|date=June 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=no }} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20110706091406/http://www.eisenbahn-in-oesterreich.at/index.php?id=fotoalbum_tauernbahn Fotoalbum: TAUERNBAHN] – Railway photographs of the Tauern Railway (www.eisenbahn-in-oesterreich.at)
{{coord|47.0703|N|13.1391|E|source:wikidata|display=title}} {{Authority control}}
[[Category:Railway lines in Austria]] [[Category:Ankogel Group]] [[Category:Goldberg Group]]