# Tauern Railway

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Railway line in Austria

Tauern Railway Railjet 793 near Bad Hofgastein, Salzburg Overview Native name Tauernbahn Status Operational Owner Austrian Federal Railways Line number 222 01 Locale Salzburg, Carinthia Termini Schwarzach-St. Veit Spittal-Millstättersee Stations 21 Service Type Mountain railway Inter-city rail Route number 220 Operator Austrian Federal Railways History Opened Stages between 1905–1909 Technical Line length 79 km (49 mi) Number of tracks Double track * Schwarzach-St. V. – Loifarn-Süd (5.4 km) * turnout Loifarn 1 – turnout Bad Hofg. 1 (13.3 km) * Angertal – turnout Angertal 1 (2.3 km) * Böckstein – Spittal-Millstättersee (46.5 km) Single track Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge Minimum radius 247 m (810.4 ft) Electrification 15 kV/16.7 Hz AC Overhead line Operating speed 130 km/h (81 mph) Maximum incline 3.0 % Route map Legend km elev Salzburg-Tyrol Railway from Salzburg 0.000 Schwarzach-St. Veit Salzburg-Tyrol Railway to Wörgl Untersberg Tunnel (270 m) Kenlach Tunnel (314 m) Birgl Tunnel (960 m) 5.431 Loifarn (since 2006 no passenger services) 6.800 Loifarn-Süd 7.103 7.422 break in kilometrage (-319 m) Lower Klamm Tunnel (739.38 m) Oberer Klamm Tunnel (744.01 m) B 167 Gasteiner Bundesstraße 9.292 9.337 Loifarn 1 turnout (break in kilometrage (-45 m)) Klammstein ( closed 01.06.1991) Gasteiner Ache 14.313 Dorfgastein 19.281 Bad Hofgastein 22.360 Bad Hofgastein stop 22.570 Bad Hofgastein 1 turnout Angerschlucht Bridge (New bridge 138 m) 25.390 Angertal since 2006 no passenger services 27.662 turnout Angertal 1 27.840 27.900 break in kilometrage (-60 m) 30.078 Bad Gastein Nassfelder Ache Anlaufbach 34.183 Böckstein (Car shuttle ) 34.200 34.204 break in kilometrage (-4 m) 34.816 Tauern Tunnel (8370 m) 43.187 Tauern Tunnel (closed 2001) 43.347 Mallnitz-Hintertal Seebach 45.110 Mallnitz-Nord 45.932 Mallnitz-Obervellach formerly Mallnitz (Car shuttle ) 46.000 46.862 break in kilometrage (-862 m) 47.635 Dösen Tunnel (891.19 m) 51.738 Mallnitz-Obervellach crossover 2 51.767 Kaponig formerly Obervellach closed 1999 52.731 Kaponig Tunnel (5096 m) Upper Kaponig Tunnel (236.05 m) Rescue gallery Ochenig Tunnel (690 m) Lower Kaponig Tunnel (789.22 m) Upper Lindisch Tunnel (260 m) Lindischgraben Bridge (283 m) Lower Lindisch Tunnel (379 m) 55.819 Oberfalkenstein Leutschach Tunnel (247 m) Falkenstein Tunnel (67 m) Falkenstein Bridge (396 m) Gratschach Tunnel (357 m) Pfaffenberg Tunnel (499 m) Pfaffenberg Bridge (377 m) Zwengenberg Tunnel (391 m) 57.942 58.300 break in kilometrage (-358 m) 58.417 Penk Mölltheuergraben Bridge (94 m) Litzelsdorfergraben Bridge (185 m) Rieckenbach Bridge (190 m) 64.790 Kolbnitz 69.124 Kolbnitz crossover 2 69.360 69.428 Mühldorf-Möllbrücke replaced by Kolbnitz crossover 2 72.904 Pusarnitz 74.000 Pusarnitz-Süd Drava Valley Railway from Innichen 74.394 Line 407 01 turnout 80.897 Spittal-Millstättersee Drava Valley Railway to Villach and Maribor km Source: Austrian railway atlas[1]

The **Tauern Railway** ([German](/source/German_language): *Tauernbahn*) is an [Austrian](/source/Austria) railway line between [Schwarzach](/source/Schwarzach_im_Pongau)-[Sankt Veit](/source/Sankt_Veit_im_Pongau) in the state of [Salzburg](/source/Salzburg_(Bundesland)) and [Spittal an der Drau](/source/Spittal_an_der_Drau) in [Carinthia](/source/Carinthia_(state)). It is part of one of the most important north–south trunk routes (*Magistrale*) in Europe and also carries tourist traffic for the [Gastein](/source/Bad_Gastein) Valley. The [standard gauge](/source/Standard_gauge) railway line is 79 km (49 mi) long and climbs the [High Tauern](/source/High_Tauern) range of the [Central Eastern Alps](/source/Central_Eastern_Alps) with a maximum incline of 2.5%, crossing the [Alpine crest](/source/Main_chain_of_the_Alps) through the 8,371 m (27,464 ft) long [Tauern Tunnel](/source/Tauern_Railway_Tunnel). It is one of the [highest standard gauge railways in Europe](/source/List_of_highest_railways_in_Europe) and the third highest in Austria.

## History

Since the opening of the [Suez Canal](/source/Suez_Canal) in 1869, the [Cisleithanian](/source/Cisleithania) government of [Austria-Hungary](/source/Austria-Hungary) had urged for a direct connection of the restored main Austrian seaport at [Trieste](/source/Port_of_Trieste) with the [Bohemian](/source/Kingdom_of_Bohemia) 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 *[k.k.](/source/Imperial-Royal)* Railway Ministry under [Heinrich von Wittek](/source/Heinrich_Ritter_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.[2] Construction was executed by the public [Imperial Royal Austrian State Railways](/source/Imperial_Royal_Austrian_State_Railways) to achieve an alternative route bypassing the [Southern Railway](/source/Southern_Railway_(Austria)) line from [Vienna](/source/Vienna) to Trieste via the [Semmering railway](/source/Semmering_railway) operated by the private [Austrian Southern Railway](/source/Austrian_Southern_Railway) company. Other sections built in the course of this infrastructure investment were the [Karawanks Railway](/source/Karawanks_Tunnel_(railway)) from [Villach](/source/Villach) to [Jesenice](/source/Jesenice%2C_Jesenice), continued by the [Bohinj Railway](/source/Bohinj_Railway) (*Wocheiner Bahn*) leading through the [Julian Alps](/source/Julian_Alps) to Trieste, as well as the railway line from the city of [Linz](/source/Linz) across the [Pyhrn Pass](/source/Pyhrn_Pass) to the [Selzthal](/source/Selzthal) rail hub.

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](/source/Imperial_Council_(Austria)), nevertheless on 20 September 1905 the first section of the line up to [Bad Gastein](/source/Bad_Gastein) station was ceremonially opened by Emperor [Franz Joseph I](/source/Franz_Joseph_I_of_Austria), Minister-President [Paul Gautsch von Frankenthurn](/source/Paul_Gautsch_von_Frankenthurn), and Archbishop Cardinal [Johannes Katschthaler](/source/Johannes_Katschthaler). The southern ramp down to Spittal an der Drau was erected from 1906 under the supervision of the Viennese engineer and entrepreneur [Wilhelm Carl Gustav von Doderer](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_Carl_Gustav_von_Doderer), father of the writer [Heimito von Doderer](/source/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](/source/Obervellach) station near the southern tunnel exit, situated on a slope 365 m (1,198 ft) above the village, from 1931 could be reached by a [cable car](/source/Cable_car_(aerial)), that was dismantled in 1976. In 1999 the Obervellach station was finally abandoned and relocated to [Mallnitz](/source/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 [Pusarnitz](/source/Lurnfeld) 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

[ÖBB Class 1043](/source/%C3%96BB_Class_1043) *Tauernschleuse* shuttle train in Mallnitz

Since 1920 [car shuttle trains](/source/Car_shuttle_train) (*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 [Yugoslavia](/source/Kingdom_of_Yugoslavia) ([Zagreb](/source/Zagreb), [Belgrade](/source/Belgrade), and the [Adriatic](/source/Adriatic_Sea) coast). After the war, the number of international train services to [Southeast Europe](/source/Southeast_Europe) increased as the main route via [Bratislava](/source/Bratislava) and [Budapest](/source/Budapest) was blocked by the [Iron Curtain](/source/Iron_Curtain). From 1951 to 1988 the *Tauern-Express* ran from [Ostend](/source/Ostend) to Yugoslavia, including [through coaches](/source/Through_coach) to [Athens](/source/Athens) and [Istanbul](/source/Istanbul), frequently used by migrant workers (*[Gastarbeiter](/source/Gastarbeiter)*) in [West Germany](/source/West_Germany).

Long-distance services have decreased since the [Yugoslav Wars](/source/Yugoslav_Wars) in the 1990s, and by competition from expanded road connections and cheaper flights. Today the Tauern Railway provides [EuroCity](/source/EuroCity) service to Zagreb and ÖBB [InterCity](/source/InterCity) connections link [Salzburg](/source/Salzburg) with [Klagenfurt](/source/Klagenfurt), partially served by [Railjet](/source/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](/source/Nightjet) from [Munich](/source/Munich) to [Rome](/source/Rome) and the overnight services from [Stuttgart](/source/Stuttgart) and [Salzburg](/source/Salzburg) to [Venice](/source/Venice).[3]

## See also

- [Rail transport in Austria](/source/Rail_transport_in_Austria)

- [Austrian Federal Railways](/source/Austrian_Federal_Railways)

### Footnotes

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTERailway_Atlas201060,_76,_77_1-0)** [Railway Atlas 2010](#CITEREFRailway_Atlas2010), pp. 60, 76, 77.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Nicky Gardner (10 July 2025). ["Light at the end of the tunnels: classic rail routes through the Alps reopen"](https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/jul/10/classic-rail-routes-through-alps-reopen-austria-switzerland-italy). The Guardian. Retrieved 12 July 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Nicky Gardner (10 July 2025). ["Light at the end of the tunnels: classic rail routes through the Alps reopen"](https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/jul/10/classic-rail-routes-through-alps-reopen-austria-switzerland-italy). The Guardian. Retrieved 12 July 2025.

### Sources

- Eckert, Klaus; Kowarik, Gerald; Moll, Gerfried (2009). *Tauernbahn - Österreichs moderne Alpenbahn* (in German). Europmedia-Verlag. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-3-940262-03-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-3-940262-03-5).

- Löffler, Detlef (2009). Posch, Christoph (ed.). *Jahre Tauernbahn – das waghalsige Unterfangen, eine Eisenbahnlinie über die Tauern in den Süden zu bauen. Hundert Jahre imposante Ingenieurskunst, die heute noch ihresgleichen sucht* (in German). Vienna: Art Quarterly Publishing House. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-3-9502841-0-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-3-9502841-0-2).

- Horn, Alfred (2008). *Infrastrukturbauten, Fahrzeugbau, ausländische Triebfahrzeuge in Österreich, Einstellungen, Stillegungen in Niederösterreich. Eisenbahn-Bilderalbum* (in German). Vol. 12. Vienna: Bohmann Verlag. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-3-901983-81-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-3-901983-81-8).

- *Eisenbahnatlas Österreich* [*Railway atlas of Austria*]. Schweers + Wall. 2010. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-3-89494-138-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-3-89494-138-3).

## External links

- [Departure times](https://web.archive.org/web/20071008134216/http://www.oebb.at/vip8/pv/de/Reisen_in_den_Bundeslaendern/Kaernten/Autoschleuse_Tauernbahn/index.jsp)

- [Tauern Railway Museum in Schwarzach im Pongau](http://www.museum-tauernbahn.at/)

- [Buchtipp: 100 Jahre Tauernbahn](https://web.archive.org/web/20110706092651/http://www.hochwarter.at/Seite13.html)

- [Opening of the North Ramp of the Tauern Railway by Franz Joseph I 20 September 1905](http://www.bildarchivaustria.at/Bildarchiv//272/B4186685T4186689.jpg)

- [Tauern Railway – Austria’s Modern Alpine Railway / Buchtipp](https://web.archive.org/web/20100820152937/http://www.europmedia-verlag.de/angebot/102052/fr_102052_start.htm)

- [The Tauern Railway - www.tauernbahn.at](http://www.tauernbahn.at)

- [of Construction of the Tauern Railway](http://www.zeno.org/Roell-1912/A/History)[*[permanent dead link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot)*]

- [Fotoalbum: TAUERNBAHN](https://web.archive.org/web/20110706091406/http://www.eisenbahn-in-oesterreich.at/index.php?id=fotoalbum_tauernbahn) – Railway photographs of the Tauern Railway (www.eisenbahn-in-oesterreich.at)

[47°04′13″N 13°08′21″E / 47.0703°N 13.1391°E / 47.0703; 13.1391](https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=Tauern_Railway&params=47.0703_N_13.1391_E_source:wikidata)

Authority control databases VIAF GND

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Tauern Railway](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tauern_Railway) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tauern_Railway?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.