Last update for this page: 14 October 2007.
National Railway System: Österreichische Bundesbahnen (ÖBB).
Languages: German, which differs in certain respects from the version spoken in Germany.
Currency: Euro
UIC code: 81 (ÖBB), 43 (Györ-Sopron-Ebenfurti Vasút/Raab-Odenenburg-Ebenfurter Eisenbahn, GySEV/ROeEE).
Timetable: Fahrpläne Österreich. Includes train services operated by ÖBB and private railways. Cross-border services operated by SZ to Bleiburg appear only in the separate international volume, though all other international lines are shown at least to the first station outside Austria. Some shipping and a few bus services are included. Symbols and abbreviations are explained in English and French, but the timetable is otherwise entirely in German. A fold-out route diagram is included in the timetable. This shows principal stations and distinguishes private and narrow-gauge lines. The main Alpine rail tunnels are also marked.
Gauge: Mostly standard gauge, but the following ÖBB lines are narrow gauge:
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760mm gauge: 115 St Polten - Mariazell and Ruprechtshofen; 132 Waidhofen a d Ybbs - Ybbsitz and Lunz am See; 230 Zell am See - Krimml www.pinzgaubahn.at (under transfer to Salzburg AG); Gmünd NÖ - Groß Gerungs and Gmünd NÖ - Litschau and Heidenreichstein (see ÖBB Erlebnisbahn); |
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Metre gauge (and rack operated): 523 Puchberg am Schneeberg - Hochschneeberg (see below regarding ownership). |
Various private lines are narrow gauge, as noted below.
Electrification: 15kV 16.7Hz. The St Polten - Mariazell line is electrified at 6.6kV 25Hz. Electrification systems used by private lines are noted below. The following cross-border routes with Hungary are electrified at the Hungarian standard 25kV 50Hz:
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between Ebenfurth and Deutschkreutz via Sopron (Ebenfurth station area can be switched between the two voltages); |
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between Neusiedl am See (exclusive) and Fertöszentmiklós (the electrification boundary is a few hundred metres south of Neusiedl station). |
Rule of the road: Many lines are single track and most double track railways are signalled for reversible working. It is normal practice around Wien and in the east of the country for trains to run on the left, though right hand running is observed on the main line from Wien Westbf. Left hand running extends from Wien to Graz, but the main line to Klagenfurt changes to right hand running at Bruck an der Mur. Right hand running is observed in the west of Austria.
Other railways:
Table numbers in the Fahrpläne Österreich are shown in brackets
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Graz-Köflacher Eisenbahn: Graz Hbf - Köflach and Wies-Eibiswald (550) www.gkb.at |
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Montafonerbahn AG: Bludenz - Schruns (420). Electrified 15kV 16.7Hz www.montafonerbahn.at |
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Raab-Oedenburg-Ebenfurter Eisenbahn AG: Ebenfurth - Sopron (512), Neusiedl am See - Fertószentmiklós (731). An international railway in joint Austrian and Hungarian ownership, better-known by its Hungarian name, Györ-Sopron Ebenfurti Vasút (GySEV). Raab and Oedenburg are the German names for Györ and Sopron respectively. The line from Ebenfurth to Sopron is electrified at 25kV 50Hz and used by dual-frequency ÖBB trains between Sopron and Wien Südbf. GySEV also owns the line between Sopron and Györ, which is entirely in Hungary and electrified at 25kV 50Hz. www.raaberbahn.at |
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Salzburg Stadtwerke AG Verkehrsbetriebe Lokalbahn: Salzburg Lokalbahn - Trimmelkam and Lamprechtshausen (210). Electrified 1000 V dc. Bürmoos - Trimmelkam was acquired from Stern und Hafferl by Salzburg Stadtwerke on 31 July 1993 and modernised, with construction of a new underground terminus outside Salzburg Hbf. www.slb.at |
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Steiermärkische Landesbahnen www.stlb.at: Gleisdorf - Weiz Stadt (531), Feldbach - Bad Gleichenberg (532) (electrified 1000 V dc), Peggau-Deutschfelstritz - Ubelbach (540) (electrified 15kV 16.7Hz), Unzmarkt - Tamsweg (630) (760mm gauge), Mixnitz - St Erhard (760mm gauge, electrified 800V dc, freight only but it is possible to charter passenger trains or passenger coaches on freight trains), Weiz - Anger (760mm gauge, freight and limited steam tourist trains). |
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Stern und Hafferl: Linz Lokalbahn - Peuerbach and Neumarkt-Kalham (143) (electrified 800V dc), Lambach - Vorchdorf-Eggenberg (160), Vorchdorf-Eggenberg - Gmunden Seebf (161) (metre gauge, electrified 800V dc), Lambach - Haag am Hausruck (162) (electrified 800V dc, operated by dual-system railcars with running over ÖBB tracks), Vöcklamarkt Lokalbahn - Attersee (180) (metre gauge, electrified 800V dc), Vorchdorf-Eggenberg - Brauerei Eggenberg (freight only). www.stern-verkehr.at |
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Stubaitalbahn AG: Innsbruck - Fulpmes (320). Metre gauge, electrified 900V dc. Operated by tram-style vehicles which work through onto the Innsbruck tram system at 750V dc. www.ivb.at |
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Südburgenländische Regionalbahn: Oberwart - Oberschutzen (out of use); Oberwart - Großpetersdorf - Rechnitz (freight, plus July and August Sunday excursions from Grosspetersdorf "towards Märchenwald") www.maerchenbahn.at |
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AG der Wiener Lokalbahnen: Wien Oper - Baden Josefsplatz (515) An 800V dc long-distance tramway, connected to the Wien tram system. www.wlb.at |
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Zell am See – Krimml (230), Pinzgauerbahn, 760 mm gauge, is in the process of being transferred from ÖBB to Salzburg AG. www.pinzgaubahn.at |
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Zillertaler Verkehrsbetriebe AG: Jenbach - Mayrhofen (310) (760mm gauge). www.zillertalbahn.at |
Tourist Lines:
Various private lines, listed above, and the Schneebergbahn line are wholly or largely tourist operations.
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Achenseebahn AG: Jenbach Achenseebf - Achensee Schiffstation (311). Metre gauge, rack operated. Steam worked. Does not operate during the winter. www.achenseebahn.at |
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Ampflwang - Timelkam www.oegeg.at |
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Wälderbähnle (Bregenzerwaldbahn) (BWB): Bezau - Bersbuch (760mm gauge) |
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Eisenerz Schaubergwerk (900 mm gauge) www.abenteuer-erzberg.at |
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Erzbergbahn: Vordernberg Markt - Eisenerz www.erzbergbahn.at |
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Festritztalbahn: Weiz - Birkfeld (760mm gauge) www.feistritztalbahn.at |
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Flascherlzug: Stainz - Preding-Wieselsdorf (760mm gauge) www.stainz.at/stainz/zug.htm |
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Club Florianerbahn: St.Florian - Pichling See (900mm gauge) (currently out of service) www.florianerbahn.at |
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Gurkthalbahn: Treibach-Althofen - Pöckstein-Zwischenwässern (760mm gauge) www.gurkthalbahn.at |
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Höllentalbahn: Payerbach Ort - Hirschwang (760mm gauge) www.lokalbahnen.at/hoellentalbahn |
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Jochberg (Kitzbühl) Schaubergwerke Kupferplatte (600 mm gauge) |
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Klagenfurt Museumstramway www.nostalgiebahn.at |
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Lavamünder BahbetriebsgesmbH St.Paul – Lavamünd (trains can be chartered) www.nostalgiebahn.at/lavantblitz.php |
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Museumstramway Mariazell-Erlaufsee: Mariazell - Erlaufsee |
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Martinsberger Lokalbahn: Martinsberg-Gutenbrunn - Zwettl www.lokalbahnverein.at |
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Reißeckbahn (Tauern Touristik GmbH): Schoberboden - Reißeck (not included in the Fahrpläne Österreich). 600mm gauge www.tauerntouristik.at/en/reisseck/index.php |
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Rosenthaler Dampfbummelzüge: Weizelsdorf - Ferlach www.nostalgiebahn.at |
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St Wolfgang Schafbergbahn – Schafbergspitze (173), metre gauge, rack operated, steam and diesel, is now trading as Salzkammergutbahn GmbH , under the Salzburg AG umbrella. www.schafbergbahn.at |
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Steyrtalbahn: Grünburg - Steyr Lokalbf (760mm gauge) www.steyrtalbahn.at |
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Taurachbahn: Mautendorf - St Andrä (760mm gauge) www.club760.at |
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Waldviertler Schmalspurbahn: Altnagelberg - Heidenreichstein (760mm gauge) www.erlebnisbahn.at/wsv |
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Ybbsthalbahn Bergstrecke: Kienberg-Gaming - Lunz am See (760m gauge) www.lokalbahnen.at/bergstrecke |
ÖBB has created a unit called ÖBB Erlebnisbahn (ÖBB Experience Railway). See www.erlebnis-bahn-schiff.at for more information. Passenger trains on these lines are operated by Erlebnisbahn only, which means that there is very limited traffic.
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513 Weissenbach-Neuhaus - Hainfeld |
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801 Gmünd NÖ – Gross Gerungs (760 mm gauge) |
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802 Gmünd NÖ – Litschau (760 mm gauge) |
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811 Emmersdorf – St-Nikola-Struden (part of Donauuferbahn) |
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941 Retz - Drosendorf |
Metro: Wien has a third rail U-Bahn (much of which is above ground) and several sections of overhead-electrified U-Bahn tramway with metro characteristics.
Trams: Gmunden www.stern-verkehr.at, Graz www.gstw.at, Innsbruck www.ivb.at, Linz www.linzag.at, Wien www.wienerlinen.at (which extends via the Wiener Lokalbahnen into Baden). The Wien system is the largest European network outside Russia.
Recent and future changes:
The major programme of realigning and rebuilding main lines continues, particularly between Wien Westbf and Salzburg. The latest addition is the Enns avoiding line (Linz Ebelsberg – St Valentin). Eventually, there will be an entirely new line between Hadersdorf and Linz, partly along the existing alignment but with an entirely new route east of Loosdorf. Most of the old line will remain for local traffic. The Lainzer Tunnel, currently under construction with planned completion in 2013, will provide a new connection between the Westbahn (at Hadersdorf) and Wien-Meidling. There will also be a spur onto the line to Kledering via Oberlaa.
The new entrance to St Pölten from the east (Knoten Wagram) was completed in August 2005. This includes preparation for the tracks from the New Westbahn (Wienerwald Tunnel – Tullnerfeld) when it is completed.
Electrification between Mistelbach and Laa an der Thaya was completed for use in December 2006, though electrical work less visible to the general public will continue until 2008. Graz Don Bosco station opened 7 September 2007.
The double track Schlierbach Umfahrung (bypass) on the Linz – Selzthal line is planned for completion and usage during September 2007.
Double tracking Meidling – Inzersdorf is under construction, completion is planned for summer 2008.
Double tracking of Kolbnitz - Mühldorf-Möllbrücke (now Abzw Kolbnitz2) was completed in December 2006. The remaining line to Pusarnitz is planned for completion 2008, with the Pusarnitz station one year later.
Extension of Salzburg – Freilassing from two to three tracks is also under construction with a 2010 target for completion.
A new double track, maily in tunnel, is under construction Kundl/Radfeld (west of Wörgl) – Jenbach – Baumkirchen (east of Hall in Tirol) to connect where trains can be routed towards Innsbruck Hbf as well as through the Innsbruck avoiding line. Planned completion is 2011.
The new line Wien (Weidlingau) – Tullnerfeld – St Pölten is under construction with a planned completion in 2012. The break-through in the Wienerwald tunnel occurred on 3 September 2007.
The work has started in 2007 to build a new Wien Hauptbahnhof where Südbahnhof is today. Completion is planned for January 2013. All long-distance trains from Westbahn will then use the Lainzer tunnel and use the Hauptbahnhof instead of Westbahnhof. A new motive power and carriage depot will be built on what has been freight yard and sidings between Wien Süd and Meidling. See www.oebb.at/vip8/bau/de/Pressecorner/Presseinformationen/Praesentation_Hauptbahnhof_Wien_in_vier_Bezirken/index.jsp.
Work has started on the Koralmbahn Klagenfurt – Graz , with the 32 km Koralmtunnel as it centrepiece. Graz – Deutschland and Klagenfurt Wolfsberg are planned for completion 2010, and the entire line 2016. However it will be single track when opened. There is more information at de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koralmbahn (but be careful - Wikipedia information may always be biased). It is planned also to build partial double tracks on the Steirische Ostbahn (Graz – Gleisdorf – Szentgottard (Hungary), but the information on this is very sparse. de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steirische_Ostbahn indicates a south to east Graz avoiding line (otherwise all trains Koralmbahn – Szentgottard would have to run round in Graz) and a possible completion in 2020. But without these measures to the Steirische Ostbahn, the investment in Koralmbahn would be of much less value – it would not be practical to route more freight through Hungary, where there are considerably less gradients than the Semmering route.
For more information and links on these and other projects, see www.oebb.at/vip8/bau/de/Projekte_Planung_und_Bau/index.jsp.
Other new lines opened recently are:
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Innsbruck avoiding line, linking the Brenner and Wörgl lines (this is used only by freight trains) |
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Tunnel for fast trains between Leoben Hbf and St Michael |
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Diversion of the Tauernbahn, mostly in tunnels, between Lindisch and Mallnitz |
Preliminary work on a Semmering base tunnel has been suspended while environmental issues are considered further.
ÖBB is withdrawing freight services from many lines, including the entire narrow-gauge network. It has also stated that in order to cope with reduced subsidies, many passenger services will also have to be withdrawn. Campaigning groups have listed almost every non-electrified line as under threat.
The following routes have appeared on various recent closure threat lists so must be at risk; those marked # are already mostly served by buses. In many cases private operation is being sought to avoid closure.
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115: St. Pölten - Ober Grafendorf - Mariazell |
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115: Ober Grafendorf - Mank |
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132: Waidhofen an der Ybbs - Gstadt - Ybbsitz / Lunz am See |
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152: Haiding - Aschach a d Donau # |
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170: Bad Aussee - Stainach-Irdning |
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172: Vöcklabruck - Kammer-Schörfling # |
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410: (Garmish-Partenkirchen) Ehrwald Zugspitzbahn - Schönbichl (Pfronten-Steinach) |
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620: Zeltweg - Wolfsberg # |
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650: Villach - Feldkirchen - St Veit a d Glan |
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670: Arnoldstein - Kötschach-Mauthen |
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680: Klagenfurt - Rosenbach |
The Oberwart branch (520) is (2007) still operated by ÖBB. A plan to extend the trains from Oberwart to Grosspetersdorf in co-operation with SRB has not materialised.
Salzburger Lokalbahn is in the process of taking over the Zell am See - Krimml line (target date 1 January 2008), but nothing seems to have happened yet regarding other private operators, supported by local councils, acquiring the narrow-gauge systems at St Pölten and Waidhofen a d Ybbs.
The Schneebergbahn, ÖBB's mountain rack railway, has been transferred to a company in which ÖBB and the local Province have an equal shareholding. ÖBB, in effect, continues to run the line, though it comes outside the standard fare system, and the operating loss is shared with the Provincial councils.
The Schafbergbahn was transferred to Salzburg AG in April 2006, see above
The light rail line to Igls, operated as an extension of the Innsbruck tram system, has been threatened with closure, but still continues to operate in 2007.
Corridor Trains (Korridorzüge)
There are three routes outside Austria which are used by domestic ÖBB services running between one part of the country and another. In some cases, stops for international traffic are made, but passengers travelling between Austrian stations are not subject to border or customs controls. They may, however, be required to travel in designated carriages. Domestic Austrian tickets are valid on these trains, but break of journey is not permitted. Routes used by these trains are:
Salzburg - Kufstein via Rosenheim avoiding line (Germany) [ÖBB table 300]: used by many trains between Salzburg and Innsbruck, none of which is scheduled to call in Germany. These are the only passenger trains to use the Rosenheim avoiding line.
Brennersee - Weitlanbrunn via Fortezza (Italy) [ÖBB tables 300 and 223]: used by a limited service between Innsbruck and Lienz.
Loipersbach Schattendorf and Baumgarten - Deutschkreutz via Sopron (Hungary) [ÖBB tables 512 and 524]: used by trains from Wiener Neustadt and Wulkerprodersdorf to Deutschkreutz. In some cases, Korridorzüge passengers require to change trains at Sopron, remaining in transit on the "International" platform.
Special notes:
ÖBB promotes a large number of rail excursions, some of which use freight only lines or visit places of railway interest. A brochure "Erlebnis Bahn & Schiff" is published annually and can be obtained at stations or from Verein Erlebnis Bahn & Schiff, Bahngasse 2, A-2721 Bad Fischau-Brunn, Austria, or from Austria Tourist Offices abroad. Excursions can be booked at principal ÖBB stations or through ÖBB Bahn-Totalservice, Wien Westbahnhof. Phone 01-5800-1700. Details can also be found at www.erlebnis-bahn-schiff.at which includes an e-mail booking facility.
Explanations in English of Austrian (and Swiss) railway signalling can be found at web.utanet.at/smiderkr/.
Maps: In addition to M.G. Ball's ageing "European Railway Atlas", there is the very good “Eisenbahnatlas Österreich” from Schweers + Wall (ISBN 3-89494-128-6), similar to atlases from the same publisher for Germany and Switzerland. There are maps of the Rail Network of Austria at members.telering.at/hans.goebl/bahnnetz-en.htm.
Last complete update 13 September 2007; further update 14 October 2007.
Copyright © 2007. All rights reserved. Copies of this document, whether made electronically or otherwise, must be for personal use only and shall not be used for commercial purposes. The information supplied in this document is for general reference only and should not be relied upon without further specific enquiry. You may alter the formatting and content of this document only to suit your own computer or printer.