Austria
Railway development here began early, especially in the mining
areas. A line at Erzberg (Ore Mountain) in Styria is recorded as
early as 1810.
The first public railway in Austria was also the first in
continental Europe. This was a 129 km horse drawn line from Budweis
(České Budĕjovice in the present day Czech Republic) to Linz,
built to the very unusual gauge of 1106mm. It opened in 1832, and
was extended 4 years later to Gmunden, nearly doubling its length.
A small part of the line has been restored as a working museum.
However, the first line that was destined to become part of the
modern network was a steam hauled, standard (1435mm) gauge line,
opened in 1837 between Floridsdorf (near Vienna) to Deutsch Wagram, a
distance of 13km. Even in the days of the Empire, railways in Austria
were heavily influenced by German practice, and this remains evident to
the present day. On the dissolution of the Empire following the First
World War, the network took on more or less its present shape.
The State owned railway company remains the primary main line
operator for passenger and freight. However, there are a number of
independent operators, as well as minor railways, which are in
private hands.
Main Line Railways
- ÖBB
Austrian Federal Railways, the national network
- City
Airport Train passenger shuttle connecting central Vienna to the
Airport
- Raab-Ödenburg-Ebenfurter Eisenbahn an independent
railway company on the Austrian - Hungarian border with a remarkable
history
- Brenner Eisenbahn
new line under construction from Wörgl to Fortezza (Italy), including
the Brenner Base Tunnel
Freight Operators
- Rail Cargo
Austria freight operating business of ÖBB
- CargoServ private operator on the national network
- EHG Ennshafen
container port on the Danube with a 2km private rail link to the ÖBB
freight yard at Enns (Site in German)
- LTE private
operator on the national network (Site in German)
- SETG private
operator on the national network (Site in German)
- Kiefersfelden Grenzbahn (KGB) a 5km, 900mm gauge industrial
electric railway operating between a quarry in Austria and a cement
works in Germany. Operated by Rohrdorfer Zement (Site in
German, contains no information relating to railway)
Minor railways and interurbans
- GKB
standard gauge local passenger and freight railway between Graz and
Köflach (40km), with a branch from Lieboch to Wies-Eibiswald (50km)
(Site in German, unusable without Flash, accessibility poor,
some linked pages missing)
- Montafonerbahn standard gauge local and tourist
railway between Schruns and Bludenz in the western Tirol (12km)
(Site in German)
- Pinzgaubahn
760mm gauge local and tourist railway between Zell am See and Mittersill
(28.6km). Steam trains operate at certain times. A further 24km between
Mittersill and Krimml is out of use at the time of writing, replacement
services by bus being provided on this section (Site in German)
- Salzburger
Lokalbahn standard gauge electric line, Salzburg to
Lamprechtshausen (25km), with a branch from branch from Bürmoos to
Trimmelkam (9km). In the valley of the Salzbach, which forms the border
with Germany. Steam trains operate at certain times
(Site in German)
- SRB freight and tourist passenger services between Oberwart
and Rechnitz in the Südburgenland (No website located at
present, but see Märchenbahn)
- Steiermärkische
Landesbahnen a group of lines in the Steiermark region, including:
- Feistritztalbahn 760mm gauge freight line, Weiz to
Oberfeisnitz (11.5km). The infrastucture is also used by steam tourist
trains operated by Erlebnis Feistritztalbahn
- Feldbach - Bad Gleichenberg standard gauge electric local
passenger and freight line (21km)
- Mixnitz - St Erhard 760mm gauge electric freight only line
serving the Breitenau magnesite works of RHI AG (10.4km)
- Murtalbahn 760mm gauge local and tourist line, Unzmarkt to
Tamsweg (64.5km). Steam trains operate at certain times
- Peggau - Übelbach standard gauge local passenger and
freight line (10km)
- Weizerbahn standard gauge passenger and freight line,
Gleisdorf to Weiz (14.8km)
The group also operates the freight terminal at Graz Süd / Werndorf,
as well as freight and passnger services on ÖBB lines in the region
(Sites in German)
- Stern &
Hafferl most widely spread of the Austrian private railway
operators, with a number of small lines including:
- Attergaubahn metre gauge electric line, Vöcklamarkt to
Attersee (13,3km)
- Haager Lies standard gauge electric line, Haag am
Hausruck to Neukirchen (22km); trains continue a further 4km over
the ÖBB line to Lambach. Withdrawal of passenger services is under
consideration, although freight services are expected to continue.
- Linzer Lokalbahn standard gauge electric line, Linz to
Neumarkt-Kaltham (55km), with a branch from Niederspaching to
Peuerbach (3.5km)
- Traunseebahn metre gauge electric line, Gmunden to Vorchdorf
(14.6km)
- Vorchdorferbahn standard gauge electric line, Lambach to
Vorchdorf (14.7km)
- Gmunden trams (see also below)
(Site in German)
- Wiener Lokalbahnen
an intriguing line that starts out like a tram in the city centre, then
runs out through open country for 27km to the spa town of Baden
Tourist and Museum lines
- Achenseebahn
steam hauled metre gauge rack railway from Jenbach to Achensee (6.7km)
- Erzbergbahn
standard gauge line from the railway museum at Vordernberg Markt to
a point near Eisenerz (16.5km). Steam hauled trains and diesel railcars
(Site in German)
- Feistritztalbahn steam hauled trains on the 760mm
gauge line from Weiz to Birkfeld (24km). Part of the line is used by
Steiermärkische
Landesbahnen for freight traffic (Site in German)
- Florianerbahn 900mm gauge electric tramway from
Pichling (near Linz) to Markt St Florian (6km)
- Gurktalbahn 760mm gauge steam hauled line from
Treibach-Althofen to Pöckstein-Zwischenwässern, representing the
first 3.3km of a former 29km line to Klein Glödnitz
- Höllentalbahn 760mm gauge electric railway from
Payerbach to Hirschwang (4.8km) (Site in German, provided by
Erlebnis Bahn)
- KGB the Kiefersfelden Grenz Bahn is a 5km, 900mm
gauge industrial electric railway operating between a quarry at Wachtl
in Austria and a cement works at Kiefersfelden in Germany. At weekends,
there is a tourist passenger service (Site in German)
- Märchenbahn
steam hauled tourist trains on the SRB standard gauge line from
Großpetersdorf to Rechnitz (14.8km) (Site in German)
- Mariazellerbahn 760mm gauge electric tourist and
local railway, described as “the most beautiful line through
the Austrian Alps”. St Pölten to Mariazell (84km) with a non-electified
branch from Ober Grafendorf to Mank (18km). Steam trains operate on
certain sections at certain times (Site in German)
- Nostalgiebahnen in Kärnten group of lines and
museums including:
- Lavantblitz diesel hauled standard gauge trains
between St Paul and Lavamünd (12.6km)
- Museumstramway Klagenfurt See metre gauge tramway
near Klagenfurt, about 1km in length. Cars usually hauled by battery
electric locomotive, but on certain days by horses
- Rosentaler Dampfbummelzug steam hauled standard
gauge trains between Weizeldorf and Ferlach (5.7km)
(Sites in German)
- ÖGEG
operates main steam excursions, and two museum lines:
- Museumsbahn Ampflwang-Timelkam steam hauled, standard gauge,
10.4 km
- Steyrtal Museumsbahn steam hauled, 760mm gauge,
Steyr to Grünburg (16.5 km)
(Site in German; not all lines indexed from home page, access
the events page for fuller details)
- Pferde-Eisenbahn a 0.5 km stretch of the original
1106mm gauge horse drawn line from Budweis to Linz, restored to carry
passengers in conjunction with a small museum at Kerschbaum, near
Rainbach Im Mühlkreis (Site in German)
- Reißeck Bergbahnen a funicular from the town of Kolbnitz to
Schoberbodern, and a narrow gauge railway from there to Reißeck
- Schafbergbahn metre gauge rack railway from
St Wolfgang (on the shore of the Wolfgangsee) to Schafbergspitz
(9.8km, with a rise of nearly 1200m). Steam trains
operate on certain days. The company also offers boat trips on the
Wolfgangsee.
- Schaubergwerk Kupferplatte former copper mine, now
a museum, at Jochberg, between Kitzbühel and Uttendorf. Includes a
short (125m) 600mm gauge battery electric railway taking visitors
underground in converted mine cars.
- Schneebergbahn metre gauge rack railway from
Puchberg to Schneeberg (6km, with a rise of over 1200m). Steam trains
operate on certain days
- Stainzer Flascherlzug 760mm gauge steam hauled
tourist line, Stainz to Preding-Wieselsdorf (11.3km). In addition
to the normal summer weekend service, occasional “moonlight” evening
services are offered. Private trains can also be chartered.
- Taurachbahn
760mm gauge steam and diesel hauled tourist line, Mautendorf to
St Andrä-Andlwirt (9.5km). The line is in effect an extension of the
Murtalbahn, but at the present time no through trains operate
- Verien
Rhein-Schauen steam and electric hauled trains between the Rhein
museum at Lustenau and the mouths of the Rhein on Lake Constance
(Bodensee) over the 750mm gauge former works railway of Internationale Rheinregulierung. Combined excursions
by train and river boat are also offered (Sites in German)
- Wälderbähnle
steam and diesel hauled 760mm gauge tourist line between Bezau and
Bersbuch (6.1km) in a remote location above Bregenz
(Site in German)
- Waldviertlerbahn a group of picturesque 760mm
gauge lines, with a total length of over 80km, in the countryside
around Gmünd. Steam trains operate on certain sections
(Site in German)
- Ybbstalbahn 760mm gauge section of ÖBB from Waldhofen to
Linz am See (53.6km), with a branch from Gstadt to Ybbsitz (5.7km).
Various special excursions, some with steam haulage, are operated by
Verein Pro Ybbstalbahn
(Site in German)
- Ybbsthalbahn Bergstrecke 760mm gauge line with
steam and diesel haulage over the heavily graded route, continuing
from the Ybbstalbahn at Lunz an See to Kienberg-Gaming, a distance
of 17.6km (Site in German, provided by Erlebnis Bahn. Note the use of an
older spelling, Ybbsthal rather than Ybbstal)
- Zillertalbahn a particularly
attractive narrow gauge tourist and local railway between Jenbach and
Mayrhofen
- Liliputbahn im
Prater steam-hauled miniature railway with nearly 4km in track in
Vienna's Prater (Site in German)
Private Railway
- Gasteiner Heilstollen is a treatment centre
offering a natural therapy in the Heilstollen (Healing Caves). A
2.5km, 600mm gauge underground railway conveys patients from the
treatment centre to the caves. Whilst primarily intended for those
undergoing a course of therapy, short taster sessions (which include a
visit to the caves) are available at certain times.
Draisinen (Velorails)
Pedal driven trolleys available for hire
- Sonnenland
Draisinentour between Horitschon-Neckenmarkt and Oberpullendorf
(22.6km), when the line is not in use by freight traffic
(Site in German and Hungarian)
Metros, trams and urban funiculars
- Wiener
Linien Metro (U-bahn) and trams in Vienna (Site in German)
- Gmunden
trams (Site in German)
- Graz
trams and the Schloßbergbahn funicular (Site in German)
- Halstatt Salzbergbahn funicular
- Innsbruck urban
trams (including thte Mittelgebrigsbahn line 6 to Igls),
the Subaitalbahn railway (running over the tram tracks in the
city centre) and the Hungerburgbahn funicular
(Site in German)
- Kufstein
Panoramabahn Kaiser Maximilian funicular, giving access to the
castle (Site mainly in German, with some information in English)
- Linz trams
- Salzburg Festungsbahn funicular, serving the
Castle (Site in German). Note that the castle also has
a separate, freight only funicular for taking supplies to premises on
the castle plateau (No website located at present)
- Serfaus the Dorfbahn (Village Railway) underground
funicular, connecting the car parks with the village centre and ski
lifts (Site in German)
Mountain funiculars
- Burg Hochosterwitz a funicular gives access to the
castle (Site contains little information relating to
funicular)
- Gasteiner
Bergbahn Bad Hofgastein to Kitzstein, where it connects with a
cablecar to Schloßalm
- Großglockner Gletscherbahn from the car park at
Freiwandeck (near Heiligenblut) to the Pasterze glacier
(Site in German)
- Hartkaiserbahn Ellmau from Ellmau (southeast of
Kufstein) to the Hartkaiser. Standard gauge, 2.3km in length with a
rise of 713m (Site in German)
- Kitzsteinhorn like many ski areas, the Kitzsteinhorn
is served by a network of cablecars and lifts. However, there is also
a funicular monorail, the Gletscher Shuttle, which drops almost
100m from the summit station at Bella Vista to the ski slopes. Not to be
confused with a longer, conventional funicular in the same area, which
was destroyed by a disastrous fire in 2000.
(Site contains little information relating to funicular)
- Mölltaler
Gletscher Express Innerfragant (near Flattach) to Mittelstation,
where it connects with a cablecar to Eissee. At 4.7 km, the longest
underground funicular in the Alps (Site in German, button for
English version non-functional)
- Olympiabahn
Axamer Lizum (near Axams, in the Tirol) to Hoadl (Site in German)
- Pitzexpress underground funicular serving the
Pitztaler Glacier, near Imst (Site mainly in German with some
information in English)
- Rosshütte
Bergbahn from a base station near Seefeld to Rosshütte, where it
connects with cablecars
- Verbund
Austrian Hydro Power owns and operates several funiculars, including:
- 3 at hydroelectric plants in the Kaprun valley
- Kreuzeckbahn near Kolbnitz (opposite the Reißeck Bergbahnen)
(Website contains no information relating to funiculars)
- Vermuntbahn Partenen to Tromenier in the Vorarlberg
(No website located at present)
- Veste Riegersburg a funicular gives access to the
castle and museum (Site in German)
- Wurzeralmbahn
Spital am Pyhrn to the Bergrestaurant Wurzeralm, where it connects with
cablecars. Standard gauge, 2.9km in length with a rise of 622m
(Site in German, slow and cumbersome in operation, poor
accessibility)
