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Rudolf Railway
Freight train with containers of timber near Trattenbach
Overview
Line number	101 02 (Amstetten–Abzw Amstetten 11) 102 01 (Abzw Amstetten 11–Kastenreith) 203 01 (St. Valentin–Abzw Weyer 1) 404 01 (Selzthal–St. Michael) 413 13 (St. Michael–St. Michael-West) 413 01 (St. Michael-West–St. Veit an der Glan) 408 01 (St. Veit an der Glan–Villach Hbf-Ostbf) 413 01 (Villach Süd Gvbf-Auen–Tarvisio Boscov.) 413 12 (St. Michael–St. Michael-Ost) 413 01 (St. Michael-Ost–Abzw Leoben Hbf 2) 416 01 (Leoben Hbf 2 junction–Leoben Hbf) 413 14 (Villach Hbf-Ostbf–Villach Süd Gvbf-Auen)
Service
Route number	130 (Amstetten–Selzthal) 131 (St. Valentin–Selzthal) 250 (Selzthal–St. Michael) 600 (St. Michael/Leoben–St. Veit an der Glan) 000 and (Villach–Tarvisio Boscoverde) 601 (Friesach–Villach)
Technical
Line length	(St. Valentin–Tarvisio) 407 km (253 mi) (Amstetten−Kastenreith) 43.8 km (27.2 mi) (St. Michael−Leoben) 11.9 km (7.4 mi)
Number of tracks	2: Selzthal Süd – St. Veit an der Glan 2: Villach – Tarvisio Boscoverde
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Minimum radius	187 m (614 ft)
Electrification	15 kV 16.7 Hz AC
Operating speed	160 km/h (99 mph) (max)
Maximum incline	2.28%
Route map Legend elev (M) or length (m) in metres km km elev (M) or length (m) in metres Donauuferbahn to Mauthausen Western Railway to Salzburg Western Railway to Vienna 268 M St. Valentin 00.000 124.558 Amstetten 273 M Western Railway 127.287 2.730 Amstetten 11 junction Nibelungenwerk siding 01.915 Herzograd 02.710 3.600 Greinsfurth Ernsthofen 07.336 Dorf an der Enns 12.700 5.255 Bundesforste siding Ramingdorf- Haidershofen 15.743 Lower Austria Upper Austria state border Ybbs Steyr BMW-Werk 17.200 Steyr-Münichholz 18.097 7.735 Ulmerfeld-Hausmening 301 M 305 M Steyr 20.424 Enns 11.880 Ybbstaler Fruit Austria siding 028 m Garsten tunnel 22.369 12.020 Kröllendorf 304 M Garsten 22.591 12.166 warehouse siding Sand 25.100 15.316 Hilm-Kematen 329 M Lahrndorf 27.831 17.317 Rosenau 340 M Dürnbach 30.417 19.598 Böhlerwerk siding Ternberg 33.710 19.733 Sonntagberg Trattenbach 35.978 21.396 Böhlerwerk an der Ybbs Losenstein 42.145 23.422 Waidhofen an der Ybbs 360 M Rohrbachgraben 45.725 Ybbs Valley Railway to Kienberg-Gaming 359 M Reichraming 48.140 24.847 Stadt Waidhofen an der Ybbs Grossraming Kraftwerk 51.145 Lower Austria Upper Austria state border 370 M Grossraming 54.859 32.220 Oberland 505 M Küpfern 61.410 32.637 Oberland Haltestelle 008 m Kastenreith covered tunnel 63.417 34.450 Gaflenz 478 M 324 m Kastenreith tunnel 63.425 40.847 Weyer 404 M 63.793 43.693 63.793 Kastenreith 63.904 43.804 63.904 Weyer 1 siding 66.950 Kleinreifling 388 M 73.417 Schönau-Fockenau tunnel 224 m 75.552 Schönau an der Enns 79.443 Laussa-Kesselberg tunnel 176 m Upper Austria Steiermark state border 79.823 Altenmarkt tunnel 35 m 81.496 Weissenbach-St. Gallen 410 M 84.882 Wolfsbachau tunnel 92 m 86.200 Wolfsbachau 86.851 Lof tunnel 395 m 90.534 Grossreifling tunnel 348 m 92.212 Grossreifling 446 M 93.162 Salza tunnel 296 m 94.263 Landl avalanche shelter 12 m 94.275 Landl tunnel 57 m Enns 96.422 Landl 459 M 98.492 sawmill siding 99.028 Wandau tunnel 103 m 99.132 Wandau avalanche shelter 54 m 101.266 Hieflau tunnel 171 m 101.836 Hieflau Erzberg Railway to Eisenerz 102.333 Hieflau 489 M 102.699 Hieflau avalanche tunnel 300 m 104.422 Enns wall gallery I 29 m 104.532 Enns wall gallery II 25 m 104.575 Enns wall covered tunnel 22 m 104.597 Enns wall tunnel I 53 m 104.747 Enns wall tunnel II 101 m 106.864 Hochsteg tunnel 121 m 106.985 Hochsteg gallery 22 m Kummer bridge across the Enns 106.520 Kummerbrücke 568 M 111.404 Gstatterboden i. Nationalpark 573 M 113.264 Rothgraben gallery 12 m 113.477 Kühgraben gallery 15 m 114.706 Johnsbach i. Nationalpark 588 M 118.166 Gesäuse Eingang tunnel 237 m 119.435 Gesäuse Eingang 628 M 125.168 Admont 130.803 Frauenberg an der Enns 634 M Pyhrn Railway to Linz 137.269 Selzthal-Nord 138.996 Selzthal 639 M Enns Valley Railway to Bischofshofen 140.460 Selzthal-Süd junction start of double track planned link to Selzthal West 140.640 145.214 Stadt Rottenmann 667 M 146.750 Rottenmann 688 M 151.200 Bärndorf-Büschendorf 156.497 Trieben 704 M 161.138 Gaishorn 722 M Sonnberg tunnel 544 m 165.170 Treglwang 774 M 167.164 Wald am Schoberpass 2 crossover 171.645 Wald am Schoberpass 849 M 173.925 Unterwald tunnel 1,075 m 178.740 Kalwang 751 M 186.675 Mautern 692 M 191.992 Kammern 662 M 194.403 Seiz 639 M 197.821 Traboch-Timmersdorf 622 M 596 M St. Michael 202.412 202.412 0.000 596 M St. Michael–Leoben branch line St. Michael-West 203.824 1.192 St. Michael-Ost Annaberg tunnel 158 m 2.275 23.377 Leoben Hbf 2 junction Leoben Hinterberg 006.838 Galgenberg tunnel 5,460 m Göss Brewery siding 009.503 20.441 Leoben Hbf 1 crossover Leoben Göss 009.981 10.727 17.639 Erzberg Railway to Vordernberg Kaisersberg- St. Stefan 207.031 16.498 Leoben Hbf 540 M 585 M Kraubath 209.918 Bruck an der Mur–Leoben railway to Bruck an der Mur Hartsteinwerke Preg siding 213.724 Preg 595 M 218.336 Fentsch-St. Lorenzen 604 M Mur 224.684 Knittelfeld 628 M 228.557 Spielberg 660 M 229.683 Lind bei Zeltweg Zeltweg Air Base siding 232.351 Zeltweg 670 M Fohnsdorf Railway to Pöls Lavant Valley Railway to Klagenfurt 239.760 Judenburg 708 M 246.225 Thalheim-Pöls 699 M 253.765 St. Georgen ob Judenburg 714 M 258.695 Unzmarkt 735 M Mur Valley Railway to Tamsweg Mur 265.691 Scheifling 797 M 268.719 Schrattenberg 273.774 Mariahof-St. Lambrecht 892 M 278.780 Neumarkt in Steiermark 841 M 281.900 Hammerl Klammwand tunnel 138 m 286.554 Neumarkt in Steiermark 1 crossover Wildbad Einöd Steiermark Carinthia state border 292.700 Metnitztal 295.256 Friesach 636 M 299.955 Micheldorf-Hirt to Pöckstein- Zwischenwässern Hirt loading point Gurk Valley Railway 306.062 Treibach–Althofen 615 M 309.644 Kappel am Krappfeld 569 M 312.500 Krappfeld 313.825 Passering 317.500 Pölling Görtschitz Valley Railway to Hüttenberg 319.493 Launsdorf-Hochosterwitz 522 M St. Georgen am Längsee 322.188 original route until 30 September 1902 476 M St. Veit an der Glan 327.942 Rosen Valley Railway to Jesenice 329.011 St. Veit an der Glan-West 329.706 329.046 chainage adjustment +660 m 332.700 Lebmach 334.525 Liebenfels halt 335.273 Liebenfels 339.020 Tauchendorf-Haidensee 341.446 Glanegg 497 M 343.872 Mautbrücken 503 M 347.167 St. Martin-Sittich 524 M 352.226 Feldkirchen in Kärnten 547 M 356.394 Tiffen 520 M 360.155 Steindorf am Ossiacher See 509 M 363.863 Ossiach-Bodensdorf 510 M 365.341 St. Urban am Ossiacher See 368.990 Sattendorf 370.267 Annenheim 507 M A 10 Tauern Autobahn 373.620 Villach St. Ruprecht Villach Landskron Drava Valley Railway to Maribor track 20 (Villach Hbf bypass) 376.800 Villach-Ostbf freight yard platform 8 on track 20 (if required) 377.620 Villach 498 M Drava Valley Railway to Innichen/San Candido 378.320 Villach Hbf-Draubrücke Drava 379.139 Villach West 381.682 Villach Warmbad A 2 Süd Autobahn 382.733 Villach Süd Gvbf-Auen Gail Villach–Rosenbach railway to Rosenbach Villach South main shunting yard 384.400 384.190 Müllern 386.486 Fürnitz 389.305 Neuhaus an der Gail 512 M 389.670 Villach Süd Gvbf-West 392.056 Pöckau 564 M 394.943 Arnoldstein 567 M Gail Valley Railway to Kötschach-Mauthen 395.458 400.182 Thörl-Maglern 401.045 94.250 Austria Italy border original route (closed 2000) 140 m Coccau di sotto tunnel 93.167 Leila tunnel 3,269 m 517 m Coccau di sopra tunnel 89.900 730 M Tarvisio Centrale 093.586 Tarvisio–Ljubljana Railway to Ljubljana 88.790 Tarvisio Boscoverde voltage change 732 M Tarvisio–Udine railway (original route) Tarvisio–Udine railway to Udine elev (M) or length (m) in metres km   km elev (M) or length (m) in metres Source: Austrian railway atlas This diagram: view talk edit

The Rudolf Railway (German: Rudolfsbahn) refers to a railway in Austria connecting Amstetten and the Italian border near Tarvisio, along with a branch from Kastenreith to St. Valentine. Its name is derived from the k.k. priv. Kronprinz Rudolf-Bahn Gesellschaft (Imperial–royal, "privileged"—by the grant of a concession—Crown Prince Rudolf Railway Company, KRB). The main line, which was opened from 1868 to 1873, ran on the St. Valentin–Kastenreith–Kleinreifling–Selzthal–Schoberpass–St. Michael–Neumarkt saddle–St. Veit an der Glan–Feldkirchen in Kärnten–Villach–Tarvisio Centrale route. The section of the line within the current borders of Italy now runs over the new Tarvisio–Udine railway (opened in November 2000) through Tarvisio Boscoverde. It replaced a very windy route to Udine that originally formed part of the Rudolf Railway.

History

The Rudolf Railway formed the third north–south Alpine crossing in Austria along with the Southern Railway (Semmering railway) to the east and the Brenner Railway to the west. It was built by the Mährischen Eisenbauunternehmen (Moravian iron construction company) of the Klein brothers. The chief engineer was Otto Thienemann. Since there was too little traffic on its own line, the KRB was economically dependent to a large extent on through traffic and thus on the transport policy of other railways (mainly the Empress Elisabeth Railway—Kaiserin Elisabeth-Bahn; KEB). Both of the northern endpoints of the KRB network were on lines of the Empress Elisabeth Railway (St. Valentin and Amstetten on the Western Railway and Schärding on the Wels–Passau railway).

The financial situation of the KRB deteriorated after the economic crisis of 1873. The KRB was forced into administration in 1880 and it was nationalised in 1884.

After its nationalisation, the Amstetten–Kastenreith branch was upgraded because the Imperial Royal Austrian State Railways directed traffic between Vienna and Carinthia via the Western Railway and the Rudolf Railway (in competition with the still private Southern Railway). In the decades after the Second World War, direct trains from Vienna West still operated over this route.

The KRB connected to the Italian rail network south of Pontebba in the Canale valley.

Current situation

All lines of the former Rudolf Railway in modern Austria belong to the Austrian Federal Railways.

Today the name Rudolf Railway is only used for the northern section, although the street name Rudolfsbahnstraße (Rudolf Railway Street) that occurs in some places along the line still refer to it. This is because the St. Valentin/Amstetten–Villach–Tarvisio route as such is no longer significant. The term Rudolfsbahn is used particularly for the Amstetten–Waidhofen–Kleinreifling–Selzthal route through the Ybbs and Enns valley (timetable route 130).

Individual sections of the original Rudolfsbahn now form parts of other lines. The Schober Pass line between Selzthal and St. Michael also forms part of the long-distance line between Linz and Graz via Selzthal (including the Pyhrn Railway) and the Innsbruck–Bischofshofen–Selzthal–Graz line (including the Enns Valley Railway). The Leoben–Klagenfurt line via St. Michael, the Neumarkt saddle and St. Veit an der Glan is now often considered to form part of the Southern Railway (although this is not historically correct): Vienna–Bruck an der Mur–Leoben–Klagenfurt–Villach. All Railjet and EuroCity services on the Vienna–Klagenfurt Hbf Villach Hbf route as well as some freight trains, which mainly go to Italy or Slovenia, use this section of the line (until the Koralm Railway opens).

Between the stations of Friesach or St. Veit an der Glan and Villach (via Klagenfurt Hbf), the line was integrated into the S-Bahn Kärnten (Carinthian S-Bahn) as line S1 at the timetable change in December 2010. Line S2 of the Carinthian S-Bahn has been running between St. Veit an der Glan and Villach (via Feldkirchen in Kärnten) since December 2011. As part of the new S-Bahn operation, the frequency and the number of local trains have increased significantly, although in some cases this had already happened with the introduction of the Kärnten-Takt (Carinthian cycle) in December 2008. The St. Michael–Unzmarkt section has been part of the S8 of the S-Bahn Steiermark since December 2016.

Partial closure of passenger services

Passenger traffic on the section between Selzthal and Weißenbach-St. Gallen was discontinued on 6 September 2009, with the exception of a pair of trains on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, as the ÖBB considered the route no longer economical for passenger traffic. It was replaced by a service with normal buses. A second pair of trains towards Selzthal in the afternoon and towards Weißenbach-St. Gallen in the morning was reintroduced at the start of the 2019/2020 timetable. In addition, both pairs of trains connect to/from Vienna West.

Amstetten–Kastenreith branch line

The Amstetten–Kleinreifling route is served every hour. In the mornings and evenings, some trains from Amstetten only run to Waidhofen a.d. Ybbs; on weekdays except Saturdays, some trains continue from Kleinreifling to Weißenbach-St.Gallen.

Until December 2017, trains from Eisenwurzen reached Amstetten mostly at 55 minutes after the hour and departed at 5 minutes after the hour. On the hour, there was a crossing of the Vienna–Salzburg Railjet services, which provided connections to Linz and Vienna. Since the private operator WESTbahn has been assigned the Railjet routes by ÖBB-Infrastruktur since December 2017, the meeting of ÖBB services on the hour in Amstetten has been abandoned. As the result of a new timetable concept geared towards Linz commuters and the replacement of most of the Bombardier Talent (class 4024) services with Siemens Desiro (class 4744) services, which have more rapid acceleration, connections are guaranteed at Amstetten to Linz in the morning and from Linz in the afternoon.

A regional train runs between Amstetten and Selzthal on weekends. It is the only passenger train that still serves the Gesäuse section.

Notes and references

Footnotes

1. ^ closed 2 June 1996
2. closed December 2011
3. closed 2005
4. closed 2013
5. ^ no passengers since 14 December 2008
6. ^ closed 24 September 1967
7. ^ closed 30 May 1999
8. closed 31 March 1923
9. closed 23 May 1993
10. closed 28 May 1967
11. closed 2000
12. freight only since 2004
13. opened 15 December 2019
14. closed 3 June 1984

Citations

1. Railway Atlas 2010, pp. 19, 20, 30, 31, 44, 45, 64, 65, 80, 89–91, 97.
2. "Timetable route 130: Amstetten – Kleinreifling – Selzthal Rudolfsbahn" (PDF) (in German). ÖBB. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 January 2018. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
3. "Einstellung der Gesäusebahn: Der Anfang vom Ende" (PDF). Fahrgast Steiermark (in German). 2009. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
4. "Timetable route 130: Amstetten - Kleinreifling - Selzthal" (PDF) (in German). ÖBB. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 January 2018. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
5. Kössl, Andreas (17 October 2017). "Ybbstal - Fahrplanwechsel stellt Anschluss für Pendler sicher". Niederösterreichische Nachrichten (in German). Retrieved 20 October 2018.

Sources

• Oberegger, Elmar (2007). Zur Geschichte der Kronprinz Rudolf-Bahn. Schärding/St.Valentin/Amstetten–Villach–Ljubljana (in German). Veröffentlichungen des Info-Büros für österreichische Eisenbahngeschichte 2/Sattledt.
• Tezak, Sepp (1991). Die Rudolfsbahn I (in German). Vol. 81. Vienna: Verlag Pospischil. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
• Tezak, Sepp (1992). Die Rudolfsbahn II (in German). Vol. 82. Vienna: Verlag Pospischil. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
• Gansrigler, Franz; Posch, Christoph (2008). Löffler, Detlef (ed.). Wien – Triest. Der Drang in den Süden: Von den Anfängen der Kronprinz-Rudolf-Bahn bis zum heutigen Ausbau der Südbahn und der Pontebbana (in German). Vienna, Graz, Klagenfurt: Styria-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-222-13257-5.
• Eisenbahnatlas Österreich [Railway atlas of Austria]. Schweers + Wall. 2010. ISBN 978-3-89494-138-3.

• Railway lines in Austria
• Cross-border railway lines in Austria
• Cross-border railway lines in Italy
• Railway lines opened in 1868
• 1868 establishments in Austria