rail transport in Austria

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| caption = Detail from the map of Europe's high-speed rail lines, showing the Austrian high-speed rail network (colored) and maximum speeds.

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File:EC 562-2.jpg on the Trisanna Bridge, on the Arlberg Railway lineA village part of Strengen]]

File:Bahnhof Neumarkt am Wallersee (IMG 20220226 113313 01).jpg is a domestic and international long-distance train]]

{{see also|Austrian Federal Railways}}

The Austrian network, aside from the principal rail system, also enfolds some funiculars, rack railways and several heritage railways mainly derived from part of disused lines. Some secondary lines are set up in narrow gauge.

The following is an alphabetical list of standard gauge railway lines in Austria:

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• Arlberg railway
• Ausserfern Railway
• Bludenz–Schruns railway
• Brenner Railway
• Bruck an der Mur–Leoben railway
• Bürmoos–Ostermiething railway
• Donauuferbahn (Vienna)
• Donauuferbahn (Wachau)
• Drava Valley Railway
• Eastern Railway
• Enns Valley Railway
• Feldkirch–Buchs railway
• Floridsdorfer Hochbahn
• Franz-Josefs-Bahn
• Gänserndorf–Marchegg railway line
• Győr–Sopron–Ebenfurth railway
• Innsbruck bypass
• Köflach railway line
• Koralm Railway
• Laaer Ostbahn
• Lower Inn Valley Railway
• Marchegger Ostbahn
• Mittenwald Railway
• Neusiedler Seebahn
• North railway line
• Northwest railway line
• Parndorf–Bratislava railway line
• Pinzgauer Lokalbahn
• Pyhrn railway line
• Rosen Valley Railway
• Rudolf Railway
• Salzburg–Lamprechtshausen railway
• Salzburg-Tyrol Railway
• Salzkammergut railway line
• Schneeberg Railway
• Semmering railway
• Sopron–Kőszeg railway
• Southern Railway
• Spielfeld-Straß–Trieste railway
• St. Margrethen–Lauterach line
• Suburban line (Vienna)
• Tauern Railway
• Verbindungsbahn (Vienna)
• Vienna–Baden Railway
• Vorarlberg Railway
• Wels–Passau railway
• Western Railway

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Due to the course of the Austria–Germany border and mountainous terrain, the shortest railway line between Innsbruck (Tyrol) and Salzburg (Salzburg state) runs over German territory. This railway corridor, known as the Deutsches Eck ({{lit|German corner}}), consists of two railway lines, Kufstein–Rosenheim and Rosenheim–Salzburg, which are both located almost entirely in Germany.

The Lower Inn Valley Railway and Brenner Railway represent an important north-south corridor for trains running between Germany and Italy via Austria. To shorten travel time, the {{cvt|55|km}} long Brenner Base Tunnel is currently being built between Innsbruck and Franzensfeste ({{lang|it|Fortezza}}), South Tyrol. Trains will run with a speed up to {{cvt|250|km/h}} through this tunnel. It will be only slightly shorter than the world's longest railway tunnel, the Gotthard Base Tunnel in Switzerland.

Another railway tunnel currently under construction is the {{cvt|32.9|km}} long Koralm Tunnel, which will shorten travel time between Klagenfurt and Graz.

• {{Flag icon|Czech Republic}} Czech Republic – voltage change to 25 kV 50 Hz AC
• {{Flag icon|Germany}} Germany – same voltage 15 kV, 16.7 Hz AC
• {{Flag icon|Hungary}} Hungary – voltage change to 25 kV 50 Hz AC
• {{Flag icon|Italy}} Italy – voltage change to 3 kV DC
• {{Flag icon|Liechtenstein}} Liechtenstein – same voltage 15 kV, 16.7 Hz AC
• {{Flag icon|Slovakia}} Slovakia – voltage change to 25 kV 50 Hz AC
• {{Flag icon|Slovenia}} Slovenia – voltage change to 3 kV DC
• {{Flag icon|Switzerland}} Switzerland – same voltage 15 kV, 16.7 Hz AC, but different pantographs

{{Main|Narrow gauge railways in Austria}}

In Austria, many narrow gauge railways were constructed due to the difficult mountainous terrain. Many survive to this day as a common carrier or a heritage railway.

• {{Flag icon|Switzerland}} Switzerland – {{RailGauge|750 mm gauge|allk=on|nowrap=on|disp=/}} gauge:
• The International Rhine Regulation Railway, a former industrial railway (now a heritage railway) along and across the Alpine Rhine

File:Hartkaiserbahn.jpg funicular near Ellmau]]

{{Main|List of funicular railways#Austria}}

File:ÖBB 4748 005 Sulz-Röthis 2311.jpg train (Siemens Desiro) operated by ÖBB]]

File:Salzburg Taxham Europark - Westbahn.JPG Bombardier Talent and WESTbahn Stadler KISS trains]]

Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) and WESTbahn are the main operators on Austria's railway network. In addition, the German Deutsche Bahn (DB) and the Czech České dráhy (ČD) also operate passenger train services to destinations in Austria.

{{Main|Austrian Federal Railways}}

Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) is the national railway company. It owns a ca. {{cvt|5000|km}} long network{{cite web |url=https://infrastruktur.oebb.at/en/geschaeftspartner/schienennetz/dokumente-und-daten/netzkarten |title=ÖBB-Infrastruktur network maps |publisher=ÖBB Infra |access-date=2024-11-23}} and operates domestic and international long-distance passenger trains (e.g., RailJet, Transalpin), most urban commuter trains, known as S-Bahn (S), as well as Regional-Express (REX) and regional trains (R). ÖBB also runs Intercity-Express (ICE) trains to Germany using Class 4011 (ICE T) tilting trains. In addition, ÖBB jointly operates the City Airport Train (CAT) to {{rws|Vienna Airport}}. ÖBB also runs its own brand of night trains to other European countries, branded Nightjet (NJ). The company also owns and operates the Feldkirch–Buchs railway line, which links Austria and Switzerland via the Principality of Liechtenstein.

{{Main|WESTbahn}}

WESTbahn operates express trains over Austria's Western Railway line. It includes both domestic and international passenger services.

• Achenseebahn runs steam locomotive hauled trains on the {{RailGauge|1000mm|allk=on}} rack railway line between {{rws|Jenbach}} and Achensee, Tyrol
• {{ill|Graz-Köflacher Bahn und Busbetrieb|de}} (GKB) runs the Köflach railway line between Graz Hauptbahnhof and Köflach, Styria
• Montafonerbahn operates a {{RailGauge|1435mm|allk=on}} line between {{rws|Bludenz}} and {{rws|Schruns}} in the Montafon Valley, Vorarlberg
• NÖVOG runs the {{RailGauge|760mm}} gauge Mariazell Railway between St. Pölten Hauptbahnhof and Mariazell
• Pöstlingbergbahn operates trams on the {{RailGauge|900mm|allk=on}} gauge line from the main square ({{lang|de|Hauptplatz}}) in Linz to Pöstlingberg
• Raaberbahn, or {{lang|hu|Győr–Sopron–Ebenfurti Vasút}} (GYSEV), operates the Győr–Sopron–Ebenfurth railway (Győr–Ebenfurth) and the Neusiedler Seebahn (Neusiedl am See–Fertőszentmiklós) across the Austria–Hungary border, as well as other lines in Hungary
• Schafbergbahn, a {{RailGauge|1000mm|allk=on}} rack railway between St. Wolfgang (Upper Austria) and Schafberg Salzburg), is operated by the SchafbergBahn und Wolfgangsee Schifffahrt (SLB)
• {{ill|Salzburg AG|de}} operates the {{RailGauge|1435mm|allk=on}} Salzburg–Lamprechtshausen railway (Salzburg Hauptbahnhof–Lamprechtshausen) and Bürmoos–Ostermiething railway (Bürmoos–Ostermiething) and {{RailGauge|760mm}} gauge Pinzgauer Lokalbahn from Zell am See to Krimml.
• Schneebergbahn, a {{RailGauge|1000mm|allk=on}} rack railway between Puchberg and Schneeberg in Lower Austria, is operated by Niederösterreichische Schneebergbahn GmbH ({{lit|Lower Austrian Schneeberg Railway Company Ltd.}})
• Wiener Lokalbahnen operates the {{RailGauge|1435mm|allk=on}} Badner Bahn in the Greater Vienna area, between Vienna Opera and {{rws|Baden bei Wien}}
• Zillertalbahn runs a {{RailGauge|760mm}} gauge line in the Ziller Valley (Tyrol) between {{rws|Jenbach}} and Mayrhofen

{{Main|Rail Cargo Austria}}

Cargo trains are operated by Rail Cargo Austria (RCA).

{{For|Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB)|ÖBB Rolling Stock}}

{{For|WESTbahn|WESTbahn#Trains}}

{{Main|Train categories in Europe#Austria}}

File:Wien U-Bahn (37558774021).jpg

File:Fahrzeugparade GMSB 2.jpg]]

{{see also|List of town tramway systems in Austria|S-Bahn#Austria}}

Urban railway services are known as S-Bahn (S) and U-Bahn (U). Regional trains are called Regionalzug (R) in Austria.

• Vienna counts a system of S-Bahn, U-Bahn, and a large tramway network (also see Transport in Vienna).
• Graz counts a regional S-Bahn, an extended tramway network and a funicular.
• Linz counts a regional S-Bahn and a tramway network including the Pöstlingbergbahn.
• Salzburg counts a regional S-Bahn (with some services to Germany) and a funicular.Not to be confused with the historic and private Reisszug
• Innsbruck counts a regional S-Bahn, with some services to Germany and Italy, a tramway network (including the Stubaitalbahn) and a funicular.
• Klagenfurt counts a regional S-Bahn.
• The federal state of Vorarlberg counts a regional S-Bahn, with services to Germany, Liechtenstein and Switzerland.{{Cite web |title=S-Bahn Vorarlberg |url=https://www.oebb.at/en/regionale-angebote/vorarlberg/s-bahn-vorarlberg |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date=9 November 2024 |publisher=oebb.at}} Some services are also part of the Bodensee S-Bahn.
• The small town of Gmunden in Upper Austria counts a tramway line, which since 2018 is linked to the railway line to Vorchdorf.
• The village of Serfaus in Tyrol, with the U-Bahn Serfaus,an underground air cushion funicular is sometimes considered as the smallest town with a subway in the world.[http://www.funimag.com/funimag13/serfaus01.htm Article on Funimag]

{{Main|High-speed rail in Austria}}

{{Main|List of heritage railways#Austria}}

{{See also|Austrian Society for Railway History}}

{{Further|Austrian Federal Railways#History}}

File:KFNB Rakete II 1A1.jpg]]

The history of Austrian rail transport starts with the Reisszug, a private, horse-drawn funicular serving Hohensalzburg Fortress. Built at the end of the 15th century and first documented in 1515, it is the oldest known funicular in the world, and possibly the oldest existing railway line.[http://www.funimag.com/funimag10/RESZUG01.HTM The "Reisszug" on Funimag][http://www.funiculars.net/line.php?id=350 The "Reisszug" on Funiculars.net]

In the 19th century, after building of several horse tramways, the Nordbahn line Vienna–Břeclav opened in 1837. The Imperial Royal Austrian State Railways (Kaiserlich-königliche österreichische Staatsbahnen, kkStB), a company serving the Austrian side of Austria-Hungary, was created in 1884[http://www.oebb.at/vip8/oebb/en/OeBB_Group/History_of_the_Austrian_Railway/until1918.pdf History of Austrian Railway until 1918 (on the ÖBB website)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930154647/http://www.oebb.at/vip8/oebb/en/OeBB_Group/History_of_the_Austrian_Railway/until1918.pdf |date=2007-09-30 }} and in 1923, some years after the dissolution of the empire, the national company BBÖ (Bundesbahnen Österreich) was founded.

Following the Anschluss of Austria to National-socialist Germany in 1938, the BBÖ were taken over by the Deutsche Reichsbahn. After the end of World War II, the Austrian federal railways were re-installed in 1945, soon under the name of Österreichische Bundesbahnen (ÖBB).

In 1998 the market was liberalised and had one of the highest degrees of market openness in the EU according to the 2011 Rail Liberalisation Index, although the market share of ÖBB remains above 90% for passenger rail.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rF2KmJ2hNSYC&dq=austria+railway+subsidies&pg=PA135 |title=OECD Economic Surveys: Austria 2013 page 135|date=2 July 2013|publisher=OECD |isbn=9789264183070}}

• Transport in Austria
• List of busiest railway stations in Austria
• List of mountain railways in Austria
• :Category:Railway stations in Austria
• S-Bahn in Austria

{{Reflist}}

{{commons category}}

{{Wikivoyage|Rail travel in Austria}}

• [https://www.oebb.at/en/ ÖBB official website]
• [http://www.bueker.net/trainspotting/map.php?file=maps/austria/austria.gif Railway network map of Austria]
• [http://trainspo.com/country/13/gallery/ Austrian rail transport gallery]
• {{PM20|FID=co/017536|TEXT=Documents and clippings about|NAME=}}

{{Rail transport in Europe}}

{{Austrian Federal Railways}}

{{Rail gauge in Europe by country}}

{{Austria topics}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rail Transport In Austria}}