Arlberg railway

Trisanna bridge and Castle Wiesberg

Zammer tunnel near Landeck

Inn bridge in Landeck

The Arlberg railway, which connects the Austrian cities Innsbruck and Bludenz, is Austria's only east-west mountain railway. The 135.7 km line is referred as Europe's most difficult mountain railway since it is threatened by avalanches, mudslides, rockfalls or floods. It is operated by the ÖBB (Austrian Federal Railways) and frequented by international trains as well as by the Orient Express.

History and construction

By 1842 a railway over the Arlberg Pass was under discussion, as the British sought a rail connection for traffic from England to Egypt. Two years later, in 1847, Carl Ganahl - a textile industrialist from Feldkirch - decided to locally and privately support the construction, though at that time there were still too many technical reservations. On the other hand, the opening of the Semmering Railway in 1854 showed that a mountain railway over the Arlberg was possible.

Construction for the Arlberg railway started in 1880 and proceeded at a faster pace than planned. Completion was originally not expected until the fall of 1885, but already by May 29, 1883 the valley route from Innsbruck to Landeck in Tyrol was put into service. On September 21, 1884 the entire length was completed, including then single-track, 10.25 km (6.37 mi) long Arlbergtunnel, construction of which had claimed 92 lives.

Development of the operation

With the opening of the Arlberg traffic, a completely new connection between Lake Constance and the Adriatic Sea was created. Traffic increased so rapidly that already by July 15, 1885 a second track through the tunnel was opened as it had been planned since the beginning of the project. The most renowned train of the Arlberg route was the Orient Express from London to Bucharest, which had only first-class compartments and parlors.

From the start of the Arlberg railway traffic, the use of steam locomotives led to serious problems: passengers and crews were exposed to the unhealthy effects of sulfurous acid, which condensed in the tunnel from the steam. The grades of up to 3.1% on the west ramp and 2.6% on the east ramp caused further troubles for the locomotives. Finally, on November 20, 1924, this problem was eliminated with the electrification of the tunnel, followed by the ramp sections in 1925. The electrification of the railway was proceeded with foresight on the 15 kV, 16 2/3 Hz system. From then on, many heavy trains could be pulled over the route once the tracks and civil engineering structures had been upgraded for the increased axle weights, including the Trisanna bridge at Wiesberg Castle in 1964.

Today, traffic through the tunnel has increased considerably compared to the beginnings, despite competition from road transport. This has made it necessary to widen the approach ramps to double track. Fast EuroCity trains from Vienna to Vorarlberg run over the Arlberg route. On the occasion of the World Ski Championships in 2001, the train station of St. Anton on the eastern side of the Arlberg Tunnel was completely reconstructed and the tunnel itself extended by a few hundred feet.

See also

Arlberg railway

Legend from Kufstein -0,434 Innsbruck Hbf  S1   S2   S3   S4   S5  582 m (1,909 ft) Brenner railway to Bolzano/Bozen (“Konzert curve”) Innsbruck tramway, Stubaitalbahn Connecting curve from Innsbruck Hbf goods station 1,325 Innsbruck West  S1   S2   S4   S5  583 m (1,913 ft) Mittenwald railway to Garmisch-Partenkirchen A12 Inntalautobahn 6,910 Völs  S1   S2   S4  584 m (1,916 ft) 10,442 Kematen i. T.  S1   S2   S4  593 m (1,946 ft) Unterperfuss 14,247 Zirl  S1   S2   S4  596 m (1,955 ft) 16,911 Inzing  S1   S2  601 m (1,972 ft) 19,163 Hatting  S1   S2  605 m (1,985 ft) 20,370 Üst (crossover) Zirl 2 21,412 Flaurling  S1   S2  609 m (1,998 ft) 25,000 25,085 Change of chainage (-85 m), start of relocated line 25,545 Oberhofen im Inntal  S1   S2  620 m (2,030 ft) End of relocated line 26,800 Telfs-Pfaffenhofen  S1   S2  623 m (2,044 ft) 31,056 Rietz  S1   S2  635 m (2,083 ft) 34,647 Stams  S1   S2  639 m (2,096 ft) 36,223 Mötz  S1   S2  644 m (2,113 ft) 38,223 Silz  S1   S2  648 m (2,126 ft) 42,458 Haiming  S1   S2  669 m (2,195 ft) 45,420 Ötztal  S1   S2  692 m (2,270 ft) 46,152 46,320 Change of chainage (-168 m) 47,200 Ötztaler bridge B171 Tiroler Straße 50,056 Roppen  S1   S2  706 m (2,316 ft) 54,698 Imst-Pitztal  S1   S2  716 m (2,349 ft) L16 Pitztaler Straße 59,070 Imsterberg  S1   S2  724 m (2,375 ft) 63,015 Schönwies  S1   S2  736 m (2,415 ft) 65,570 Works siding 65,780 65,891 Change of chainage (-111 m) 65,911 Abzw Schönwies 1 Start of relocated line 66,550 Kronburg tunnel (330 m) 68,3 B180 Reschenstraße 68,580 Zammer tunnel (2335 m) eastern portal 70,980 Zams 768 m (2,520 ft) Zammer tunnel western portal End of relocated line 71,837 Landeck-Zams  S1   S2  776 m (2,546 ft) Former Reschen railway to Mals 72,150 Connection to Firma Donauchemie AG 72,406 72,650 Change of chainage (-244 m) 73,404 Inn (L 188 m / H 25 m) 73,800 Landeck Perfuchs 816 m (2,677 ft) 76,447 Zappelbach bridge (L 34 m / H 11,2 m) 77,981 Pians 911 m (2,989 ft) 78,277 Ganderbach bridge (L 22 m / H 14,8 m) 78,918 Mayenthal bridge (L 53 m / H 15,0 m) 79,495 Burgfried bridge (L 72 m / H 10,0 m) 79,680 Wolfsgruberbach bridge (L 50 m / H 14,3 m) 79,949 Wiesberg 953 m (3,127 ft) 80,253 Trisanna bridge (L 207 m / H 87,4 m) 80,486 Weinzierl tunnel (212 m) 80,700 Start of relocated line 80,810 Moltertobel tunnel (1643 m) 82,308 82,200 Change of chainage (+108 m) 82,500 End of relocated line 82,496 Geigertobel bridge (L 81 m / H 11,5 m) 83,073 Strengen 1,027 m (3,369 ft) 85,114 Süßwald bridge (L 59 m / H 11,0 m) 85,308 Klausbach aqueduct (20 m) 87,274 Flirsch 1,122 m (3,681 ft) 87,564 Rosanna bridge I (L 28 m / H 7,9 m) 88,055 Rosanna bridge II (L 56 m / H 8,1 m) S16 Arlbergschnellstraße 88,483 Avalanche gallery (33 m) 90,150 Flirsch 1 junction Start of relocated line 90,176 Schnann (old) 90,420 Schnann 1,162 m (3,812 ft) 91,028 Innere Maienbach gallery (354 m) 91,363 Siding ÖBB-substation 91,528 Rosanna bridge III 92,330 Apres tunnel (189 m) 93,334 Pettneu 1,193 m (3,914 ft) 93,476 Pettneu (old) 1,196 m (3,924 ft) End of relocated line 93,767 Üst Flirsch 2 94,275 Vadisen gallery (579 m) Start of new line Rosanna bridge IV 96,271 St. Jakob 1,228 m (4,029 ft) 97,357 Wolfsgruben tunnel (1743 m), eastern portal 97,698 Rosanna bridge IV 97,923 Rosanna bridge V 99,100 Wolfsgruben tunnel, western portal 99,360 St. Anton am Arlberg 1,309 m (4,295 ft) 99,590 St. Anton am Arlberg (old) 1,303 m (4,275 ft) 99,500 Arlberg tunnel (10.648 m), new eastern portal 100,127 Arlberg tunnel (formerly 10.250 m), old eastern portal 100,600 100,828 Change of chainage (-228 m) End of new line 104,241 Apex of the Arlberg railway 1,311 m (4,301 ft) 107,622 Üst St. Anton 3 110,377 Arlberg tunnel, western portal 110,480 Alfenz bridge (L 52 m / H 17,2 m) 110,715 Langen am Arlberg 1,217 m (3,993 ft) Start of relocated line 111,054 Blisadona tunnel (2411 m) eastern portal 111,120 Simastobel tunnel (140 m) 111,670 Großtobel tunnel (505 m) 112,464 Bridge (L 62 m / H 8,4 m) 112,663 Kleines Lawinendach (34 m) 112,744 Bridge (L 32 m /H 6,7 m) 112,934 Abzw Langen 1 112,973 Wälditobel bridge (L 59 m / H 35 m) 113,031 Klösterle 1,157 m (3,796 ft) 113,100 Connection to proposed tunnel extension 113,465 Blisadona tunnel, western portal 113,547 113,463 Change of chainage (+84 m), end of relocated line 113,604 Great avalanche shelter (510 m) 114,113 In der Hose avalanche shelter (53 m) 114,166 Avalanche shelter III (163 m) 114,200 Start of relocated line 114,374 Wildentobel tunnel (1158 m) 114,583 Wildentobel aqueduct (15 m) 115,452 Spreubach bridge 115,600 End of relocated line 116,074 Wald am Arlberg (formerly Dannöfen) 1,074 m (3,524 ft) 116,630 Glongtobel bridge 117,995 Stelzitobel bridge (L 28 m / H 6,0 m) 118,342 Radonatobel bridge (L 80 m / H 21,0 m) 119,192 Bridge (L 23 m / H 6,1 m) 119,279 Mühltobel avalanche shelter (91 m) 119,531 Avalanche shelter IV (144 m) 119,692 Gipsbruchtobel avalanche shelter (35 m) 119,944 Avalanche shelter V (22 m) 121,253 Dalaas 932 m (3,058 ft) 121,563 Höllentobel bridge (L 96 m / H 24,2 m) 121,920 Röcken tunnel (68 m) 122,420 Schmiedtobel tunnel (94 m) 122,654 Schmiedtobel bridge (L 120 m / H 55,8 m) 122,954 Engelwand tunnel (280 m) 123,349 Engelwand avalanche shelter (31 m) 123,432 Brunntobel bridge (L 74 m / H 24,6 m) 123,722 Engelwäldchen tunnel (209 m) 124,856 Fünffingertobel gallery (32 m) 124,888 Fünffingertobel tunnel (78 m) 125,177 Hintergasse 824 m (2,703 ft) 125,666 Schanatobel bridge (L 70 m / H 18,8 m) 125,749 Böcktöbele avalanche shelter (36 m) 126,425 Pfaffentobel tunnel (97 m) 126,684 Plattentobel tunnel (162 m) 126,881 Rüfe viaduct (L 65 m / H 7,3 m) 127,970 Avalanche shelter VI (139 m) 127,109 Mason tunnel (147 m) 127,310 Arch (31,8 m) 127,528 Masonbach bridge 128,168 Mühltobel aqueduct (20 m) 129,543 Braz 705 m (2,313 ft) 132,685 Bings 614 m (2,014 ft) Montafoner railway from Schruns 136,286 Bludenz 559 m (1,834 ft) Vorarlberg railway to Feldkirch, Lindau

• Landeck-Zams railway station

References

This article incorporates information from the German Wikipedia.