The Arlberg Railway (German: Arlbergbahn), which connects the Austrian cities Innsbruck and Bludenz, is Austria's only east-west mountain railway. It is one of the highest standard gauge railways in Europe and the second highest in Austria, after the Brenner. The 136.7 km line is a highly problematic mountain railway, in part because it is threatened by avalanches, mudslides, rockfalls and floods.^[1] It is operated by the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) and frequented by international trains, including the Orient Express.^[2]

Quick Facts Overview, Native name ...

Arlberg Railway
An ÖBB train on the Arlberg Railway in 2007 near Pians village west of Landeck
Overview
Native name	Arlbergbahn
Status	Operational
Owner	Austrian Federal Railways
Line number	101 05
Locale	Tyrol Vorarlberg
Termini	Innsbruck Bludenz
Stations	31
Service
Type	Heavy rail, Passenger/Freight rail Intercity rail, Regional rail, Commuter rail
Route number	400
Operator(s)	Austrian Federal Railways
History
Opened	Stages between 1883 and 1884
Technical
Line length	136.7 km (84.9 mi)
Number of tracks	Double track (Innsbruck–Ötztal, Abzw Schönwies 1–Landeck-Zams, Abzw Flirsch 1–Abzw Langen 1) Single track
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Minimum radius	East ramp: 300 m West ramp: 242 m
Electrification	15 kV/16,7 Hz AC Overhead line
Operating speed	160 km/h (99 mph)
Maximum incline	East ramp: 2.6 % West ramp: 3.4 %
Route map Legend km elev 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

Close

As early as 1842 a railway over the Arlberg Pass was under discussion, as the British sought a rail connection for traffic from England to Egypt.^[3] Two years later, in 1847, Carl Ganahl - a textile industrialist from Feldkirch - decided to privately support construction of the railway, despite the many technical challenges involved. On the other hand, the opening of the Semmering Railway in 1854 showed that mountain railways were basically possible and feasible. Trade Minister Anton Freiherr von Banhans presented on March 22, 1872, at the Chamber of Deputies a draft law on the execution of the Arlberg railway at government expense for a total amount of 42 million florins. In 1879 the protagonists of the Arlbergbahn with the intended 10,216 m long summit tunnel were successful. The submitted project had won confidence by the progress in the Gotthard Tunnel.^[4] Julius Lott was appointed planning director of the Arlbergbahn.^[5]

The construction of the Arlberg Railway started on June 20, 1880, and proceeded at a faster pace than planned. Completion was originally not expected until the autumn of 1885, but already by May 29, 1883, the valley route from Innsbruck to Landeck in Tyrol was put into service.^{[6][page needed]} On September 21, 1884, the entire stretch of the mountain railway was completed, including the then single-track, 10.22 kilometres (6.35 mi) long Arlbergtunnel.^[7] The construction claimed 92 lives. The costs were totaled 38,165,282 crowns. The Arlberg tunnel rises from St. Anton on a length of approximately 4 km with 2 ‰. The highest point is at 1310.926 m in kilometer 104.241 m. Then it falls to Langen am Arlberg at 15 ‰.^[8]

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

Right from the beginning, the use of steam locomotives on the Arlberg led to serious problems: Passengers and crews were exposed to the unhealthy effects of sulfurous acid, which condensed from the steam in the tunnel.^[9] Grade slopes of up to 3.4% on the western ramp and 2.6% on the eastern ramp caused traction troubles for the locomotives. Finally, in 1924, this problem was eliminated with the completion of electrification of the tunnel, followed by the ramp sections in 1925. This electrification of the railway was carried out with a 15 kV, 16.7 Hertz system, allowing heavy trains to be pulled over the route once the tracks and supporting structures, including the Trisanna bridge in 1964, had been upgraded for the increased axle weights.

Today, traffic through the Arlberg railway tunnel has increased considerably, despite competition from road transport through the Arlberg Road Tunnel. This has made it necessary to widen the approach ramps for double tracks. Many long-distance, high-speed EuroCity and Railjet trains ply the route from Vienna to Vorarlberg over the Arlberg. On the occasion of the World Ski Championships in 2001, the railway station of St. Anton on the eastern side of the Arlberg Tunnel was relocated from the town centre to a new site on the north side of the valley. This required the Arlberg tunnel be lengthened to 10650 m and the construction of the new Wolfsgruben tunnel.^[10]

Beginning with 2020, the stretch of track between Landeck-Zams and Ötztal will be selectively double-tracked, to increase capacity and improve the frequency of local services. The program, which was announced in 2018, will likely be completed by 2025, and was chosen over the more expensive full double-tracking plans. The first works are scheduled to take place between 19 and 21 September 2020, during which services will be disrupted.^[11]

• St. Anton railway station since 2001; view ist directed eastwards to the Stanzer Valley
• Trisanna bridge (87 m high) and Castle Wiesberg
• Zammer tunnel near Landeck (eastern mouth)
• Old Inn bridge in Landeck
• Station Langen am Arlberg with western mouth of the Arlbergtunnel 1894

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Arlberg railway.

• Landeck-Zams railway station
• Arlberg