Tauern Railway

The Tauern Railway is an Austrian railway line running for 79 kilometres between Schwarzach-Sankt Veit in Salzburg and Spittal an der Drau in Carinthia. It crosses the High Tauern range through the 8,371-metre Tauern Tunnel, one of Europe’s highest standard-gauge railways. The line climbs steadily from the Salzach valley up to the Alpine crest before descending towards the Drava valley. It forms part of a key north–south route linking northern Europe with the Adriatic. Passenger and freight trains have used the line since 1909, when Emperor Franz Joseph I inaugurated the first section. The railway was built to provide an alternative to the Southern Railway via the Semmering Pass, reducing travel time between Vienna and Trieste. Construction began in 1901 under the direction of the Imperial Royal Austrian State Railways and the k.k. Railway Ministry led by Heinrich von Wittek. The project included the double-track Tauern Tunnel and single-track ramps on either side. By 1933 the entire line had been electrified, and in later decades sections were upgraded to double track to handle heavier traffic. Today the railway carries EuroCity services to Zagreb and overnight trains from Munich to Rome. The route passes through the Gastein Valley, where steep viaducts and tunnels frame views of high peaks. Between Mallnitz and Obervellach the old track bed has become a walking path, offering quiet walks above the valley floor. Stations like Bad Gastein and Mallnitz remain important stops for both locals and visitors exploring the Hohe Tauern region.