Schneeberg Railway

The Schneeberg Railway is a working cog railway in Lower Austria. It climbs from Puchberg am Schneeberg up to a plateau below the Schneeberg summit. At 2,076 metres the Schneeberg is the highest mountain in the province. The line is 9.85 kilometres long and uses the Abt rack system. It overcomes a height difference of 1,208 metres with a 1,000 mm gauge. The railway opened in 1897, designed by Leo Arnoldi. It was built in two parts: a standard line from Wiener Neustadt to Puchberg, and the cog section from Puchberg to the plateau. The line was first run by the Arnoldi company, then by the Vienna–Aspang company from 1899. After 1940 it became part of the national railway network. Since 1999 modern diesel locomotives share the tracks with heritage steam engines. A visitor finds a single-track line rising through meadows and forests. The train stops at stations along the way before reaching the summit plateau. From there the views extend across the Vienna Hausberge region. The railway carries passengers to a high alpine viewpoint without the need for strenuous walking.