Mittenwald Railway

The Mittenwald Railway is an electric local line built between 1910 and 1912 by Josef Riehl and Wilhelm Carl von Doderer. It runs north from Innsbruck through Seefeld and Mittenwald to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, crossing the Karwendel and Wetterstein ranges. The route follows the Inn valley, climbs past the Martinswand rock face, and crosses the Austria–Germany border at Scharnitz. South of Seefeld it passes between the Mieminger Mountains and the Karwendel range. The line is notable for its many tunnels, including the 1.8-kilometre Martinswand Tunnel. Engineers had to overcome steep gradients and unstable rock while building the railway. A hydroelectric plant on the Ruetz river supplied power for the Austrian section, and later the Walchensee plant powered the Bavarian stretch. During the First World War the line carried troops and supplies, and in the Second World War Allied bombers targeted key bridges. After the 1976 Winter Olympics the line was upgraded to handle heavier traffic and dual-system locomotives. Today the railway offers dramatic views of alpine cliffs and deep valleys. Trains cross steel bridges over the Inn and the Isar, and viaducts such as the Finstertal and Kaiserstand rise above steep slopes. The route passes beneath the ruins of Fragenstein and follows the Schlossbach stream on an iron arch truss bridge. Travellers see the Martinswand’s sheer face and the protective avalanche roof built in 1968. The line remains an engineering landmark and a scenic way to cross the Northern Limestone Alps.