Erzbergbahn

The Erzbergbahn is a single-track standard-gauge railway in Upper Styria. It climbs from Hieflau in the Enns valley over the Präbichl pass to Leoben in the Mur valley. The steepest section, between Vordernberg and Eisenerz, once climbed at 71 parts per thousand and ran as a rack railway until 1978. The line’s main purpose has always been moving iron ore from the Erzberg down to the steelworks at Linz and Donawitz. Today about three million tonnes of ore leave the mountain each year, most of them carried by the Erzbergbahn. The railway began life as two separate branches. The Leoben–Vordernberg line opened in May 1872, and the Hieflau–Eisenerz branch followed in January 1873. Both were soon linked by the steep rack section over the Präbichl, completed in August 1891. Steam locomotives gave way to electric traction on the lower stretches, while the mountain section became a museum railway run by the Erzbergbahn association. The historic route now carries diesel railbuses and diesel locomotives, recreating the atmosphere of earlier decades. Visitors can ride the preserved mountain stretch from Vordernberg up to Präbichl. The line passes through quiet valleys and tunnels before reaching the 1,204-metre pass. At the summit station there are sweeping views across the Enns and Mur valleys. The route is lined with original stations, signal boxes and water cranes from the 19th century. The museum railway runs special trains hauled by historic steam and diesel locomotives, offering a glimpse of the railway’s industrial past.