{{Infobox rail line , box_width = auto , name = Salzburg-Tyrol Railway , native_name = Salzburg-Tiroler-Bahn , native_name_lang = de , image = EC 163 bei Fieberbrunn, 08.12.2016.jpg , image_width = 300px , caption = EC 163

Transalpin The ''Transalpin'' is a EuroCity express train linking Zürich (Switzerland) with Graz (Austria) via Liechtenstein. Introduced in 2013, it is operated by the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) and the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB-CFF-FFS). From ...

passes the Kaiser Mountains. , type =

Heavy rail Various terms are used for passenger railway lines and equipment; the usage of these terms differs substantially between areas: Rapid transit A rapid transit system is an electric railway characterized by high speed (~) and rapid accelerati ...

, Passenger/Freight rail

Intercity rail Inter-city rail services are express passenger train services that run services that connect cities over longer distances than commuter or regional trains. There is no precise definition of inter-city rail; its meaning may vary from country ...

Regional rail Regional rail, also known as local trains and stopping trains, are passenger rail services that operate between towns and cities. These trains operate with more stops over shorter distances than inter-city rail, but fewer stops and faster serv ...

Commuter rail Commuter rail, or suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting commuters to a central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter towns. Generally commuter rail systems are con ...

, status = Operational , locale =

Salzburg Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian) is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872. The town is on the site of the ...

Tyrol Tyrol (; historically the Tyrole; de-AT, Tirol ; it, Tirolo) is a historical region in the Alps - in Northern Italy and western Austria. The area was historically the core of the County of Tyrol, part of the Holy Roman Empire, Austrian Emp ...

, start = Salzburg Hauptbahnhof , end = Wörgl Hauptbahnhof , stations = 55 , open = Stages between 1873–1875 , close = , owner = Austrian Federal Railways , operator = Austrian Federal Railways , linelength = {{convert, 191.730, km, mi, abbr=on , tracklength = , tracks =

Double track A double-track railway usually involves running one track in each direction, compared to a single-track railway where trains in both directions share the same track. Overview In the earliest days of railways in the United Kingdom, most lin ...

, gauge = {{Track gauge, sg, allk=on , minradius = 200 m , racksystem = , electrification = 15 kV/16.7 Hz AC

Overhead line An overhead line or overhead wire is an electrical cable that is used to transmit electrical energy to electric locomotives, trolleybuses or trams. It is known variously as: * Overhead catenary * Overhead contact system (OCS) * Overhead equipmen ...

, routenumber = 200 (Freilassing – Saalfelden)
201 (Saalfelden - Innsbruck Hbf) , linenumber = 101 03 , speed = {{convert, 140, km/h, mph, abbr=on , elevation = , maxincline = 2.6% , website = , map = {{BS-map, inline=1, bottom= , map= {{BS, STR, , , from Rosenheim {{BS, BHF, 0,000, Salzburg Hauptbahnhof, {{ÖPNV Salzburg, S2 {{ÖPNV Salzburg, S3, {{BS, STR, , Transition to the {{ÖPNV Salzburg, S1, {{Höhe, 426, AT, link=true {{BS, STR, , , (junction with ''

Lokalbahn A ''Lokalbahn'' or ''Localbahn'' ("local line", plural: -en) is a secondary railway line worked by local trains serving rural areas, typically in Austria and the south German states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. ''Lokalbahnen'' appeared at t ...

'' to Lamprechtshausen) {{BS, ABZgl, , , Western Railway to Vienna West {{BS, HST, 2.100,

Sam Sam, SAM or variants may refer to: Places * Sam, Benin * Sam, Boulkiemdé, Burkina Faso * Sam, Bourzanga, Burkina Faso * Sam, Kongoussi, Burkina Faso * Sam, Iran * Sam, Teton County, Idaho, United States, a populated place People and fictional ...

, {{ÖPNV Salzburg, S3 since 2004 {{BS, ABZg+l, , , link line to the Western Railway after branch-off to Hallwang-E. {{BS, DST, 2.401,

Gnigl Vbf} {{BS, HST, 2.975,

Gnigl, {{ÖPNV Salzburg, S3 since 2003 {{BS, DST, 3.495,

Gnigl Vbf Einfahrgruppe} {{BS, HST, 4.490,

Parsch, since 2003 {{ÖPNV Salzburg, S3 {{BS, BHF, 5.756,

Aigen, {{ÖPNV Salzburg, S3 {{BS, HST, 7.927,

Süd, {{ÖPNV Salzburg, S3 {{BS, eHST, 8.092, Hellbrunn-Glasenbach, 28.05.1978 closed {{BS, HST, 8.988,

Elsbethen Elsbethen is a municipality in the district of Salzburg-Umgebung in the Austrian state of Salzburg. Geography The town lies directly south of the federal state capital, Salzburg, and borders Flachgau. Parts of the town have become infrastructur ...

, {{ÖPNV Salzburg, S3, {{Höhe, 429, AT {{BS, ÜST, 12.203, , Salzburg Aigen 5

crossover Crossover may refer to: Entertainment Albums and songs * ''Cross Over'' (Dan Peek album) * ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987 * ''Crossover'' (Intrigue album) * ''Crossover'' (Hitomi Shimatani album) * ''Crossover'' (Yoshino ...

} {{BS, HST, 13.200, Puch Urstein, since 2005 {{ÖPNV Salzburg, S3 {{BS, KMW, {{BSsplit, 15.255, 15.300, line=1, align=, Break in

kilometrage The kilometre ( SI symbol: km; or ), spelt kilometer in American English, is a unit of length in the International System of Units (SI), equal to one thousand metres (kilo- being the SI prefix for ). It is now the measurement unit used for ...

(-45 m) {{BS, HST, 14.524, Puch bei Hallein, {{ÖPNV Salzburg, S3 {{BS, HST, 15.970, Oberalm, since end of 2006 {{ÖPNV Salzburg, S3 {{BS, BHF, 17.808, Hallein, {{ÖPNV Salzburg, S3, {{Höhe, 445, AT {{BS, HST, 19.350, Hallein Burgfried, since 2005 {{ÖPNV Salzburg, S3 {{BS, HST, 20.923, Bad Vigaun, {{ÖPNV Salzburg, S3 {{BS, HST, 22.380, Kuchl Garnei, since 2005 {{ÖPNV Salzburg, S3 {{BS, ÜST, 22.875, , Hallein 3

} {{BS, DST, 25.167, Kuchl Lst , (

passing loop A passing loop (UK usage) or passing siding (North America) (also called a crossing loop, crossing place, refuge loop or, colloquially, a hole) is a place on a single line railway or tramway, often located at or near a station, where trains or ...

) {{BS, HST, 25.580, Kuchl, {{ÖPNV Salzburg, S3 {{BS, BHF, 28.764, Golling-

Abtenau Abtenau (Central Bavarian: ''Obtenau'') is a market town in the Hallein District of Salzburg in Austria. The municipality is located in Lammertal, Tennengau, about 45 km south of Salzburg, and encompasses the entire middle valley of the Lammer. ...

, {{ÖPNV Salzburg, S3, {{Höhe, 468, AT {{BS, hKRZWae, , , Salzach {{BS, ABZg+l, 31.529, , siding (

) {{BS, ABZg+r, 31.556, , siding (

) {{BS, ÜST, 34.464, , Golling-Abtenau 2

} {{BS, TUNNEL1, , , Ofenau Tunnel (940 m) {{BS, TUNNEL2, , , scree protection gallery} {{BS, ÜST, 38.565, , Golling-Abtenau 4

} {{BS, DST, 38.673, Sulzau Lst , (

) {{BS, KMW, {{BSsplit, 41.699, 41.723, line=1, align=, break in kilometrage (-24 m) {{BS, HST, 42.236, Tenneck, {{ÖPNV Salzburg, S3 , {{Höhe, 519, AT {{BS, STR, , , ( Konkordia Hut to 26 September 1971) {{BS, HST, 45.212,

Werfen Werfen () is a market town in the district of St. Johann im Pongau, in the Austrian state of Salzburg. It is mainly known for medieval Hohenwerfen Castle and the Eisriesenwelt ice cave, the largest in the world. Geography Werfen is located in the ...

, {{ÖPNV Salzburg, S3 , {{Höhe, 526, AT {{BS, HST, 46.604,

Pfarrwerfen Pfarrwerfen is a municipality in the St. Johann im Pongau district in the Austrian state of Salzburg Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label= Austro-Bavarian) is the fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a popul ...

, {{ÖPNV Salzburg, S3 , {{Höhe, 528, AT {{BS, TUNNEL1, , , Rupertus Tunnel (327 m) {{BS, KMW, {{BSsplit, 51.735, 52.000, line=1, align=, break in kilometrage (-265 m) {{BS, ABZg+l, , ,

Enns Valley Railway The Enns Valley Railway (german: Ennstalbahn) is an electrified, standard gauge main line railway in the Austrian states of Styria and Salzburg. It was originally built and operated by the Empress Elisabeth Railway Company. The line is an importan ...

Selzthal Selzthal is a municipality in the district of Liezen in the Austrian state of Styria Styria (german: Steiermark ; Serbo-Croatian and sl, ; hu, Stájerország) is a state (''Bundesland'') in the southeast of Austria. With an area of , Styr ...

{{BS, BHF, 52.305, Bischofshofen, {{ÖPNV Salzburg, S3 , {{Höhe, 544, AT {{BS, HST, 55.272, Mitterberghütten, {{ÖPNV Salzburg, S3 , {{Höhe, 550, AT {{BS, ABZg+r, 55.386, , siding (

) {{BS, ÜST, 56.882, , Bischofshofen 2

} {{BS, BHF, 61.266, St. Johann im Pongau, {{ÖPNV Salzburg, S3 , {{Höhe, 565, AT {{BS, hKRZWae, , , Salzach {{BS, BHF, 66.546, Schwarzach-

St. Veit Sankt Veit is the German name for Saint Vitus in place names (cf. wiktionary:Sankt). Places named Sankt Veit in Austria include: * Sankt Veit an der Glan, Carinthia ** Sankt Veit an der Glan (district), Carinthia * Sankt Veit an der Gölsen, Low ...

, {{ÖPNV Salzburg, S3 , {{Höhe, 590, AT {{BS, ABZgl, , , Tauern Railway to Spittal- Millstättersee {{BS, TUNNEL2, , , Schwarzach Tunnel (190 m) {{BS, TUNNEL1, , , Thumesbach Tunnel (380 m) {{BS, TUNNEL1, , , ''Blaue Wand'' Tunnel (370 m) {{BS, hKRZWae, , , Salzach {{BS, BHF, 74.978, Lend, , {{Höhe, 634, AT {{BS, hKRZWae, , , Salzach {{BS, hKRZWae, , , Salzach {{BS, HST, 79.040,

Eschenau Eschenau is a town in the district of Lilienfeld Lilienfeld () is a city in Lower Austria (Niederösterreich), Austria, south of St. Pölten, noted as the site of Lilienfeld Abbey. It is also the site of a regional hospital Landesklinikum Vor ...

, , {{Höhe, 673, AT {{BS, eHST, 81.9, Kitzlochklamm, (closed) {{BS, TUNNEL1, , , Taxenbach Tunnel (277 m) {{BS, BHF, 84.328,

Taxenbach Taxenbach is a market town in the district of Zell am See (Pinzgau region), in the state of Salzburg in Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying ...

- Rauris, , {{Höhe, 718, AT {{BS, ABZgl, 86.371, , siding (

of former saw mill) {{BS, HST, 88.875, Gries im Pinzgau, , {{Höhe, 744, AT {{BS, WBRÜCKE1, , , Salzach {{BS, BHF, 93.734, Bruck- Fusch, , {{Höhe, 757, AT {{BS, eABZgl, , , former siding to Kaprun hydropower plant {{BS, WBRÜCKE1, , , Salzach {{BS, eHST, ~96.6, Zell am See Süd, (planned) {{BS, ABZg+l, , ,

Pinzgauer Lokalbahn The Pinzgauer Lokalbahn (formerly Pinzgaubahn or Krimmler Bahn) is a narrow-gauge railway in Salzburg in Austria. The 53 kilometre railway follows the Salzach valley from Zell am See and Krimml through the Pinzgau The Bezirk Zell am See is an ...

to Krimml (760mm gauge) {{BS, BHF, 99.414, Zell am See, , {{Höhe, 752, AT {{BS, ABZgl, 102.139, , siding (

for Hagleitner company) {{BS, ÜST, 103.944, ,

Zell am See 2} {{BS, HST, 104.000,

Maishofen Maishofen is a municipality in the district of Zell am See (Pinzgau region), in the state of Salzburg in Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying ...

- Saalbach, , {{Höhe, 765, AT {{BS, DST, 104.041, Lst

- Saalbach, (

) {{BS, KMW, {{BSsplit, 106.750, 106.823, line=1, align=, break in kilometrage (-73 m) {{BS, HST, 108.004, Gerling im Pinzgau, , {{Höhe, 748, AT {{BS, KMW, {{BSsplit, 110.950, 111.050, line=1, align=, break in kilometrage (-100 m) {{BS, eABZgl, ~112.000, , former siding (600mm) for

Strabag STRABAG SE is an Austrian construction company based in Spittal an der Drau, Austria, with its headquarters in Vienna. It is the largest construction company in Austria and one of the largest construction companies in Europe. The company is acti ...

diabase works , T=STR {{BS, BHF, 112.335, Saalfelden, {{ÖPNV Innsbruck, S6 , {{Höhe, 728, AT {{BS, ABZgl, ~113.000, , siding (

) for

diabase works , T=STR {{BS, HST, 118.150,

Leogang Leogang is a municipality in the district of Zell am See (Pinzgau region), in the state of Salzburg in Austria. It is a famous winter sports and summer mountain hiking resort. Population Sights :Mining and Gothic Museum :tourist mine Schwarzle ...

- Steinberge, {{ÖPNV Innsbruck, S6, {{Höhe, 796, AT {{BS, HST, 120.483,

, {{ÖPNV Innsbruck, S6, {{Höhe, 840, AT {{BS, ÜST, 120.825, , Saalfelden 2

} {{BS, eHST, 123.076, Hütten, closed 14.12.2008 , {{Höhe, 885, AT {{BS, eHST, 126.312, Berg Grießen, closed 28.05.1995 , {{Höhe, 946, AT {{BS, ABZgr, , , sidingen (

) {{BS, BHF, 130.141,

Hochfilzen Hochfilzen is a town and municipality in the Kitzbühel district of the Austrian state of Tyrol. It is located in the Pillersee valley 5 km east of Fieberbrunn. Population was 1,147 in 2016. It is a popular winter sports resort, especially f ...

, {{ÖPNV Innsbruck, S6, {{Höhe, 970, AT {{BS, HST, 134.400, Pfaffenschwendt, {{ÖPNV Innsbruck, S6, {{Höhe, 888, AT {{BS, BHF, 139.357,

Fieberbrunn Fieberbrunn is a market town in the Austrian state of Tyrol (state), Tyrol in the Kitzbühel (district), Kitzbühel district. It is located at , in the Kitzbühel Alps. Fieberbrunn is the most populous municipality in the Pillerseetal valley. Acco ...

, {{ÖPNV Innsbruck, S6, {{Höhe, 783, AT {{BS, KMW, {{BSsplit, 141.970, 142.050, line=1, align=, break in kilometrage (-80 m) {{BS, HST, 144.475, Grieswirt, {{ÖPNV Innsbruck, S6, {{Höhe, 687, AT {{BS, BHF, 147.675,

St. Johann in Tirol St. Johann in Tirol is a market town in Tyrol, Austria, in the Kitzbühel district. In the regional ductus, the last syllable of the name is stressed as "Sankt yo-Hahn'". History St. Johann is situated in the Leukental, which extends from Jo ...

, {{ÖPNV Innsbruck, S6, {{Höhe, 663, AT {{BS, ABZg+l, 150.295, , siding (

) for the firm of Egger {{BS, HST, 151.959,

Oberndorf in Tirol Oberndorf () is a municipality in Kitzbühel district in the Austrian state of Tyrol. It is located in the Leukental valley, on the Kitzbühler Ache stream, halfway between St. Johann in Tirol and Kitzbühel. The municipality consists of a main ...

, {{ÖPNV Innsbruck, S6, {{Höhe, 688, AT {{BS, ABZg+r, 153.783, , siding (

) Hartsteinwerke Kitzbühel {{BS, ABZgr, 153.783, , siding (

) Unterwerk Kitzbühel {{BS, BHF, 157.077,

Kitzbühel Kitzbühel (, also: ; ) is a medieval town situated in the Kitzbühel Alps along the river Kitzbüheler Ache in Tyrol, Austria, about east of the state capital Innsbruck and is the administrative centre of the Kitzbühel district (). Kitzbühel ...

, {{ÖPNV Innsbruck, S6, {{Höhe, 773, AT {{BS, HST, 159.541,

Hahnenkamm Hahnenkamm (means "comb") may refer to *Hahnenkamm (Verwaltungsgemeinschaft), a federation of municipalities in Bavaria, Germany * Hahnenkamm, Greenland, a mountain in the Stauning Alps, Greenland *Hahnenkamm, Kitzbühel The Hahnenkamm is a mo ...

, {{ÖPNV Innsbruck, S6, {{Höhe, 773, AT {{BS, HST, 161.442,

Schwarzsee Schwarzsee () or Lac Noir (; en, "Black Lake"; rarely ; frp, Lèc d'Omène ), is a small lake in the Canton of Fribourg, Switzerland with an area of . The lake in the Swiss Prealps is bordered by the peaks of Schwyberg (1,628 m) in the West ...

, {{ÖPNV Innsbruck, S6, {{Höhe, 772, AT {{BS, eHST, 164.175, Klausen, closed on 31.03.1951 {{BS, BHF, 166.385, Kirchberg in Tirol, {{ÖPNV Innsbruck, S6, {{Höhe, 820, AT {{BS, HST, 170.065, Brixen im Thale, {{ÖPNV Innsbruck, S6, {{Höhe, 806, AT {{BS, HST, 173.097, Westendorf, {{ÖPNV Innsbruck, S6, {{Höhe, 762, AT {{BS, DST, 173.591, Kitzbühel 2 branch-off, (old Westendorf station)} {{BS, HST, 176.447, Windau, {{ÖPNV Innsbruck, S6, {{Höhe, 723, AT {{BS, TUNNEL2, , , Au Tunnel (210 m) {{BS, TUNNEL1, , , Leidegg Tunnel (327 m) {{BS, HST, 182.280, Hopfgarten mountain lift , {{ÖPNV Innsbruck, S6} {{BS, STR, , , (to 28 May 1961: Hohe Salve mountain lift) {{BS, BHF, 183.447, Hopfgarten, {{ÖPNV Innsbruck, S6, {{Höhe, 589, AT {{BS, TUNNEL1, , , former Itter Tunnel (45 m, dismantled in summer 2009) {{BS, HST, 188.504, Wörgl Süd - Bruckhäusl, {{ÖPNV Innsbruck, S6, {{Höhe, 523, AT {{BS, STR, , , (to 14 December 2008: Bruckhäusl) {{BS, ÜST, 188.975, , Hopfgarten 1

} {{BS, ABZg+r, , ,

Lower Inn Valley Railway The Lower Inn Valley Railway (german: Unterinntalbahn) is a two-track, electrified railway line that is one of the major lines of the Austrian railways. It was originally opened as the '' k.k. Nordtiroler Staatsbahn'' (Imperial and Royal North ...

from Kufstein {{BS, BHF, 192.405, Wörgl Hauptbahnhof, {{ÖPNV Innsbruck, S1 {{ÖPNV Innsbruck, S2 {{ÖPNV Innsbruck, S6, {{Höhe, 505, AT {{BS, STR, , ,

Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof (German for ''Innsbruck Main Station or'' ''Central Station'') is the main railway station in Innsbruck, the capital city of the Austrian federal state of Tyrol. Opened in 1853, the station is a major hub for western and ...

, map_state = collapsed The Salzburg-Tyrol Railway (german: Salzburg-Tiroler-Bahn) is a

main line Mainline, ''Main line'', or ''Main Line'' may refer to: Transportation Railway * Main line (railway), the principal artery of a railway system * Main line railway preservation, the practice of operating preserved trains on an operational railw ...

railway in

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

. It runs through the states of

and

( North Tyrol) from the city of

Wörgl Wörgl () is a city in the Austrian state of Tyrol, in the Kufstein district. It is from the international border with Bavaria, Germany. Population Transport Wörgl is an important railway junction between the line from Innsbruck to Munich, and ...

and belongs to the core network (''Kernnetz'') of the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB). The section between Salzburg and Schwarzach- Sankt Veit is part of the

Salzburg S-Bahn The Salzburg S-Bahn is a large transport project in and around Salzburg in the Euroregion of Salzburg–Berchtesgadener Land–Traunstein, which crosses the border between Austria and Germany. Its S-Bahn network has been partially in operation sin ...

urban railway network.

Course

The

standard gauge A standard-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge of . The standard gauge is also called Stephenson gauge (after George Stephenson), International gauge, UIC gauge, uniform gauge, normal gauge and European gauge in Europe, and SGR in Ea ...

line runs along the Salzach valley, the Bischofshofen hub being of particular importance as the junction with the

Styria Styria (german: Steiermark ; Serbo-Croatian and sl, ; hu, Stájerország) is a state (''Bundesland'') in the southeast of Austria. With an area of , Styria is the second largest state of Austria, after Lower Austria. Styria is bordered to ...

. At the Wörgl terminus, the Salzburg-Tyrol Railway meets the

running from the Tyrolean capital

Innsbruck Innsbruck (; bar, Innschbruck, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian ) is the capital of Tyrol (state), Tyrol and the List of cities and towns in Austria, fifth-largest city in Austria. On the Inn (river), River Inn, at its junction with the ...

to the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

border at Kufstein and the '' Deutsches Eck'' transport link. The line has been upgraded to

double track A double-track railway usually involves running one track in each direction, compared to a single-track railway where trains in both directions share the same track. Overview In the earliest days of railways in the United Kingdom, most lin ...

throughout and both tracks may be worked in bi-directional running. The entire route is electrified and is powered by 15,000

Volt The volt (symbol: V) is the unit of electric potential, electric potential difference (voltage), and electromotive force in the International System of Units (SI). It is named after the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta (1745–1827). Defi ...

alternating current Alternating current (AC) is an electric current which periodically reverses direction and changes its magnitude continuously with time in contrast to direct current (DC) which flows only in one direction. Alternating current is the form in whic ...

and a frequency of 16.7

Hertz The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose expression in terms of SI base units is s−1, meaning that on ...

. In particular the S-train section from Salzburg Hauptbahnhof to the southern branch-off of the Tauern Railway line at Schwarzach-St. Veit was given a major upgrade and, in places, entirely rebuilt and re-routed.

Names

It is (and was) also known as the Gisela Railway (''Giselabahn''), after Archduchess Gisela of Austria, the second daughter of Emperor

Franz Joseph I Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I (german: Franz Joseph Karl, hu, Ferenc József Károly, 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the other states of the Habsburg monarchy from 2 December 1848 until his ...

and his wife

Elisabeth Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist Ships * HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships * ''Elisabeth'' (sc ...

. Today it is frequently considered to be a continuation of the Western Railway from

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

to Salzburg; the whole railway line from Wien Westbahnhof to Salzburg and Wörgl is also referred to as Empress Elisabeth Railway (''Kaiserin-Elisabeth-Bahn''). The westernmost Zell am See–Wörgl section in Tyrol is also called

Brixental The Brixental ("Brixen Valley") is a southeastern side valley of the Tyrolean Lower Inn Valley in Austria with a length of about 30 km (18.6 mi). Near Wörgl (513 m AMSL; 318 mi) the Brixental and Inn valleys meet. The Brixen ...

Railway.

History

The Salzburg-Tyrol Railway was built from 1873 to 1875 on the basis of the "Concession Authority dated 10 November 1872 for the Limited Company of the Privileged Empress Elisabeth Railway for the Construction and Operation of a Locomotive Railway Running from Upper Styria to Salzburg and North Tyrol".''Volkswirthschaftliche Zeitung. (Giselabahn.)'' Das Vaterland, 31 December 187

/ref> It runs from Salzburg via Hallein, Bischofshofen, St. Johann im Pongau, Schwarzach- St. Veit im Pongau, St. Veit, Zell am See,

and

to Wörgl. The north ramp of the Tauern Railway, from Schwarzach- Sankt Veit station on the Salzburg-Tyrol Railway up to Bad Gastein, opened on 20 September 1905. The southern continuation across the

main chain of the Alps The main chain of the Alps, also called the Alpine divide is the central line of mountains that forms the drainage divide of the range. Main chains of mountain ranges are traditionally designated in this way, and generally include the highest p ...

to Spittal in the

Drava The Drava or Drave''Utrata Fachwörterbuch ...

Valley, including the Tauern Railway Tunnel, was inaugurated by Emperor Franz Joseph on 5 July 1909. By 1915 the Salzburg-Tyrol Railway was upgraded to double track and, in 1925,

electrification Electrification is the process of powering by electricity and, in many contexts, the introduction of such power by changing over from an earlier power source. The broad meaning of the term, such as in the history of technology, economic histor ...

of the line began, finished in 1930. Towards the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, the railway became a target for Allied bombing due to its strategic importance.

Operation

DB 101-105 passes Pfarrwerfen with EC 217, 13

Up to today, the Salzburg-Tyrol Railway is the only east–west railway link to Tyrol that runs entirely on Austrian territory. The fact that there is no parallel

motorway A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms i ...

link on national territory gave the line great importance, especially before Austria's accession to the EU in 1995. However, its significance is increasingly on the wane, partly because it has the characteristics of an Alpine railway with steep hills and tight curves, hence

high-speed rail High-speed rail (HSR) is a type of rail system that runs significantly faster than traditional rail, using an integrated system of specialised rolling stock and dedicated tracks. While there is no single standard that applies worldwide, lines ...

transport is not possible. Austrian east-west trains therefore usually use the route from Salzburg via Rosenheim station in Germany to Innsbruck, transiting the ''Deutsches Eck'' link. The line is important, though, especially for regional services, as part of the connexion from Innsbruck to the state capitals

Klagenfurt Klagenfurt am WörtherseeLandesgesetzblatt 2008 vom 16. Jänner 2008, Stück 1, Nr. 1: ''Gesetz vom 25. Oktober 2007, mit dem die Kärntner Landesverfassung und das Klagenfurter Stadtrecht 1998 geändert werden.'/ref> (; ; sl, Celovec), usually ...

and

Graz Graz (; sl, Gradec) is the capital city of the Austrian state of Styria and second-largest city in Austria after Vienna. As of 1 January 2021, it had a population of 331,562 (294,236 of whom had principal-residence status). In 2018, the popul ...

as well as part of the line from Salzburg to Graz (via the Enns Valley Railway). In addition, the only Austrian

coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Co ...

transport service from North Tyrol to

Lienz Lienz (; Southern Bavarian: ''Lianz'') is a Town privileges, medieval town in the Austrian state of Tyrol (state), Tyrol. It is the administrative centre of the Lienz (district), Lienz district, which covers all of East Tyrol. The municipality a ...

in East Tyrol leaves from

station on the Salzburg-Tyrol Railway. The line is also fairly important as an alternative route for international rail traffic on the east–west axis, but it is more significant as a feeder for the Tauern Railway crossing the

Hohe Tauern The High Tauern (plural, pl.; german: Hohe Tauern, it, Alti Tauri) are a mountain range on the Main chain of the Alps, main chain of the Central Eastern Alps, comprising the highest peaks east of the Brenner Pass. The crest forms the southern bor ...

range of the Central Eastern Alps from north to south. The Salzburg-Tyrol Railway is also used by

sleeping car The sleeping car or sleeper (often ) is a railway passenger car (rail), passenger car that can accommodate all passengers in beds of one kind or another, for the purpose of sleeping. George Pullman was the American innovator of the sleeper car. ...

trains. The night train from Bregenz to Vienna used to run on this line until December 2008, in order to achieve journey times that enabled passengers to spend enough time in the sleepers and to save the rail tolls charged by German

Deutsche Bahn The (; abbreviated as DB or DB AG) is the national railway company of Germany. Headquartered in the Bahntower in Berlin, it is a joint-stock company ( AG). The Federal Republic of Germany is its single shareholder. describes itself as the se ...

railway company for using the ''Deutsches Eck'' transport link. The railway is also important for local services in the central region of Salzburg and in North Tyrol. Between Salzburg Hauptbahnhof and Golling-

the line is worked every half-an-hour and from Golling to Schwarzach every hour by the S3 line of the Salzburg S-Bahn network. The section from Wörgl to Saalfelden is served by the S6 line of

Tyrol S-Bahn The Tyrol S-Bahn provides regional rail services in metropolitan Innsbruck, Austria and its hinterlands in the state of Tyrol. At present, it is only a nominally an S-Bahn in that it only operates on the lines of the Austrian Federal Railways. Expa ...

system.

References

{{Reflist

Literature

* Alfred Horn: ''Die Eisenbahnen in Austria: Offizielles Jubiläumsbuch zum 150jährigen Bestehen'', Bohmann Verlag 1986, {{ISBN, 3-700206-43-7 * Eisenbahnatlas Austria, Verlag Schweers + Wall, S. 63, {{ISBN, 978-3894941284 * Alfred Horn: ''ÖBB Handbuch 1993'', Bohmann Verlag, Vienna 1993, {{ISBN, 3-7002-0824-3 {{coord, 47, 29, 30, N, 12, 03, 40, E, region:AT-7_type:landmark_source:kolossus-dewiki, display=title Railway lines in Austria Kitzbühel District Kufstein District 1873 establishments in Austria