Bohinj Railway
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The Bohinj Railway (, , ) is a
railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...
in
Slovenia Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...
and
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
. It connects
Jesenice Jesenice (, ''Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v državnem zboru'', vol. 6: Kranjsko. 1906. Vienna: C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna, p. 144.) is the tenth-largest town in Slovenia, located in the traditional province of Upper C ...
in Slovenia with
Trieste Trieste ( , ; ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital and largest city of the Regions of Italy#Autonomous regions with special statute, autonomous region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, as well as of the Province of Trieste, ...
in Italy. It was built by
Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...
from 1900 to 1906 as a part of a new strategic railway, the Neue Alpenbahnen, that would connect Western Austria and Southern Germany with the then Austro-Hungarian port of Trieste. The line starts in Jesenice, at the southern end of the Karawanks Tunnel; it then crosses the
Julian Alps The Julian Alps (, , , , ) are a mountain range of the Southern Limestone Alps that stretches from northeastern Italy to Slovenia, where they rise to 2,864 m at Mount Triglav, the highest peak in Slovenia. A large part of the Julian Alps is inclu ...
through the Bohinj Tunnel, and passes the border town of
Nova Gorica Nova Gorica () is a town in western Slovenia, on the border with Italy. It is the seat of the Municipality of Nova Gorica. Nova Gorica is a planned town, built according to the principles of modernist architecture after 1947, when the Treaty of pe ...
before crossing the Italian border and reaching Trieste. During the
First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, it carried the majority of Austrian military supplies to the
Isonzo Front The Battles of the Isonzo (also known as the Isonzo Front by historians, or the Soča Front - ) were a series of twelve battles between the Austro-Hungarian and Italian armies in World War I mostly on the territory of present-day Slovenia, and ...
. Because of new political divisions in Europe, with the dissolution of Austria-Hungary into separate states in 1918 and the isolation of
communist Yugoslavia The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (commonly abbreviated as SFRY or SFR Yugoslavia), known from 1945 to 1963 as the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as Socialist Yugoslavia or simply Yugoslavia, was a country ...
after 1945, the railway decreased in importance during the twentieth century. However, Slovenia's accession to the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
has created new prospects for the railway as a convenient passenger and freight route from Central and Eastern Europe to the port of Trieste. Distinctive features of the railway are the Bohinj Tunnel under Mount Kobla and the
Solkan Bridge The Solkan Bridge (, ) is a arch bridge over the Soča, Soča River near Nova Gorica in western Slovenia (by railway terminology it is a viaduct). With an arch span of , it is the world's longest stone arch railroad bridge (and second-longest s ...
with its arch over the Soča River (the longest stone railway arch in the world).


Names

* The Slovenian name for the railway is ''Bohinjska proga'' (Bohinj railway), referring to both the valley and the town of Bohinj. * The
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
name for it is ''Wocheiner Bahn'' (the German name of Bohinj); the southern part of the railway, beyond Nova Gorica, has also been known as the ''Karstbahn''. At the time of construction, the official designation was ''Karawanken- und Wocheinerbahn'', in reference to the Karawanks railway from which it originates in Jesenice: together with the
Tauern Railway The Tauern Railway () is an Austrian railway line between Schwarzach- Sankt Veit in the state of Salzburg and Spittal an der Drau in Carinthia. It is part of one of the most important north–south trunk routes (''Magistrale'') in Europe and als ...
(''Tauernbahn''), it formed the New Alpine Railways project (''Neue Alpenbahnen''). * In
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
, the railway is known as the ''Ferrovia Transalpina'' (the Cross-Alps Railway), and that name is still used for Italian services between
Gorizia Gorizia (; ; , ; ; ) is a town and (municipality) in northeastern Italy, in the autonomous region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. It is located at the foot of the Julian Alps, bordering Slovenia. It is the capital of the Province of Gorizia, Region ...
and Trieste.


History


The political decision

In 1869, the Trieste Chamber of Commerce had sent a petition to the Emperor
Franz Joseph Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I ( ; ; 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the ruler of the Grand title of the emperor of Austria, other states of the Habsburg monarchy from 1848 until his death ...
, in which they argued that the opening that year of the
Suez Canal The Suez Canal (; , ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, Indo-Mediterranean, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia (and by extension, the Sinai Peninsula from the rest ...
would indubitably lead to further development of Trieste, the main port of the
Austro-Hungarian Empire Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military and diplomatic alliance, it consist ...
; therefore, a second railway line to
Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
or the northern parts of Austria would be needed to support increased maritime traffic, in addition to the existing
Austrian Southern Railway The Austrian Southern Railway () is a long double track railway, which linked the capital Vienna with Trieste, the former main seaport of Austria-Hungary, by railway for the first time. It now forms the Southern Railway in Austria and the Spi ...
. The discussion regarding the path that new railway would take was not easily settled, and led to a "nearly thirty year long war". Only by 1901 was this dispute settled. On 12 February of that year, the Minister for Railway Affairs of Austria Heinrich Ritter von Wittek brought a bill to the attention of the Imperial Council (the Austrian parliament) for the construction of and public investment in new railways. After approval by both chambers, the Emperor signed the bill into law on 6 June 1901. Among other provisions, the law provided that the Karawanks and Wocheiner (now Bohinj) railways should be built by 1905 as main lines of the first rank. The cost of that railway was estimated at 103.6 million Kronen, by far the most expensive railway project in the law. That cost would be covered by the issue of government bonds. To overhaul such a large project, the Minister named a Construction Director directly subordinate to him, the engineer Karl Wurmb. In 1905, both Minister Wittek and Wurmb were subjected to criticism in parliament regarding cost overruns incurred by the construction because of geological difficulties. On the Austrian Littoral side of the route, the builders first faced more demanding work in Podbrdo. Giacomo Ceconi’s company started the exploratory shaft along the axis of the planned Bohinj Tunnel as early as 1900. The works on the rest of the route for the Bohinj Railway was subcontracted in spring 1903. The section between Podbrdo and Šempeter was divided into nine parts: construction of the first five sections from Podbrdo to Ajba was taken over by the Viennese company Brüder Redlich und Berger, and the remaining four sections to Šempeter were taken over by the Italian company Sard, Lenassi & Co incorporated in
Gorizia Gorizia (; ; , ; ; ) is a town and (municipality) in northeastern Italy, in the autonomous region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. It is located at the foot of the Julian Alps, bordering Slovenia. It is the capital of the Province of Gorizia, Region ...
for this project by the Italian engineer Giovanni Battista Sard of
Turin Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...
. Construction of the section between Podbrdo and Grahovo was the most demanding: eight
bridge A bridge is a structure built to Span (engineering), span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or railway) without blocking the path underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, whi ...
s, thirty-three
culvert A culvert is a structure that channels water past an obstacle or to a subterranean waterway. Typically embedded so as to be surrounded by soil, a culvert may be made from a pipe (fluid conveyance), pipe, reinforced concrete or other materia ...
s, and six
tunnel A tunnel is an underground or undersea passageway. It is dug through surrounding soil, earth or rock, or laid under water, and is usually completely enclosed except for the two portals common at each end, though there may be access and ve ...
s had to be built because of avalanche slopes and watery terrain. The most important and still most admired structures along the entire Bohinj Railway are the Bohinj Tunnel, the Idrijca Viaduct at
Bača pri Modreju Bača pri Modreju ( or ; in older sources also ''Bača pri Modreji'') is a village in the Municipality of Tolmin in the Littoral region of Slovenia. It lies at the confluence of the Bača River with the Idrijca River, which in turn joins the So ...
, and the
Solkan Bridge The Solkan Bridge (, ) is a arch bridge over the Soča, Soča River near Nova Gorica in western Slovenia (by railway terminology it is a viaduct). With an arch span of , it is the world's longest stone arch railroad bridge (and second-longest s ...
.


Operation until 1945

After the
First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, the railway was separated to
Yugoslavia , common_name = Yugoslavia , life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation , p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia , flag_p ...
and
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
as a result of the
Treaty of Versailles The Treaty of Versailles was a peace treaty signed on 28 June 1919. As the most important treaty of World War I, it ended the state of war between Germany and most of the Allies of World War I, Allied Powers. It was signed in the Palace ...
. The border had been located in the middle of the Bohinj tunnel; Italy obtained the whole area of the Isonzo valley. In Italy, the new Solkan bridge was reconstructed in its original form. The segment Villa Opicina–Trieste was until 1936 electrified with the 3000 V
direct current Direct current (DC) is one-directional electric current, flow of electric charge. An electrochemical cell is a prime example of DC power. Direct current may flow through a conductor (material), conductor such as a wire, but can also flow throug ...
.


Operation since 1945

In 1945, the border between Italy and Yugoslavia moved in the western direction; most parts of the Isonzo valley then belonged to Yugoslavia. Until 1948, the Kreplje–Sežana branch line was constructed; near Sežana it connects to the historical
Austrian Southern Railway The Austrian Southern Railway () is a long double track railway, which linked the capital Vienna with Trieste, the former main seaport of Austria-Hungary, by railway for the first time. It now forms the Southern Railway in Austria and the Spi ...
. This connection enables traffic between the Southern Railway and this line to avoid Italian territory altogether. At this time, the passenger service south of Kreplje ceased, terminating at Sežana instead of continuing into Italy. The original southern terminus, Trieste Campo Marzio, thereafter served only local passenger traffic, and entirely closed to passengers in 1960. Because of political isolation in Europe, the Bohinj Railway lost its importance from 1945 to 1990. After the opening of the Koper Railway in 1967, services ran from Koper via the Karst Railway and this line into Germany or Austria. After the earthquake in
Friuli Friuli (; ; or ; ; ) is a historical region of northeast Italy. The region is marked by its separate regional and ethnic identity predominantly tied to the Friulians, who speak the Friulian language. It comprises the major part of the autono ...
in 1976, it was used as a detour for express trains.Pilgram: ''Das Weite suchen'', S. 95 Since the beginning of the 1990s, rail transport has been mostly via
Pivka Pivka (, , ) is a small town in Slovenia in the Pivka Basin in the Karst region. It is the seat of the Municipality of Pivka. It belongs to the traditional region of Inner Carniola. Name Pivka was first mentioned in 1300 as ''villa Sancti Petri ...
and
Ljubljana {{Infobox settlement , name = Ljubljana , official_name = , settlement_type = Capital city , image_skyline = {{multiple image , border = infobox , perrow = 1/2/2/1 , total_widt ...
, which caused the
Soča Soča (, in Slovene) or Isonzo (, in Italian; other names: ; ; or ') is a long river that flows through western Slovenia () and northeastern Italy (). An Alpine river in character, its source lies in the Trenta Valley in the Julian Alps ...
corridor to decline significantly. The accession of Slovenia and other states to the European Union in 2004 and to the Schengen area at the end of 2007 significantly increased rail traffic from large parts of Europe to the ports of Trieste and Koper, which are conveniently located especially for the Czech Republic, southern Germany, Slovakia, Austria, and Hungary, by abolishing border controls. Nevertheless, international passenger services on the Bohinj Railway did not resume.


See also

* Transalpina/Europe Square


References


Literature

* * . * * * . * * * * *


External links

* {{Authority control Railway lines in Friuli-Venezia Giulia Railway lines in Slovenia Cross-border railway lines in Italy Cross-border railway lines in Slovenia International railway lines Strategic railways Railway lines opened in 1906 1906 establishments in Austria-Hungary