In Austria, it is emphatically referred to as the project of the century. The Koralmbahn railway, which runs beneath the Koralpe mountains through a 32.9-kilometre tunnel—the longest entirely within Austrian territory, as the Brenner base tunnel is shared with Italy—represents a major engineering feat. This tunnel is the central component of the new 130-kilometre railway line linking Klagenfurt in Carinthia to Graz in Styria, effectively creating a transversal connection across southern Austria. For freight transport, including cross-border routes from Italy to Eastern Europe, the term ‘historic turning point’ is no exaggeration.
The Koralmbahn is not merely an upgrade of an existing route, apart from a few minor sections; rather, it is a missing link that integrates into the Baltic-Adriatic corridor. Operations will commence in October 2025, initially for high-performance freight transport, with full service for all types of trains starting from 14 December the same year. The significant impact of the Koralmbahn has triggered a series of upgrades and modernisation projects across Austria’s railway network, particularly in regions directly affected by the new line. Most of these investments are scheduled for completion by 2025, in line with the railway’s opening. The works involve, on the western side, the Carinthian railway network, and on the eastern side, the Styrian railways.
In Carinthia, construction sites have been set up primarily to upgrade the railway linking Villach—and, indirectly, Italy via Tarvisio—to Klagenfurt, the western gateway to the Koralmbahn. Along this section, all remaining level crossings will be eliminated and replaced with independent road crossings. Additionally, by 2025, the upgrade of the Lieser bridge near Spittal an der Drau on the crucial Tauern railway will be completed. However, longer-term projects include the largest ongoing investment targeted at freight transport: the extensive modernisation of the Villach-Süd marshalling yard. This facility, which is being completely redeveloped in multiple phases, will be fully refurbished by 2040, alongside the intermodal terminal logistics hub in Fürnitz.
Equally significant are the projects underway or planned at the opposite end of the Koralmbahn, in Styria, where Austrian Railways is currently investing just over 700 million euros. In addition to extensive maintenance works, the preparatory phase for the electrification of two railway lines, known as the Eastern and Western lines (formerly the GKB line), has commenced. By August 2025, the section between Lannach and Wies-Eibiswald will be electrified. Plans are also in place for the doubling of the line south of Graz, between Werndorf and Spielfeld. By 2030, the entire connection between Graz and Hungary will be electrified, marking a major shift in cross-border rail transport.
Another crucial project, now at an advanced stage, is expected to have a similar impact on Austria’s railway network as the Koralmbahn: the new 27.3-kilometre Semmering base tunnel, an alternative to the historic mountain railway. With the final breakthroughs completed in both tubes, the tunnel is set to open by 2030. Overall, by 2029, the federal railways will have invested nearly 3.5 billion euros in Styria’s railway network.
Piermario Curti Sacchi
