Mega test trips on the KoralMahn: 15,000 kilometers to June!

Mega test trips on the KoralMahn: 15,000 kilometers to June!

Klagenfurt, Österreich - Currently, ÖBB start with comprehensive measurement and test drives on the Koralm Railway, one of the most important infrastructure projects in Austria. This new high -performance route will be put into operation on December 14, 2025 and will establish a direct connection between Graz and Klagenfurt, which is currently still leading via Bruck an der Mur. A total of 15,000 test kilometers are covered in Carinthia and Styria. In order to ensure the smooth process, these tests are carried out by specially trained train drivers.

The Koralmahn, originally known as Koralpenbahn, represents the largest project to expand the Austrian rail network and both training trips and route videos are created as part of the tests. A total of 32 test days are planned by June 12, on which sections of the route are already used. However, this leads to locks of the affected routes in order to prevent school and commuter traffic as little as possible, which takes the tests into account on weekends and public holidays.

affected routes and rail replacement traffic

The test drives concern the following routes:

• Styria: Line S6 between Werndorf - Hengsberg - Wettmannstätten
• Carinthia: Line S3 between Klagenfurt and St. Paul im Lavanttal

During the locks, a rail replacement traffic is set up by bus to maintain the mobility of the passengers.

Koralbahn and Koralmtunnel

The heart of the Koralm Railway is the 33 -kilometer -long coral tunnel, which runs under the Koralpe. The entire route is 130 kilometers long, of which 50 kilometers run through tunnels and includes more than 100 bridges and 23 train stations and stops. With the completion of the Koralmahn, the fastest connection between Klagenfurt and Graz is shortened to just 45 minutes.

The Koralmahn not only improves the connection in Austria, but also promotes the connection to the neighboring countries of Hungary and Italy. This sub-project is part of the international rail transport corridor of the Baltic-Adriatic axis. Commissioning has been graded gradually since the end of 2010, and complete completion is expected to be completed this year.

economic advantages and criticism

With a planned cost framework of 5.2 billion euros (price range 2009), the Koralmsche not only promises a significant reduction in travel time, but also a regional economy benefit of 167 million euros annually. The rail connection to Klagenfurt will make it possible for the trains to be able to drive from Vienna via Graz to Klagenfurt in the future. Critics, on the other hand, accuse the project that it could be considered a waste of money, since alternative corridors are already under construction.

The effects on existing connections and the lack of capacity problems without the Koralmsche are also cited as arguments against the project.

The Koralbahn is financed by the countries of Carinthia and Styria, each contributing 140 million euros. In view of the positive effects on the transport of goods and international competitiveness of domestic businesses, the Koralbahn remains one of the leading traffic projects that will strengthen Austria in the long term.

For more information about the Koralbahn you can Kleine Zeitung , Lovntol and ÖBB Infrastructure Visit.