In the south at night: Tauern tunnel renovation stops trains until 2025
In the south at night: Tauern tunnel renovation stops trains until 2025
For travelers who want to travel from Munich to Italy, the next time means a significant change. From November 18, 2024, you must prepare for the fact that due to a tunnel renovation in Austria, many trains will no longer drive. This measure affects the popular night trains of the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB), which offer connections to Venice, Rome and other attractive travel destinations in Italy.
The block runs until July 13, 2025, which means that travelers have to fall back on alternative travel paths. The night trains, also known as Nightjets, have become increasingly popular in recent years, especially for people who want to travel environmentally friendly and want to sleep on the train at night. There is currently a great demand for these offers, and ÖBB is constantly increasing their capacities.
renovation of the Tauern tunnel
The cause of these restrictions is the renovation of the Tauern tunnel, which lies in the 8.3 km long tube between Böckstein and Mallnitz. The tunnel was opened in 1909, and the last comprehensive maintenance took place in 2004. The present work aims to improve security and infrastructure in the tunnel. This includes milling and the new dressing of the tunnel vault, the renewal of the overhead line and the installation of illuminated handrails as well as the modernization of the signaling technology. According to a spokesman for the ÖBB, an attempt is made to keep the effects for travelers as low as possible and to carry out the construction work efficiently.
disorders still to be expected
The situation is complicated by additional construction sites in the region, including the permanent construction site on the Tauern motorway, which already leads to frequent traffic jams. In addition, the Großglockner-Hochhalpenstraße is closed from autumn to May, and Felbertauernstrasse has problems with a rock fall.
Although the night train from Stuttgart via Munich to Zagreb continues to be offered, it is diverted, which means that Ljubljana is not approached. In addition, the train to Rijeka, which runs from May to September, could no longer be operated. These circumstances make travel planning more difficult.
In the near future, travelers who plan a trip to the popular holiday regions of Italy should carefully check which connections are still available and whether there are alternative transport options. A detailed overview of the timetables and changes can be viewed on the ÖBB website in order to obtain the current information. Details on the trains and the associated restrictions are also in a current report on www.fr.de .