Austria - Tram services over obscure routes

Introduction

Some tram systems advertise their depot workings and enable one to ascertain the regular use by passenger-carrying services of junctions or sections of line that do not otherwise see public service. This occasional series lists such services that have come to notice. While the data for each system is current at the date stated, it is not the intention to endeavour to keep every entry up to date at every service change - the listing serves as a guide for travellers as to the sort of services they can look out for, enabling them to check current published timetable material at their time of travel.

To assist in tracing services, the route and/or timetable number for each journey is shown in parentheses, e.g. (1). Days of operation are in English notation (respectively: Su, M, T, W, Th, F, S) - plus "O" for only, "X" for excepted. Su (Sundays) usually includes public holidays in mainland Europe - but check locally.

Listings for other systems throughout the world - in the same format as shown below (please include date of timetable validity) - will always be welcomed.

Graz: AGB

A route map of Styria Zone 101 covering all Graz trams as at 30 November 2024 is here that also includes buses and rail services. Timetables are here. Divertion/disruption information was hard to locate so a link as at August 2025 is here.

Jakominiplatz South to East

In use by diverted routes 4 & 7 from 24 May to a planned 7 September 2025 [inclusive].

When two route extensions opened on 26 November 2021, regular use on evenings, Sundays and public holidays by Route 13 ended, but it is possible some Remise 1 Depot runs may use this curve but details are not known. A look at the relevant stop at Jakominiplatz in April 2023 displayed no timings for services via this curve.

Also note the same route changes ended regular use of the sizeable street loop at Laudongasse.

Jakominiplatz East

During the 24 May to a planned 7 September 2025 [inclusive] diversions routes

• 4 & 7 will use the short connection from Jakominiplatz south side towards Kaiser-Josef-Platz / Oper
• 5 & 6 will use the short connection from Jakominiplatz south side towards Dietrichsteinplatz

Köflacher Gasse north to west

A traveller in April 2023 noticed a tram on route 6 at its Smart City terminus displaying Alte Pöstraße as its final destination. This is the stop after travelling this curve, but the timetable panel suggested it would terminate at Daungasse, the stop before. So it is not confirmed if this curve can be travelled in service but timings from Smart City are 17.49 SSuX, 20.57, 22.26/46 daily.

Innsbruck: IVB

Timetables here and a map dated 15 December 2024 can be downloaded from the bottom of this page. For a Journey Planner see here.

Route 6 to Igls

This line had been under threat for years as by road is significantly quicker, but an hourly until 20:00 all days service has resumed. It had reduced to a SSuO and school holidays semi-museum tramway, plus one schoolday-only return journey departing Bergisel at 06:35 and Igls at 07:00, although with normal fares applying.

Note that return journeys from Igls by-pass the stop at Bergisel by joining the route 1 turning circle.

Terminal Marktplatz south to west only

Limited ex depot journeys on route 2 and 5 from Stubaitalbahnhof to Peerhofsiedlung or Technik West departing Bürgerstraße before 6am SX, or 8:30am SO.

Note no inbound workings at January 2025 as the west to south track, although planned, is not yet built.

Linz: Linz AG

Advertised journeys in timetables dated 1 February 2025. It would appear these can only be downloaded line by line and not just viewed from here. The Journey Planner links to Scotty.

Ferihumerstraße loop

The Gleisplanweb map shows a combined arrival/departure stop, and the PDF timetable for route 1 downloadable in August 2025 shows four scheduled arrivals/departures between 07:49 & 08:16 SDO. Helpfully the dates when these do NOT run are shown as 27.12.2024 - 03.01.2025, 17.02.2025 - 21.02.2025, 14.04.2025 - 18.04.2025, 07.07.2025 - 29.08.2025, 29.12.2025 - 05.01.2026. There are NO afternoon trams...

Neue Welt loop

The Gleisplanweb map shows a different combined arrival/departure stop on the loop, and the timetable dated 1 February 2025 for route 3 by footnote v² shows a departure from Linz Hbf at 07:18 "weiter bis Neue Welt" and the journey planner shows it arriving at Neue Welt [Schleife) at 07:27 and departing as a route 1 at 07:30.

Sonnensteinstraße street loop

The anti-clockwise Sonnensteinstraße street loop has triangular junctions at either end so trams can arrive and depart from and to each direction.

Wildbergstraße - Sonnensteinstraße

• No use shown in the February 2025 PDFs BUT, a journey planner enquiry shows all route 1 & 2's terminating on the loop from this direction after 15:00 and until 21:00 on Friday 12 September 2025...

Rudolfstraße - Sonnensteinstraße

• No use shown in the February 2025 PDFs

Trauner Kreuzung (P&R)

This one stop branch has no service after 20:00 [18:50 SO, 18:35 FO], or before 11:00 on Sundays

Wien: Wiener Linien

One of the largest tram networks in the world, so with apologies but this has yet to be researched in detail - but work is in progress, with a target of uploading the information before the September 2025 Branch Line Society Vienna area events. The official Map as at April 2025 can be found here but as it includes the Metro and buses is very cluttered. A tram only track map including all curves and connecting lines not used by all day services is here. Timetables including those affected by engineering work disruptions can be found here. Engineering work information can be found here.

Summer 2025 diversions

• Closure of the south and west sides of the Ring (at different times), and replacement tram E4 during closure of part of the U4. Summary details can be found here.
  • 28 June to 31 August 2025: Route D diverted via east and north side of the Ring (usual route is via the south and west sides), using the following rare connections:
    • Schwarzenbergplatz north-east to south-east curve;
    • Börse north-east to north-west connections: northbound, this is a simple curve; southbound, this involves running along a loop via Kolingasse and Peregringasse. They are also covered by temporary tram route E4 (replacing part of the U4), running between Schottenring and Nußdorf from 27 June to 31 August 2025 (timetable found under the U-Bahn tab on the website).
  • 28 June to 31 August 2025: Route 71 only runs on its outer south-eastern section, between Enkplatz and the terminus at Kaiserebersdorf. It turns using the loop at Enkplatz, with timetables showing this being in passenger service. The terminus is on the loop.
  • 1 July to 10 August 2025: Route 1 diverted via east side of the Ring (usual route is the long way round, via the north and west sides), using the following rare connections:
    • Julius-Raab-Platz east to south curve;
    • Schwarzenbergplatz north-east to south-east curve;
    • Line along Lothringerstr. (between Schwarzenbergplatz and Resselgasse via Karlsplatz) - but note that trams in opposite directions will use track on slightly different alignments.
  • 1 July to 29 July 2025: Route 2 diverted via west side of the Ring (usual route is the long way round, via east and south sides), using the following rare connections:
    • Connecting line along Reichstratsstr. (between Rathaus and Schmerlingplatz, Volkstheater);
    • Ring, Volkstheater south-west to north connections (note that trams in opposite directions will use track at opposite ends of the stop);
    • Schwedenplatz area: southbound trams use north to west curve linking the Marienbrücke and Salztorbrücke stops, bypassing the Schewendenplatz stop itself; northbound trams take the single line north along Taborstr. after calling at Schwedenplatz.
  • 30 July to 24 August 2025: Route 2 back mostly on normal route, but one slight diversion still in use:
    • Connecting line along Reichstratsstr. (between Rathaus and Schmerlingplatz, Volkstheater);
    • Connections from the circle at Volkstheater onto the southern part of the Ring (to / from Burgring) - note this is different from those in use from 1 July to 29 July.

• From 7 July to 22nd August 2025, track reconstruction at Margaretengürtel and at the eastern end of route 18 sees route 18 suspended, route 6 diverted west of Eichenstraße to Dörfelstraße (near Bhf. Meidling), and route 62 diverted east of Kliebergasse (to partly replace route 18) via Hauptbahnhof, Fasangasse, Rennweg and Landstraße / Wien Mitte to Matthäusgasse. Summaries can be found here (route 6) and here (route 62). Rare connections in use:
  • North to east curve at Dörfelstraße (part of a complete circle) by route 6 on arrival;
  • Matthäusschleife (loop around several streets) by diverted route 62 (the Matthäusgasse terminus is on this loop).

• From 16 June to 31 August 2025, track reconstruction along Jörgerstraße sees route 43 diverted east of Rosensteingasse to the route 9 northern terminus at Gersthof, with route 9 not running north of Rosensteingasse. A summary can be found here. The only rare track is the south to west curve at Rosensteingasse, used by route 9 trams on arrival.

Nordbahnstrasse east to north

From a June 2024 visit:

• Route 0 from Bruno-Marek-Allee at 09:30, 20:30, 00:20 School days only, 20:41 SO, 20:59 SSuX, 21:11 SuO, 00:20/35/50 Daily. It is assumed these are to Wexstraße/Abstellanlage Brigittenau Depot so MAY also use the east to north curve at Klosterneuburger Straße / Wallensteinstraße