Austria - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services

Introduction

This list is based on the timetable – Fahrpläne Österreich – dated from 14 December 2014 until 12 December 2015, unless otherwise shown. Standard abbreviations used are explained in General Information. In the heading to each entry, the map reference for the line in the Schweers + Wall Eisenbahnatlas Österreich (2010 edition) is shown in italic, in addition to the reference to M. G. Ball's European Railway Atlas. The additional map references - prefixed by 'ERA1' - refer to the European Railway Atlas 2008 (M.G.Ball; published by European Railway Atlas)

Obscure services

Trams

See Tram services over obscure routes - Austria

Wien Meidling - St. Pölten – Linz Hbf

[100, 110] (74A3 to 77A2 only certain parts shown; ERA1 64B1 to 65C5; 19B2 to 106A1) AT15/1

The Westbahn main line between Wien and Salzburg is being substantially upgraded. Fast lines, known as the Neue Westbahn, are in use for much of the way from Wien Meidling to Linz. For parts of the route they run adjacent to the old line, but there are substantial sections on entirely new alignments, including some long tunnels. The Neue Westbahn is in use thus:

• Wien Meidling – Wien Hütteldorf: This section opened to passenger services in December 2014 and is entirely in tunnel. It is used by the 2-hourly ICE service from various German stations to Flughafen Wien. The connection from Wien Speising to Wien Inzerdorf currently has no booked services.
• Wien Hütteldorf – St. Pölten: The section to Knoten Wagram, opened in December 2012, runs via a completely new route though Tullnerfeld. Between Knoten Wagram and St. Pölten there are four tracks in use on the same lateral alignment. There is a grade-separated junction at Knoten Wagram where the fast lines are in the centre at lower level, with the slow lines on outside at higher level, to allow access to the freight facilities on the north side. The entire route is used by most trains running non-stop between Wien Hütteldorf and St. Pölten, although some overnight trains still use the old route, and by those stopping only at Tullnerfeld.
• Markersdorf a d Pielach (Üst Prinzersdorf 2) – Ybbs a d Donau: By passes all intermediate stations except Pöchlarn, where there are connections between the old and new lines. It is used by trains running non-stop between St Pölten and Ybbs a d Donau or calling intermediately only at Pöchlarn.
• Ybbs a d Donau - Amstetten: By passes all intermediate stations and dives under the original route near Hubertendorf. It is used by trains not calling at any intermediate stations.
• Amstetten – St. Valentin: Parallels the old Westbahn to St. Peter Seitenstetten, but then runs via an entirely new route to St. Valentin except through St.Johann where the new and old tracks are adjacent. There are connections between the old and new lines at St. Peter Seitenstetten and at St. Johann. This section of the Neue Westbahn is used by trains not stopping between Amstetten and St. Valentin. The following trains stop only at Stadt Haag and St. Peter Seitenstetten so may use the connection at the latter station.

		SSuX	REX1942	Wien Westbahnhof – 17.38 Amstetten – St. Valentin
		SSuX	REX1944	Wien Westbahnhof – 18.38 Amstetten – St. Valentin
		SSuX	REX1946	Wien Westbahnhof – 19.35 Amstetten – St. Valentin
		SSuX	REX1945	St. Valentin - 04.40 Stadt Haag - Wien Westbahnhof
		SSuX	REX1947	St. Valentin - 05.07 Stadt Haag - Wien Westbahnhof
		SO	REX1613	St. Valentin - 05.07 Stadt Haag - Wien Westbahnhof

• St. Valentin – Linz: The Neue Westbahn follows a separate route from St. Valentin to Asten-St. Florian and then parallels the old main line into Linz. It is used by trains between St Valentin and Linz Hbf not booked to call at any of the intermediate stations.

Tulln avoiding line: Tulln Donaubrücke - Tulln Stadt

[810, 110] (75B3 not shown; ERA1 64B1; 23B2) AT15/2

This curve, together with the one in the following entry, has been used since the opening of the Neue Westbahn in December 2012 by the following services.

		SSuX	REX6301	Krems a. d. Donau – 08:08 Absdorf-Hippersdorf – Wien Westbahnhof.
		SSuX	REX6300	Wien Westbahnhof – 19:45 Tulln Stadt – Krems a. d. Donau

Tullnerfeld avoiding line: Tullnerfeld Nord - Tullnerfeld Ost

[810, 110] (75B3 not shown; ERA1 64B1; 23B2) AT15/3

		SSuX	REX6301	Krems a. d. Donau – 08:18 Tulln Stadt – Wien Westbahnhof.
		SSuX	REX6300	Wien Westbahnhof – 19:28 Wien Hütteldorf – Krems a. d. Donau

St. Valentin avoiding line: Enns (Abzw St. Valentin 11) – St. Pantaleon (Abzw Mauthausen 1)

[100, 133] (74A3 not shown; ERA1 64B1; 19D3) AT15/4

This curve, opened in 2005, enables trains to run between the Linz and Mauthausen lines without reversal at St. Valentin. Trains in public timetable 133 booked to call at Enns but not at St. Valentin can be expected to use this line.

Traun - Marchtrenk

[101, 140] (73B3 not shown; ERA1 ERA 62B5; 19A3 - 18D3) AT15/5

This route provides an alternative to the Linz - Wels main line, allowing slower trains to be overtaken. Trains using this route can be identified in table 140.

Lambach avoiding line: Gunskirchen (Abzw Umfahrung Lambach) – Lambach Markt

[101] (73B3 not shown,; ERA1 62C5; 18B4) AT15/6

A tunnel avoiding Lambach is used by all trains between Wels and Attnang-Puchheim not booked to call at Lambach.

Innsbruck avoiding line: Volders-Baumkirchen (Abzw FW2) – Unterberg-Stefansbrücke (Abzw Inn 1)

(79B3; ERA1 63B1; 56C2-B3) AT15/7

All passenger trains to/from the Brennero route run via Innsbruck Hbf – even though some German Autozüge trains have no booked stop (public or operating) there; the avoiding line is not permitted for use by passenger trains.

Wörgl Kundl (Abzw Wörgl 2U) - Volders-Baumkirchen (Abzw FW2) (tunnel line)

[300] (71B1-79B3 not shown; ERA1 63A2-A1; 38C4-56C2) AT15/8

This line, opened in December 2012, can be used in its entirety by non-stop services between Wörgl and Innsbruck, these being most Railjet and all overnight trains, although it was originally understood to be used only by the former because of signalling issues. Services stopping at Jenbach but then running non-stop to Innsbruck can use the connections west of the station onto the new line, and indeed Inter-City services making this stop have been observed to do so, but further information on the use of this line would be welcome.

Bruck an der Mur avoiding line: Pernegg (Bruck Übelstein) – Oberaich (Bruck Stadtwald)

[501, 600] (75A1; ERA1 65A2; 66B2) AT15/9

This east to west curve enables trains to run between Graz and Leoben without reversal at Bruck an der Mur. It is used by services shown in table 600 as not calling at Bruck an der Mur.

Bregenz avoiding line: Hard-Fussach (Lauterach West) – Wolfurt (Lauterach Süd)

[401] (69B1; ERA1 62A1; 52B2) AT15/10

This curve enables trains to run between St. Margrethen and Feldkirch without reversal at Bregenz. There is no booked service but this route is often used for diversions when the Buchs SG – Feldkirch line is closed for engineering works. This has occurred for the last several years in late April and early May. Diverted trains may also use the Romanshorn avoiding line in Switzerland.

St. Michael avoiding line: Leoben Hbf (St. Michael Ost) – Kraubath (St. Michael West)

[600] (83A3; ERA1 65A2; 65D2-C2) AT15/11

This east to west chord of the St. Michael triangle enables trains to run between Leoben and Knittelfeld without reversal at St. Michael station (which is misplaced in Ball 1st ed.) and is used by all trains between Leoben and Knittelfeld not booked to call at St. Michael.

St. Michael – Kraubath (St. Michael West)

[600] (83A3; ERA1 65A2; 65C2) AT15/12

This north to west chord of the St. Michael triangle is used by all trains between St. Michael and Knittelfeld.

Wien Penzing – Wien Speising (Abzw Wien Hütteldorf 1)

[700, 901] (77A2; ERA1 65C5; 106B1) AT15/13

This east to south curve connects Wien Westbf with the Wien southern ring line to Meidling and Kledering. It is used by the regular (mainly 2 hourly) RailJet service between Wien Westbf and Budapest, together with the following trains:

		EC 104	07:34 Wien Westbf – Gdynia Glowna
		EC 149	07:48 Wien Westbf – Budapest Keleti pu
		EC 345	08:48 Wien Westbf – Beograd
		EC 102	13:34 Wien Westbf – Warszawa Wschodnia
		EC 143	16:48 Wien Westbf – Debrecen
H		EC 1167	17:26 Wien Westbf – Budapest Keleti pu.
		D 100	17:34 Wien Westbf – Moskva
		EN 347	19:48 Wien Westbf – Bucuresti
		D 406	22:12 Wien Westbf - Warszawa Wschodnia
		D 407	Warszawa Wschodnia - 06:19 Wien Meidling - Wien Westbf
		EN 346	Bucuresti – 07:59 Wien Meidling – Wien Westbf
		D 101	Moskva - 10:04 Wien Meidling - Wien Westbf
H		EC 1160	Budapest Keleti pu. - 10:32 Wien Meidling - Wien Westbf
		EC 142	Debrecen - 10:55 Wien Meidling - Wien Westbf
		EC 103	Warszawa Wschodnia - 14:04 Wien Meidling - Wien Westbf
E		D 1164	Budapest Keleti pu. - 15:03 Wien Meidling - Wien Westbf
		EC 344	Beograd - 18:55 Wien Meidling - Wien Westbf
		EC 105	Gdynia Glowna - 20:04 Wien Meidling - Wien Westbf
		EC 148	Budapest Keleti pu. – 20:55 Wien Meidling – Zürich Hbf

Oswald-Schleife: Wien Speising (Stw Maxing) – Wien Meidling (via Abzw Oswaldgasse)

[700, 901] (77A2; ERA1 65C5; 106B2-C2) AT15/14

This line is one of two routes between Speising and Meidling, and provides a link to the south (main line) side of Meidling station. It is booked to be used by the regular (mainly 2 hourly) RailJet service between Wien Westbf and Budapest, the mainly hourly S Bahn service from Wien Hütteldorf, and a number of overnight services including those shown in entry AT15/13. The second route, which connects to the north side of Meidling station, no longer has any booked services.

Wien Breitenleer Straße (Abzw Süßenbrunn Mitte) – Deutsch Wagram (Abzw Süßenbrunn Ost)

[901] (77B3; ERA1 65B5; 105C2) AT15/15

Used by all trains between Wien Hauptbahnhof and Břeclav or beyond.

Zeltweg – Fohnsdorf – Pöls

(82B3; ERA1 65A2 partly shown; 65A4-64C4) AT15/16

On Ascension Day (May/June) and the Saturday immediately following, a DMU shuttle service is operated between Knittelfeld, Zeltweg and Pöls (note: no access to train at Pöls). The dates for the 2015 event were not known at the time of writing, but are expected to be 14 to 17 May. The local museum has a homepage www.eisenbahnmuseum-knittelfeld.at, which contains pictures from previous years' events (see photos Andampfen).

Wien Erdbergerlände – Wien Handelskai

(77A3-B2; ERA1 65B5; 107B1-105A3) AT15/17

No passenger service is currently booked to use this route, although the occasional Erlebnisbahn excursions from Wien Franz-Josefs Bhf have covered this route. Prospective travellers should check with ÖBB Erlebnis Bahn, although following financial problems in the business which came to light in 2014, this excursion programme is much reduced.

Villach (Hbf Ostbahnhof) - Villach Westbahnhof (via high level line)

[651] (82A1 not shown; ERA1 63C5; 97C2) AT15/18

Most local services to Rosenbach (plus one to Kötschach-Mauthen), some of which start back from St Veit a d Glan or Feldkirchen, depart from Villach Hbf platform 8, which is situated on the high level route to Westbahnhof. These services can be identified from the ÖBB journey planner. (N.B. only westbound services use this route.)

Schrambach - Markt St Aegyd am Neuwalde

(75A2, ERA64C3; 33B2-4) AT15/19

This line, which was closed to passengers in 2010, was visited by an Erlebnisbahn excursion from St Pölten on 27 April 2014. Prospective travellers should check with ÖBB Erlebnis Bahn to check if a similar trip is to be organised in 2015, although see warning in AT15/16.

Other sparse services

The following lines have few trains (relative to service levels generally in this country) – fewer than five trains each way on at least three days a week – or do not run each weekday:

• 130/131 Weißenbach-St.Gallen - Selzthal
• 133 St. Nikola-Struden – Sarmingstein
• 152 Haiding – Aschach an der Donau
• 532 Feldbach – Bad Gleichenberg
• 600/670 Arnoldstein - Tarvisio Boscoverde (Italy). See also the Progetto MICOTRA site.
• 620 Bad St Leonhard – Wolfsberg
• 660 Weizelsdorf – Rosenbach (one early morning SSuX train from Rosenbach)
• 801 Gmünd NÖ – Groß Gerungs
• 802 Gmünd NÖ – Litschau
• 802 Altnagelberg - Heidenreichstein
• 811 Krems a. d. Donau - Emmersdorf a. d. Donau
• 941 Retz - Drosendorf (Only SSuO)
• R/1 Bleiburg – Holmec (Slovenia)

The following lines do not have service throughout the winter:

• 173 St. Wolfgang Schafbergbf - Schafbergspitze
• 311 Achenseebahn
• 523 Schneebergbahn
• 801 Gmünd NÖ – Groß Gerungs
• 802 Gmünd NÖ – Litschau
• 802 Altnagelberg - Heidenreichstein
• 811 Krems a. d. Donau - Emmersdorf a. d. Donau
• 941 Retz - Drosendorf

Deletions since previous edition

AT14/14

Wien Speising (Stw Maxing) – Wien Meidling direct. No booked use since December 2012.

AT14/16

Wien Speising (Stw Maxing) – Wien Inzersdorf (Abzw Altmannsdorf). No booked services.

AT14/17

Wien Inzersdorf – Kledering (Wien Zvbf Ausfahrgruppe). No booked services.

AT14/20

Wieselburg a d Erlauf – Gresten. The annual Krampus Spektakel, for which an annual excursion was run, no longer takes place.

AT14/23

Wien Liesing – Waldmühle. No trains have run since the line was legally closed in January 2014.