Lower Inn Valley Railway

Last updated
Lower Inn Valley Railway
Bahnstrecke Kufstein-Innsbruck.png
Overview
Other name(s)Bahnstrecke Kufstein–Innsbruck
Native nameUnterinntalbahn
StatusOperational
Owner Austrian Federal Railways
Line number302 01 Border near Kufstein–Wörgl Hbf
101 04 Wörgl Hbf–Innsbruck
101 15 Beschleunigungsgleis Wörgl Hbf – Wörgl Kundl
Locale Tyrol
Termini
Stations21
Service
Type Heavy rail, Passenger/Freight rail
Intercity rail, Regional rail, Commuter rail
Route number300 Salzburg Hbf - Brennero/Brenner
301 Jenbach - Telfs-Pfaffenhofen / Steinach in Tirol
Operator(s)Austrian Federal Railways
History
Opened24 November 1858
Technical
Line length75.130 km (46.684 mi)
Number of tracks Double track
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
Electrification 15 kV/16.7 Hz AC Overhead line
Operating speed160 km/h (99 mph)
Route map

Contents

BSicon STR.svg
BSicon GRENZE.svg
31,868
0,000
GermanyAustria border
BSicon SBRUCKE.svg
A12 Inntal Autobahn
and B175 Wildbichler Straße
BSicon BHF.svg
2.339
Kufstein
terminus of   S1  
482 meters (1,581 ft)
BSicon SBRUCKE.svg
B171 Tiroler Straße
BSicon eABZgl.svg
Former freight railway to Schwoich/Eiberg
BSicon SBRUCKE.svg
BSicon eHST.svg
Stimmersee
BSicon HST.svg
6.617
Schaftenau
  S1  
BSicon ABZgl.svg
7.038
Siding)
BSicon UST.svg
7.041
Kufstein 2 crossover (Üst)
BSicon HST.svg
8.480
Langkampfen
  S1  
BSicon eABZg+r.svg
HSL (in planning) from Brannenburg
BSicon eBST.svg
Schaftenau junction
BSicon eABZgr.svg
HSL (in planning) from Wörgl 2 junction
BSicon SBRUCKE.svg
BSicon hKRZWae.svg
Inn
BSicon KMW.svg
11.600
11.809
Change of chainage (-209 m)
BSicon BHF.svg
11.920
Kirchbichl
  S1  
494 m (1,621 ft)
BSicon SBRUCKE.svg
B178 Loferer Straße
BSicon ABZg+l.svg
BSicon BHF.svg
16.027
Wörgl Hbf
  S1  
505 m (1,657 ft)
BSicon STR.svg
terminus of   S2    S6  
BSicon DST.svg
17.300
Wörgl Terminal south
506 m (1,660 ft)
BSicon DST.svg
18.400
Wörgl Terminal north
505 m (1,657 ft)
BSicon HST.svg
18.500
Wörgl West (in planning)
505 m (1,657 ft)
BSicon BHF.svg
22.308
Wörgl Kundl
  S1    S2  
510 m (1,670 ft)
BSicon eABZg+r.svg
HSL (in planning) from Schaftenau junction
BSicon eBST.svg
24,969
Radfeld junction
BSicon ABZgl.svg
HSL to Stans junction
BSicon UST.svg
26.969
Radfeld 2 crossover
BSicon HST.svg
29.991
Rattenberg-Kramsach
  S1    S2  
BSicon TUNNEL1.svg
Rattenbergtunnel (L 182 m)
BSicon BHF.svg
31.303
Brixlegg
  S1    S2  
524 m (1,719 ft)
BSicon hKRZWae.svg
Inn
BSicon UST.svg
36.027
Brixlegg 2 crossover
BSicon HST.svg
37.181
Münster-Wiesing
  S1    S2  
526 m (1,726 ft)
BSicon KRZt.svg
HSL
BSicon TUNNEL1.svg
A12 tunnel (L 190 m)
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon STR+l.svg
BSicon ABZgl+l.svg
BSicon ABZgr+r.svg
Freight connection
(route change, transhipment to Rollbock)
BSicon STR+r.svg
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon KBHFe.svg
BSicon BHF.svg
BSicon KBHFe.svg
40.882
Jenbach
  S1    S2  
530 m above sea level (AA)
BSicon eBS2+l.svg
BSicon BS2+r.svg
41.509
Relocation of original track
BSicon exWBRUCKE1.svg
BSicon WBRUCKE1.svg
Run off from Achensee power station
BSicon exSTR.svg
BSicon ABZg+l.svg
BSicon exSTR.svg
BSicon BST.svg
≈43.9
Stans junction
BSicon exSTR.svg
BSicon ABZgl.svg
BSicon exUST.svg
BSicon STR.svg
44,580
Jenbach 2 crossover
BSicon exSTR.svg
BSicon HST.svg
45,712
Stans bei Schwaz
  S1    S2  
BSicon exHST.svg
BSicon STR.svg
45,800
Stans bei Schwaz
(until 14 August 2011)
BSicon exSTR.svg
BSicon tSTRa.svg
45,795
Stanser tunnel (L 634 m)
BSicon exWBRUCKE1.svg
BSicon tKRZW.svg
Stanser Bach
BSicon exTUNNEL1.svg
BSicon tSKRZ-A.svg
A12
BSicon exSTR.svg
BSicon tKRZto.svg
HSL
BSicon exSTR.svg
BSicon tSTRe.svg
46,429
BSicon eBS2l.svg
BSicon BS2r.svg
46,869
End of relocation of original track
BSicon ABZgr.svg
Siding)
BSicon BHF.svg
48.360
Schwaz
  S1    S2  
538 m (1,765 ft)
BSicon ABZg+r.svg
51.694
Pill-Vomperbach siding
BSicon HST.svg
51.694
Pill-Vomperbach
  S1    S2   ( siding)
544 m (1,785 ft)
BSicon UST.svg
52.721
Schwaz 2 crossover
BSicon SBRUCKE.svg
BSicon UST.svg
54.267
Schwaz 3 crossover
BSicon HST.svg
55.231
Terfens-Weer
  S1    S2  
BSicon BHF.svg
59.067
Fritzens-Wattens
  S1    S2  
555 m (1,821 ft)
BSicon HST.svg
61.339
Volders-Baumkirchen
  S1    S2  
BSicon KRZt.svg
HSL
BSicon ABZg+l.svg
HSL from Stans junction
BSicon BST.svg
62.361
Fritzens-Wattens 2 junction
BSicon ABZgl.svg
Innsbruck bypass to Innsbruck 1 junction
BSicon UST.svg
63.822
Fritzens-Wattens 3 crossover
BSicon BHF.svg
66.606
Hall in Tirol
  S1    S2  , terminus of   S3  
BSicon HST.svg
70.093
Rum
  S1    S2    S3  
BSicon UST.svg
71.210
Hall in Tirol 3 crossover
BSicon ABZg+l.svg
72.426
Siding
BSicon hKRZWae.svg
Inn
BSicon ABZgl.svg
to Innsbruck Fbf (goods station)
BSicon BHF.svg
75.130
Innsbruck Hbf
  S1    S2    S3  
582 m (1,909 ft)
BSicon STR.svg
terminus of   S4    S5  
BSicon ABZgr.svg
BSicon STR.svg
Source: Austrian railway atlas [1]
Lower Inn Valley railway to the north of the Inn at Fritzens. Work on the New Lower Inn Valley Railway is under way next to the line. Fritzens.jpg
Lower Inn Valley railway to the north of the Inn at Fritzens. Work on the New Lower Inn Valley Railway is under way next to the line.

The Lower Inn Valley Railway (German : Unterinntalbahn) is a two-track, electrified railway line that is one of the major lines of the Austrian railways. It was originally opened as the k.k. Nordtiroler Staatsbahn (Imperial and Royal North Tyrolean State Railway). It begins at the German border near the Austrian city of Kufstein as a continuation of the Rosenheim–Kufstein line and runs in a generally south-westerly direction through Tyrol along the Inn valley to Innsbruck. The line is part of the Line 1 of Trans-European Transport Networks (TEN-T). The line is owned and operated by Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB).

History

Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria had ordered its construction in 1853. The line was the first railway in western Austria, opened on 24 November 1858.

New line

Concrete shell for the New Lower Inn Valley railway Unterinntalbahn, Galerie Terfens, Rohbau.jpg
Concrete shell for the New Lower Inn Valley railway

In order to increase the capacity of the track and in preparation for the construction of the Brenner Base Tunnel a new high-capacity line has been built between Kundl1 junction and Fritzen-Wattens 1 junction (at Baumkirchen). It was opened on 9 December 2012 for scheduled traffic. The great majority of this line has been built in tunnel in order not to increase noise pollution in the Inn valley. The new route is designed for mixed traffic up to 250 km/h (160 mph) and is fitted with ETCS Level 2 signalling system. [2] [3] An extension of the new line from Kundl/Radfeld to Brannenburg is in the planning phase.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ÖBB</span> State-owned national railway company of Austria

The Austrian Federal Railways, now commonly known as ÖBB, is the national railway company of Austria, and the administrator of Liechtenstein's railways. The ÖBB group is owned entirely by the Republic of Austria, and is divided into several separate businesses that manage the infrastructure and operate passenger and freight services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kufstein</span> Municipality in Tyrol, Austria

Kufstein is a town in the Austrian state of Tyrol, the administrative seat of Kufstein District. With a population of about 19,600 it is the second largest Tyrolean town after the state capital Innsbruck. The greatest landmark is Kufstein Fortress, first mentioned in the 13th century. The town was the place of origin of the Austrian noble family Kuefstein.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brenner Base Tunnel</span> Railway tunnel through the Alps

The Brenner Base Tunnel is a 55-kilometre-long (34 mi) railway tunnel under construction through the base of the Eastern Alps beneath the Brenner Pass. Upon completion, it will be the second or third longest railway tunnel in the world, after the Gotthard Base Tunnel in Switzerland and the Mont d'Ambin Base Tunnel between France and Italy. It will run from near Innsbruck, in Austria, to Franzensfeste, in Italy, replacing part of the current Brenner railway. The line is part of Line 1, the Berlin to Palermo route, of Trans-European Transport Networks (TEN-T).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arlberg railway</span>

The Arlberg Railway, which connects the Austrian cities Innsbruck and Bludenz, is Austria's only east-west mountain railway. It is one of the highest standard gauge railways in Europe and the second highest in Austria, after the Brenner. The 135.7 km line is a highly problematic mountain railway, in part because it is threatened by avalanches, mudslides, rockfalls and floods. It is operated by the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) and frequented by international trains, including the Orient Express.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bavarian Maximilian Railway</span>

The Bavarian Maximilian Railway was as an east–west line built between the Bavarian border with Württemberg at Neu-Ulm in the west via Augsburg, Munich and Rosenheim to the Austrian border at Kufstein and Salzburg in the east as part of the Royal Bavarian State Railways. The Munich–Augsburg section of the line had already been built by the Munich-Augsburg Railway Company and opened in 1840. The line was named after the reigning King of Bavaria from 1848 to 1864 Maximilian II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof</span> Railway station in Tyrol, Austria

Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof is the main railway station in Innsbruck, the capital city of the Austrian federal state of Tyrol. Opened in 1853, the station is a major hub for western and central Austria. In 2019, it was the 8th-busiest station in the country, and the 2nd-busiest outside of Vienna after only Linz Hauptbahnhof, with 315 train movements and 38,500 passengers daily.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brenner Railway</span> Major Austro-Italian transport link

The Brenner Railway is a major line connecting the Austrian and Italian railways from Innsbruck to Verona, climbing up the Wipptal, passing over the Brenner Pass, descending down the Eisacktal to Bolzano/Bozen, then further down the Adige Valley to Rovereto/Rofreit, and along the section of the Adige Valley, called in Italian the “Vallagarina”, to Verona. This railway line is part of the Line 1 of Trans-European Transport Networks (TEN-T). It is considered a "fundamental" line by the state railways Ferrovie dello Stato (FS).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berlin–Palermo railway axis</span> Key high-speed rail link in Central Europe

The Berlin–Palermo railway axis is project No. 1 of the Trans-European high-speed rail network (TEN-R), which involves the creation of a 2,200-kilometre-long (1,400 mi) high-speed rail line between Berlin and Palermo. It is designated as one of the main transport links connecting Central and Southern Europe, tracking through Germany, Austria and Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tyrol S-Bahn</span>

The Tyrol S-Bahn provides regional rail services in metropolitan Innsbruck, Austria and its hinterlands in the state of Tyrol. At present, it is only a nominally an S-Bahn in that it only operates on the lines of the Austrian Federal Railways. Expansion projects, including new stations, however, are being planned.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Innsbruck bypass</span> Key rail transport link in western Austria

The Innsbruck bypass is a 14.853-kilometre (9.229 mi)-long double-track electrified main line of the Austrian railways. It connects the Lower Inn Valley railway with the Brenner railway, bypassing Innsbruck. It was opened on 29 May 1994. The line is at a major part of the rail freight network of Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Lower Inn Valley railway</span> Key rail transport link in Western Austria

The New Lower Inn Valley railway is a partially completed double-track high-speed main line of the Austrian railways. It connects the Brenner railway at Innsbruck and the Innsbruck bypass with the line to Kufstein, connecting with Germany, Salzburg, and eastern Austria. It forms a part of the core of the network of Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB). The bypass is part of Line 1 of the Trans-European Transport Networks (TEN-T). The first section (Kundl–Baumkirchen), which is designed for speeds up to 220 km/h (140 mph), was opened on 26 November 2012. Since the timetable change on 9 December 2012, it relieves the existing Lower Inn Valley railway between Wörgl and Baumkirchen with trains able to operate at up to 250 km/h (160 mph). In the future, these and other construction projects are expected to reduce travel time on the Munich–Innsbruck route from 1:50 to 0:55 and on the Munich–Verona route from 5:20 to 2:20. The cost of the project amounted to €2.358 billion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rosenheim–Kufstein railway</span> Double-track main line in Germany

The Rosenheim–Kufstein railway is a 32 kilometre-long double-track main line of the German railways. It connects the Munich–Rosenheim and the Rosenheim–Salzburg lines at Rosenheim with the line to Innsbruck, thus connecting Germany, Salzburg and eastern Austria with Innsbruck and the Brenner line to Italy and the Arlberg line to far western Austria. The line is part of the Line 1 of Trans-European Transport Networks (TEN-T). It is electrified at 15 kV, 16.7 Hz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Munich–Rosenheim railway</span> Double-track main line of the German railways

The Munich–Rosenheim railway is a 65 kilometre-long double-track main line of the German railways. It connects Munich Hauptbahnhof with Rosenheim station, where it connects with the Rosenheim–Salzburg railway, which connects with the line to Vienna at Salzburg, and the line to Kufstein, which continues to Innsbruck and the Brenner line to Italy. The line is part of the "Main line for Europe", connecting Paris with Bratislava and Budapest and the almost identical line 17 of Trans-European Transport Networks (TEN-T). It is part of the line 1 of TEN-T. It is electrified at 15 kV, 16.7 Hz. It was opened between Munich and Rosenheim in 1871.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wörgl Hauptbahnhof</span> Railway station in Tyrol, Austria

Wörgl Hauptbahnhof is the main railway station of Wörgl, a city in the Kufstein district of the Austrian federal state of Tyrol, about 20 km from the state border with Bavaria. It is a major hub for regional and international rail travel, both passenger and freight.

The Western Railway is a two-track, partly four-track, electrified railway line in Austria that runs from Vienna to Salzburg via St. Pölten and Linz Hauptbahnhof and is one of the major lines of Austria. It was originally opened as the Empress Elisabeth Railway in 1858 (Vienna–Linz). The line is owned and operated by Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brenner railway station</span> Railway station in Italy

Brenner railway station is the border station of Italy and Austria. It serves the town and comune of Brenner in the autonomous province of South Tyrol, northeastern Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kufstein railway station</span> Railway station in Tyrol, Austria

Kufstein railway station serves the city of Kufstein, in the Kufstein district of the Austrian federal state of Tyrol. Opened in 1876, it is an Austrian-German border station, close to the border between Tyrol and Bavaria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mittenwald Railway</span> Railway line

The Mittenwald Railway, popularly known as the Karwendelbahn, is a railway line in the Alps in Austria and Germany. It connects Innsbruck via Seefeld and Mittenwald to Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">High-speed rail in Austria</span> Overview of the high-speed rail system in Austria

The West railway between the capital Vienna and Salzburg is being upgraded. Most new sections have a continuous maximum design speed of 250 km/h (155 mph).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bever–Scuol-Tarasp railway</span> Railway line in Switzerland

The Bever–Scuol-Tarasp railway—also called the Engadinerbahn, Engadinerlinie, Unterengadinerbahn or Unterengadinerlinie —is a Swiss metre-gauge railway, which is operated by the Rhaetian Railway and connects the Lower Engadine with the Albula Railway. The Samedan–Pontresina railway is often also considered part of the line. Both lines are closely linked with each other. The Bever–Scuol-Tarasp railway is part of the RhB mainline network, so the kilometrage (chainage) has its zero point in Landquart.

References

  1. Eisenbahnatlas Österreich[Austrian railway atlas] (in German) (3rd ed.). Cologne: Schweers + Wall. 2021. pp. 38–39, 56–57, 100. ISBN   978-3-89494-150-5.
  2. "Newsletter" (PDF) (in German). Brenner Eisenbahn GmbH. Retrieved 11 February 2010.
  3. "Die Neue Unterinntalbahn (the new Lower Inn railway)" (PDF) (in German). Brenner Eisenbahn GmbH. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 11 February 2010.

Coordinates: 47°15′48″N11°24′04″E / 47.2633°N 11.4010°E / 47.2633; 11.4010