Tunnel renovation

Closures and detour on the Tauern line

Symbolic image

(Bild: APA/EVA MANHART)

ÖBB's Tauern line will be extensively modernized over the next few years. The work in the approximately 8.3-kilometer-long Tauern railway tunnel is at the heart of the project. This will be completely closed from November to July. Buses will be used as a replacement for passenger services.

The closure of the Tauern Tunnel will begin on November 18, 2024 and end on July 13, 2025. Despite the construction work, the Gastein Valley will remain easily and quickly accessible by train from the north for winter tourism until March 2025. From the south, a rail replacement service with buses will be set up from the closure of the Tauern Tunnel in mid-November. There will be hourly bus connections between Bischofshofen and Spittal an der Drau.

Special buses for Tauernschleusen commuters
An additional bus service for commuters will start on November 18, 2024 between Bad Gastein and Mallnitz with appropriate intermediate stops. The bus service is specifically intended for commuters using the Tauernschleuse and can be used free of charge with a valid annual pass for the Tauernschleuse.

"ÖBB is in contact with the municipalities and regions and provides regular updates on the specific plans for modernization. In order to finalize the modernization work in the Tauern Tunnel, a second stage of the measures is required. These are already being planned and will focus on the area of the south portal," ÖBB reported in a press release. The second construction phase is expected to take place from 2027 with a further total closure of around five months. ÖBB will provide regular updates on progress and details.

Advantages of the modernization
Alongside the Brenner axis, the Salzburg - Villach Tauern line is one of the most important Austrian transalpine connections and therefore a main axis of the Alpine transit. The core of the route is the approximately 81-kilometer-long Tauern Railway from Schwarzach im Pongau to Spittal an der Drau in Carinthia. "With the commissioning of the Koralm Railway, the implementation of an integrated timetable and the associated expansion of services, the north-south connection is becoming significantly more important in long-distance transport. Over the next few years, the Tauern route will be prepared step by step for future high-level long-distance traffic," says ÖBB.