No route, too expensive

Upper Austria puts the Ischlerbahn on the back burner

Until 1957, the railroad ran as far as Bad Ischl. Provincial Councillor Günther Steinkellner considers the idea of reactivation to be completely utopian.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/zVg)

Far too expensive, an obstructed route and other priorities: Transport Minister Günther Steinkellner (FPÖ) rejects the idea of reactivating an old Ischlerbahn line.

Salzburg's plans to reactivate the historic Ischlerbahn line into the heart of the Salzkammergut region have been greeted with delight: Starting from the provincial capital in the neighboring province, several transport branches are to go to the surrounding regions - in Salzburg itself, but also to Bavaria and Upper Austria.

The plans are being drawn up under the title S-Link. A north-south axis from Salzburg's main railway station via the old town to Hallein is being considered. Branches are to be connected to this.

Route reserved for railroad to Bad Ischl
In any case, the Salzburg project company has now invited tenders to find the routes for these branch lines; specifically, corridors have to be found. The fact that the Ischlerbahn (the connection from Salzburg to the Salzkammergut) was discontinued in 1957 is seen as a mistake in terms of transport policy.

Many things are conceivable, but they must also be financially viable. The historic route has been abandoned and is now blocked. Everything would therefore have to be re-routed.

Verkehrslandesrat Günther Steinkellner, FPÖ

Bild: Dostal Harald/© Harald Dostal / 2023

Linz regional light rail has higher priority
There have been plans to reactivate the railroad for years, although Upper Austrian Transport Minister Günther Steinkellner, unlike his colleagues in Salzburg, is not overly optimistic: "Many things are conceivable, but it must also be financially viable," says the FPÖ politician, citing details that speak against it. The historic route has been abandoned and is now blocked. "So everything would have to be re-routed," says the provincial councillor. In addition, there are completely different priorities in our federal state with the Regional Light Rail Linz (RSB) project that has just been finalized in the National Council - we reported.

Route from Thalgau to Ischl reserved
Günther Steinkellner's Salzburg counterpart Stefan Schnöll (ÖVP) says of the Ischlerbahn: "This is not a utopia, even if the line would not run on the route it did back then." This would run from Salzburg via Thalgau partly parallel to the highway or the Westautobahn into the Salzkammergut.