Extensive work

Karwendelbahn closed after mudslide until September 2

(Bild: ÖBB/Gasser-Mair )

Following the mudslide on the Karwendelbahn, clean-up and safety work is in full swing. As the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) have now announced, the closure is likely to last a few more weeks.

Following the heavy mudslide on Monday evening, the Karwendelbahn line in Tyrol is still closed. "Protection against natural hazards plays a central role here, as the safety of passengers has priority," says ÖBB.

In addition to the clean-up work, the focus is therefore on closely monitoring the slopes and the protective structures above the line. "For this reason, a drone flight was carried out with subsequent analysis by geologists and other experts," says ÖBB. This showed that there was still a lot of debris material on the slopes above the line. This would pose an immediate danger in the event of renewed thunderstorms.

From today's perspective, this means that train services will not be able to resume until Monday, September 2, 2024.

Die ÖBB

Experts also agree that the extensive protective structures along the route have prevented major damage. However, as the rockfall nets in particular were partially damaged by the masses of debris on Monday, they will have to be repaired before train services can resume.

"From today's perspective, this means that train services will not be able to resume until Monday, September 2, 2024. Until then, the rail replacement service between Innsbruck main station and Seefeld in Tirol or Scharnitz will remain in place," says ÖBB