In Styria

Mega investments, closures: what ÖBB is planning for 2025

The final breakthrough was recently celebrated in the Semmering Tunnel.

(Bild: ÖBB/Ebner)

2025 will be a historic railroad year: the Koralm Railway will go into full operation in mid-December - and with it the new 33-kilometre tunnel towards Carinthia. ÖBB is investing a total of 704 million euros in Styria. However, rail travelers will also need patience, as there are a number of critical closures.

The first closures will start on Good Friday, April 18: the rail loop in Bruck an der Mur, the section from Werndorf to Spielfeld and the Radkersburg line (between Spielfeld-Straß and Bad Radkersburg) will be affected. In all three cases, the maintenance work should be completed by Sunday, April 27 at the latest.

The longest and probably most drastic line closure awaits in summer: no trains will run on the Ostbahn section between Graz main station and Gleisdorf during the entire school vacation (July 5 to September 7). The Ostbahn towards Feldbach and Fehring will be electrified, i.e. supplied with traction current, by 2030. 

Lines in the west soon to be electrified
The same project is also underway on the GKB lines in the west (towards Wies-Eibiswald and Köflach), which have belonged to ÖBB since last year and now operate under the name "Westbahn". In August, electric operation will start on the section between Lannach and Wies-Eibiswald. The lines from Lieboch to Köflach and Wettmannstätten will be closed twice (May 1 to 4 and July 5 to 27). The Oisnitz and Alling-Tobisegg stops will also be modernized.

The last major closure will start with the start of school on September 8: the Enns Valley will be affected (until October 6), specifically the tracks from Stainach-Irdning to Bischofshofen (Salzburg). Incidentally, the Haus im Ennstal station on the Ennstal line is being renovated this year.

The Weststeiermark station in Groß St. Florian.

(Bild: ÖBB/Steiner)

Koralm Railway in operation from December 14
Which brings us to the investments. ÖBB has earmarked more than 700 million euros for Styria this year. The highlight is certainly the completion of the Koralm Railway. As reported, freight traffic on the high-performance line connecting Carinthia and Styria is due to start in October, followed by passenger traffic on December 14 after 27 years of construction. The tunnel is structurally complete, now around 15,000 test kilometers are being completed, numerous exercises are being carried out and technical systems are being ramped up. 

The Semmering Base Tunnel will take until December 2029 before operations start. However, the tunnel has now been excavated and the final major construction phase will begin this year with the technical tunnel equipment. All the tracks, cables and technical equipment will be installed. 

Train station, road underpass: everything is being rebuilt in Raaba.

(Bild: Juergen Fuchs)

Huge construction site in Raaba
One mega-project that stands in the shadow of the two tunnels is the conversion of Raaba railroad station. This year, the new road underpass will provisionally go into operation, with completion of the local transport hub scheduled for 2026.

According to ÖBB, the planning work for the double-track expansion between Werndorf and Spielfeld-Straß will also be "intensified". The renovation of the Mixnitz-Bärenschützklamm station will start at the beginning of the year - many people were horrified in advance because the historic station building had to go. The reason: too little safety distance from the tracks. Further resistance is to be expected.