The following are some of the ways to get in touch with each other:The main rail routes across the Alps are a result of national ambitions and rivalries. Austria’s opening of its Semmering railway in 1854, the Mont Cenis route (also known as Fréjus) between France and Italy in 1871 and Switzerland’s Gotthard tunnel in 1882 defined the broad contours of Alpine railway geography in the late 19th century. Habsburg planners, however, were eager to establish better links with Adriatic port cities. In 1901, they sketched a bold design for the Neue Alpinebahnen. Austria’s Tauern rail was the largest of these. It was opened in 1909. In November 2024 it closed down for reconstruction. It served as a reminder of just how important a few Alpine rail lines are to passengers and freight. The effects of losing one important Alpine rail link are felt throughout Europe.
Last couple of years were tough for Alpine railway operators. The lines have been affected by floods, derailments and landslides. Three cheers then for recent positive news. The Mont Cenis route, which was closed after a landslide occurred in August of 2023, reopened again this spring. (Although a recent landslide temporarily interrupted service last week). The closure of the Mont Cenis route forced all high-speed train services between France & Italy to be cancelled. Now that these links are restored, travellers can speed from Paris or Lyon to Milan within five hours and forty minutes.
Classic railways: New services
This summer, new long-distance services were introduced on other major Alpine routes. New Railjet services are now available on the Brenner route, which connects Austria and Italy. They run from Munich to Ancona in the Adriatic. Since late June, the famous Semmering railway has seen new direct trains from Warsaw to Rijeka which slip by dead of night through the Austrian Alps – 20 hours from the Polish capital to the Croatian coast. Last month also saw the celebrated Gotthard route hosting a new daytime train from Zürich to Pisa, an eight-hour journey that takes in not merely the Alps but also some glorious Ligurian coastal scenery along the way.
The best is yet ahead. The Tauern Railway will reopen 14 July. This major rail axis that runs through the Austrian Alps is now back in service, and it has transformed European rail schedules. Overnight services between Stuttgart and Salzburg Venice, suspended last year due to the Tauern’s closure, is returning on 14th July. Nightjets from Munich and Rome will also return on the 14th of July.
The loss of a key rail link has the ability to reshape European geography. Travel from Switzerland, southern Germany and Slovenia has been more difficult during the Tauern closure. Salzburg and Carinthia The reopening will allow for a happy reconnection. In just 2 hours 32 minutes, trains will glide again from Salzburg to Villach, a beautiful Carinthian town. From there it is possible to continue on to Slovenia or Italy.
The Tauern railway has an old-style, main line that is used for both freight and passenger service. It wasn’t designed for high speeds and the scenery was too nice to hurry. Even the fastest trains are able to average less than 50mph.
Salzburg to Villach
Intercity, scheduled to depart Salzburg 06.12 am on 14 July, will be the inaugural southbound passenger service through the restored Tauern Tunnel. Let’s hope for good weather (but no too much heat) that Monday morning, because the Tauern rail is at its most beautiful on a sunny summer day. As the train leaves Salzburg and heads up the Salzach valley, the scenery is not as dramatic as what lies ahead. Only beyond Schwarzach do the hills close and the railway continues to press south with the great wall that is the Tauern Alps in front. The final stop before the Tauern-tunnel is Bad GasteinThe town is an impressive spa town of the Habsburg period with Belle Epoque charm. This is the perfect place to stop and take in the fresh mountain air or enjoy the spa town’s rich radon tradition.
After Bad Gastein the railway enters the Tauern tunnel. This is one the shortest tunnels of the great Alpine railways. There are only seven minutes of darkness until the train emerges in Carinthian sunlight, and the landscape is now more southerly. I love this stretch, as the railway drops down towards the Möll valley, following the latter down towards the River Drau, which is crossed just after stopping at Spittal. Sit on the right after crossing the Drau for a great view of the river as the railway follows it down to Villach.
The Drau is still in its infancy here, but as it continues its long journey, the Drava will join the Danube on the border of Croatia and Serbia. This river has shaped European culture, just like the Tauern rail line has shaped travel through the Alps.
Björn Bender, CEO of Rail EuropeHe captures the relief of the whole European rail industry by saying: “The Tauern-tunnel reopening has been so important. It’s a major route for trains to and from Bavaria. Travellers heading north-east to Italy via the Alps also use it. Carinthia, Austria’s province, is once again more easily accessible. Tauern’s reopening is only the first of many good things that are to come. In December, the new Koralm-Tunnel opens, which will reduce travel time between Vienna and Klagenfurt (the provincial capital of Carinthia).
Tickets from Salzburg via the Tauern to Villach railway cost from £9 one way (increasing to £13.50 or £18 once £9 tickets are sold out) from Rail Europe. This is a discounted Sparschiene ticketBookings are required for this service.
Nicky Gardner is the co-author Europe by Rail – The Ultimate Guide (18th edition, Hidden Europe, £20.99Available from the Guardian Bookshop
