A new railway line featuring one of the longest railway tunnels in the world has been inaugurated in Austria.
The Koralm Railway, which is 130 kilometres long in total, runs between the cities of Graz and Klagenfurt and is expected to significantly reduce travel times and improve rail connections between the north and south of Europe.
The train journey between the two southern state capitals now takes 41 minutes. Previously, the journey took nearly three hours by train or two hours by bus.
Connection between seaports in Poland and Italy
“This century project is not only a century project for Austria but also for Europe,” said Eric von Breska from the Directorate General for Mobility and Transport in the European Commission.
Speaking at the line’s opening in Graz, von Breska said that the Koralm Railway is an essential part of a transport corridor intended to connect the seaports between Poland and Italy.
Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen said that the history of railway construction shows that since the 19th century, railways have been bringing regions together.
According to the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB), the project costs around €5.9 billion ($6.9 billion), with the European Union contributing more than €600 million.
The core piece of the line is the 33-kilometre-long Koralm Tunnel, one of the longest railway tunnels in the world. In total, 50 kilometres of the Koralm Railway runs through tunnels. As part of the project, more than 100 bridges were also built.
The full impact of the Koralm Railway will be realized with the completion of further major projects, according to the ÖBB. This includes the Semmering Base Tunnel, which is expected to significantly speed up the rail connection between Vienna and Graz from 2030 onwards.