European Railroad Discussion > Tauern Tunnel line Part 1 (Austria)

One of the three major north-south mainlines in Austria is the Tauern Tunnel line between Schwarzach-St. Veit and Villach. In order to experience the full scenic portion of the line, I rode as far south as Spittal-Millstättersee and spent about an hour there before returning northward as far as Mallnitz-Obervellach that will be covered in Part 2.

1. This is my train (IC898) departing after arrival in Spittal-Millstättersee operating in push-mode with an odd collection of coaches including a CityShuttle cab-car, two NightJet carriages, another CityShuttle coach, and what I would call a standard ÖBB car.

2. A going away shot of the train with an 1144-class pushing. The Austrian-built (Graz) 1144.2-class was converted from the 1044.2-class in the early 2000s.

3. It took me a while to recognize that this was a diesel! A very clean Siemens-built 2016-class Hercules in the yard.

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4. An S1 train cityjet EMU bound for Friesach at the station platform. My notes fail me as to what was going on with these two trains facing each other on the same track.

5. A northbound trailer train behind two ÖBB 1116-class Taurus locomotives. My notes say that the majority of trailers were Ekol Logistics, likely moving between Germany and Italy. Note how deep the valley is here and the strings of loaded log cars.

6. About a half an hour later was this northbound mixed freight behind an ÖBB 1293-class Vectron in the 'large-print' scheme and another 1116-class Taurus.

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7. Another 4746-class Siemens-built Desiro ML 3-car EMU arrives. Someone can tell me what the "ML" designates. Here is a very good image of the standard Austrian signal.

8. Finally a southbound mixed freight, in sunshine, with three different locomotive models, a Vectron, a Taurus, and an 1144-class. Included was a tamper among the empty flat cars, miscellaneous freight cars, and 20' containers-on-flatcars (not visible).

Unusual to see three freights in a row all with ÖBB locomotives. That would change a bit in the afternoon up in Mallnitz-Obervellach.

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You were lucky to find the Tauern line opened, shortly after your visit it closed for eight months for modernisation work, the first of two closures in the next couple of years.

The first time I rode in a locomotive cab was through the Tauern Tunnel, 56 years ago when on a family holiday in Bad Hofgastein.

Ekol logistics, as you may know, is a Turkish company, their trailers and containers are shipped on ferries from Trieste back to Turkey, thus avoiding the morass that are Balkan railways.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/03/25 13:00 by 86235.

NMlurker Wrote:
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> 7. Another 4746-class Siemens-built Desiro ML
> 3-car EMU arrives. Someone can tell me what the
> "ML" designates. Here is a very good image of the
> standard Austrian signal.

"ML" designates the version for longer distance
services and stands for MainLine in English.

NMlurker Wrote:
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> 4. An S1 train cityjet EMU bound for Friesach at
> the station platform. My notes fail me as to what
> was going on with these two trains facing each
> other on the same track.

Interesting as Friesach is located north of
Klägenfurt on the old mainline to Wien. That
is another line busy with freight, where you can
see CD Cargo, PKP Cargo, in addition to ÖBB.

As SOO6617 said, ML stands for Main Line.  To a certain extent you would think this would indicate equipment optimized for longer distance services, and I think it originally was, but the ML brand has become quite diluted over the years, with many being used in commuter services.  ÖBB for example, per their website, has Vienna S-bahn versions with 224 seats and regional ones with 254 seats;  there's also a four car version.  I think that some of the latest versions for the longer distance services have less doors per set.

Putting two different trains on one longer platform used to be quite common in Europe, especially Germany.  You'll note the A and B signs on the platform;  the train departure board will indicate Platform 2B, rather than 2, for a specific train.  Trains could depart in both directions, or follow sequentially in the same direction;  Köln Hbf was, and perhaps still is, a marvel at this, with trains at close intervals following each other in and departing.  Where longer trains were involved, the Departure listing would show either Platform 2 or 2a-b.  [ I remember the letters as lower case, perhaps that's changed.]  I don't know if more modern and more restrictive ATC have reduced this practice or not.  Further back in the day, with mechanical or simple color light signalling, in Germany a manually placed H sign on the platform edge was the demarcation for a second train arriving at an occupied platform.

This is another great post, NM;  very enjoyable.

Best regards, SZ