Arlberg railway

Arlberg Railway

Overview
Native name	Arlbergbahn
Type	Heavy rail, Passenger/Freight rail Intercity rail, Regional rail, Commuter rail
Status	Operational
Locale	Tyrol Vorarlberg
Termini	Innsbruck Bludenz
Stations	31
Line number	101 05
Operation
Opened	Stages between 1883–1884
Owner	Austrian Federal Railways
Operator(s)	Austrian Federal Railways
Technical
Line length	136.7 km (84.9 mi)
Number of tracks	Double track (Innsbruck–Ötztal, Abzw Schönwies 1–Landeck-Zams, Abzw Flirsch 1–Abzw Langen 1) Single track
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in) standard gauge
Minimum radius	Ostrampe: 300 m Westrampe: 250 m
Electrification	15 kV/16,7 Hz AC Overhead line
Operating speed	160 km/h (99 mph)
Maximum incline	Ostrampe: 2.6 % Westrampe: 3.1 %
Route number	400

Arlberg railway

Legend

from Kufstein

-0,434

Innsbruck Hbf S1 S2 S3 S4 S5

582 m (1,909 ft)

Brenner Railway to Bolzano/Bozen (“Konzert curve”)

Innsbruck Tramway, Stubaitalbahn

Connecting curve from Innsbruck Hbf goods station

1,325

Innsbruck West S1 S2 S4 S5

583 m (1,913 ft)

Mittenwald Railway to Garmisch-Partenkirchen

A12 Inntalautobahn

6,910

Völs S1 S2 S4

584 m (1,916 ft)

10,442

Kematen i. T. S1 S2 S4

593 m (1,946 ft)

Unterperfuss

14,247

Zirl S1 S2 S4

596 m (1,955 ft)

16,911

Inzing S1 S2

601 m (1,972 ft)

19,163

Hatting S1 S2

605 m (1,985 ft)

20,370

Üst (crossover) Zirl 2

21,412

Flaurling S1 S2

609 m (1,998 ft)

25,000

25,085

Change of chainage (-85 m), start of relocated line

25,545

Oberhofen im Inntal S1 S2

620 m (2,030 ft)

End of relocated line

26,800

Telfs-Pfaffenhofen S1 S2

623 m (2,044 ft)

31,056

Rietz S1 S2

635 m (2,083 ft)

34,647

Stams S1 S2

639 m (2,096 ft)

36,223

Mötz S1 S2

644 m (2,113 ft)

38,223

Silz S1 S2

648 m (2,126 ft)

42,458

Haiming S1 S2

669 m (2,195 ft)

45,420

Ötztal S1 S2

692 m (2,270 ft)

46,152

46,320

Change of chainage (-168 m)

47,200

Ötztaler bridge

B171 Tiroler Straße

50,056

Roppen S1 S2

706 m (2,316 ft)

54,698

Imst-Pitztal S1 S2

716 m (2,349 ft)

L16 Pitztaler Straße

59,070

Imsterberg S1 S2

724 m (2,375 ft)

63,015

Schönwies S1 S2

736 m (2,415 ft)

65,570

Works siding

65,780

65,891

Change of chainage (-111 m)

65,911

Abzw Schönwies 1Start of relocated line

66,550

Kronburg tunnel (330 m)

68,3

B180 Reschenstraße

68,580

Zammer tunnel (2335 m) eastern portal

70,980

Zams768 m (2,520 ft)

Zammer tunnel western portal

End of relocated line

71,837

Landeck-Zams S1 S2

776 m (2,546 ft)

Former Reschen railway to Mals

72,150

Connection to Firma Donauchemie AG

72,406

72,650

Change of chainage (-244 m)

73,404

Inn (L 188 m / H 25 m)

73,800

Landeck Perfuchs

816 m (2,677 ft)

76,447

Zappelbach bridge (L 34 m / H 11,2 m)

77,981

Pians

911 m (2,989 ft)

78,277

Ganderbach bridge (L 22 m / H 14,8 m)

78,918

Mayenthal bridge (L 53 m / H 15,0 m)

79,495

Burgfried bridge (L 72 m / H 10,0 m)

79,680

Wolfsgruberbach bridge (L 50 m / H 14,3 m)

79,949

Wiesberg

953 m (3,127 ft)

80,253

Trisanna bridge (L 207 m / H 87,4 m)

80,486

Weinzierl tunnel (212 m)

80,700

Start of relocated line

80,810

Moltertobel tunnel (1643 m)

82,308

82,200

Change of chainage (+108 m)

82,500

End of relocated line

82,496

Geigertobel bridge (L 81 m / H 11,5 m)

83,073

Strengen

1,027 m (3,369 ft)

85,114

Süßwald bridge (L 59 m / H 11,0 m)

85,308

Klausbach aqueduct (20 m)

87,274

Flirsch

1,122 m (3,681 ft)

87,564

Rosanna bridge I (L 28 m / H 7,9 m)

88,055

Rosanna bridge II (L 56 m / H 8,1 m)

S16 Arlbergschnellstraße

88,483

Avalanche gallery (33 m)

90,150

Flirsch 1 junctionStart of relocated line

90,176

Schnann(old)

90,420

Schnann

1,162 m (3,812 ft)

91,028

Innere Maienbach gallery (354 m)

91,363

SidingÖBB-substation

91,528

Rosanna bridge III

92,330

Apres tunnel (189 m)

93,334

Pettneu

1,193 m (3,914 ft)

93,476

Pettneu(old)

1,196 m (3,924 ft)

End of relocated line

93,767

Üst Flirsch 2

94,275

Vadisen gallery (579 m)

Start of new line

Rosanna bridge IV

96,271

St. Jakob

1,228 m (4,029 ft)

97,357

Wolfsgruben tunnel (1743 m), eastern portal

97,698

Rosanna bridge IV

97,923

Rosanna bridge V

99,100

Wolfsgruben tunnel, western portal

99,360

St. Anton am Arlberg

1,309 m (4,295 ft)

99,590

St. Anton am Arlberg(old)

1,303 m (4,275 ft)

99,500

Arlberg tunnel (10.648 m), new eastern portal

100,127

Arlberg tunnel (formerly 10.250 m), old eastern portal

100,600

100,828

Change of chainage (-228 m)

End of new line

104,241

Apex of the Arlberg railway

1,311 m (4,301 ft)

107,622

Üst St. Anton 3

110,377

Arlberg tunnel, western portal

110,480

Alfenz bridge (L 52 m / H 17,2 m)

110,715

Langen am Arlberg

1,217 m (3,993 ft)

Start of relocated line

111,054

Blisadona tunnel (2411 m) eastern portal

111,120

Simastobel tunnel (140 m)

111,670

Großtobel tunnel (505 m)

112,464

Bridge (L 62 m / H 8,4 m)

112,663

Kleines Lawinendach (34 m)

112,744

Bridge (L 32 m /H 6,7 m)

112,934

Abzw Langen 1

112,973

Wälditobel bridge (L 59 m / H 35 m)

113,031

Klösterle

1,157 m (3,796 ft)

113,100

Connection to proposed tunnel extension

113,465

Blisadona tunnel, western portal

113,547

113,463

Change of chainage (+84 m), end of relocated line

113,604

Great avalanche shelter (510 m)

114,113

In der Hose avalanche shelter (53 m)

114,166

Avalanche shelter III (163 m)

114,200

Start of relocated line

114,374

Wildentobel tunnel (1158 m)

114,583

Wildentobel aqueduct (15 m)

115,452

Spreubach bridge

115,600

End of relocated line

116,074

Wald am Arlberg(formerly Dannöfen)

1,074 m (3,524 ft)

116,630

Glongtobel bridge

117,995

Stelzitobel bridge (L 28 m / H 6,0 m)

118,342

Radonatobel bridge (L 80 m / H 21,0 m)

119,192

Bridge (L 23 m / H 6,1 m)

119,279

Mühltobel avalanche shelter (91 m)

119,531

Avalanche shelter IV (144 m)

119,692

Gipsbruchtobel avalanche shelter (35 m)

119,944

Avalanche shelter V (22 m)

121,253

Dalaas

932 m (3,058 ft)

121,563

Höllentobel bridge (L 96 m / H 24,2 m)

121,920

Röcken tunnel (68 m)

122,420

Schmiedtobel tunnel (94 m)

122,654

Schmiedtobel bridge (L 120 m / H 55,8 m)

122,954

Engelwand tunnel (280 m)

123,349

Engelwand avalanche shelter (31 m)

123,432

Brunntobel bridge (L 74 m / H 24,6 m)

123,722

Engelwäldchen tunnel (209 m)

124,856

Fünffingertobel gallery (32 m)

124,888

Fünffingertobel tunnel (78 m)

125,177

Hintergasse

824 m (2,703 ft)

125,666

Schanatobel bridge (L 70 m / H 18,8 m)

125,749

Böcktöbele avalanche shelter (36 m)

126,425

Pfaffentobel tunnel (97 m)

126,684

Plattentobel tunnel (162 m)

126,881

Rüfe viaduct (L 65 m / H 7,3 m)

127,970

Avalanche shelter VI (139 m)

127,109

Mason tunnel (147 m)

127,310

Arch (31,8 m)

127,528

Masonbach bridge

128,168

Mühltobel aqueduct (20 m)

129,543

Braz

705 m (2,313 ft)

132,685

Bings

614 m (2,014 ft)

Montafoner railway from Schruns

136,286

Bludenz

559 m (1,834 ft)

Vorarlberg Railway to Feldkirch, Lindau

Trisanna bridge and Castle Wiesberg

Zammer tunnel near Landeck

Inn bridge in Landeck

The Arlberg Railway (German: Arlbergbahn), which connects the Austrian cities Innsbruck and Bludenz, is Austria's only east-west mountain railway. The 135.7 km line is considered one of Europe's most problematic mountain railways, in part because it is threatened by avalanches, mudslides, rockfalls and floods. It is operated by the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) and frequented by international trains, including the Orient Express.

History and Construction

As early as 1842 a railway over the Arlberg Pass was under discussion, as the British sought a rail connection for traffic from England to Egypt. Two years later, in 1847, Carl Ganahl - a textile industrialist from Feldkirch - decided to privately support construction of the railway, despite the many technical challenges involved. On the other hand, the opening of the Semmering Railway in 1854 showed that mountain railways were basically possible and feasible. Trade Minister Anton Freiherr von Banhans presented on March 22, 1872, at the Chamber of Deputies a draft law on the execution of the Arlberg railway at government expense for a total amount of 42 million florins. In 1879 the protagonists of the Arlbergbahn with the intended 10,270 m long summit tunnel were successful. The submitted project had won confidence by the progress in the Gotthard Tunnel ^[1] Julius Lott was appointed planning director of the Arlbergbahn.

Lott-memorial

The costs were 38,165,282 crowns.

Arlbergbahn tunnel construction

The construction of the Arlberg Railway started on June 20, 1880, and proceeded at a faster pace than planned. Completion was originally not expected until the autumn of 1885, but already by May 29, 1883, the valley route from Innsbruck to Landeck in Tyrol was put into service. On September 21, 1884 the entire stretch of the mountain railway was completed, including the then single-track, 10.25 kilometres (6.37 mi) long Arlbergtunnel. The construction claimed 92 lives. The costs were totaled 38,165,282 crowns. The Arlberg tunnel rises from St. Anton on a length of approximately 4 km with 2 ‰. The highest point is at 1310.926 m in kilometer 104.241 m. Then it falls to Langen am Arlberg at 15 ‰.

Station Langen am Arlberg

Operation

The transalpine Arlberg Railway opened up a completely new connection between Lake Constance and the Adriatic Sea. Traffic increased so rapidly that already by July 15, 1885 a second track through the tunnel was opened, as had been planned since the beginning of the project. The most renowned train on the Arlberg route was the Orient Express, from London to Bucharest, which had only first-class compartments and parlors.

Right from the beginning, the use of steam locomotives on the Arlberg led to serious problems: Passengers and crews were exposed to the unhealthy effects of sulfurous acid, which condensed from the steam in the tunnel. Grade slopes of up to 3.1% on the western ramp and 2.6% on the eastern ramp caused traction troubles for the locomotives. Finally, in 1924, this problem was eliminated with the completion of electrification of the tunnel, followed by the ramp sections in 1925. This electrification of the railway was carried out with a 15 kV, 16.7 Hertz system, allowing heavy trains to be pulled over the route once the tracks and supporting structures, including the Trisanna bridge in 1964, had been upgraded for the increased axle weights.

Today, traffic through the Arlberg railway tunnel has increased considerably, despite competition from road transport through the Arlberg Road Tunnel. This has made it necessary to widen the approach ramps for double tracks. Many long-distance, high-speed EuroCity and Railjet trains ply the route from Vienna to Vorarlberg over the Arlberg. On the occasion of the World Ski Championships in 2001, the railway station of St. Anton on the eastern side of the Arlberg Tunnel was completely reconstructed and the tunnel itself extended by several hundred feet.

St. Anton New station

Locomotives

Steam locomotives

From the universal locomotive, kkStB Class 73 with an operating weight of 55.1 tons, 436 pieces were ordered. Thanks to its capacity of 700 PS they could transport in the plane 1,650 tons with 30 km/h, on a slope of 10 ‰ a weight of 580t with 15 km/h and on a slope of 25 ‰ 220t, also with 15 km/h. They were mainly used for freight traffic.

References

↑ Arlberg railway at Zeno.org. Article by: Viktor von Röll (ed.): Enzyklopädie des Eisenbahnwesens (Encyclopaedia of the Railway), 2nd edition, 1912–1923, Vol. 1, S. 265–272

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 8/29/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.

Arlberg railway

History and Construction

Operation

Locomotives

Steam locomotives

See also

References