The eight-month closure of one of the most important rail links through the Austrian Alps will begin next Monday. The 115-year-old, 8,371 meter long ÖBB Tauern Tunnel between Böckstein in Salzburg and Mallnitz in Carinthia is being renovated. The closure will last until July 13, 2025 and will have major consequences for local and long-distance transport.
The Federal Railways has set up replacement rail services for travelers, commuters and cyclists on the popular Alpe-Adria cycle path. In addition to the renovation of the inner tunnel shell due to regular water leaks, construction work on the tunnel portals and a renewal of safety technology, the train stations of Bad Gastein, Bad Hofgastein and Dorfgastein are being modernized. Work is also underway on viaducts, culverts and noise barriers, and the Lieser Bridge at Spittal an der Drau is also being renovated.
Bus frequency per hour, exception for Gastein
During the closure, freight traffic and night trains are being diverted on a large scale and buses are being used to replace passenger traffic. From November 18, buses will run every hour between Bischofshofen and Spittal an der Drau. There are no stops. The Gasteinertal will remain accessible by train from the north for winter tourism until March 2025. From March 3, 2025, there will be a replacement rail service between Schwarzach im Pongau and Bad Gastein. In Carinthia there are changes to the timetable for long-distance and local transport, the railway lines between Spittal and Lienz and between Spittal and Mallnitz-Obervellach remain in operation.
The closure means time-consuming detours, especially for commuters who would otherwise drive through the Tauern lock to load cars between Mallnitz and Böckstein. An additional service with buses from Mallnitz and Obervellach to Bad Gastein will be introduced for them. But instead of an eleven-minute train ride, commuters spend almost three hours one way. “About 70 people in the Mölltal are affected by this,” says Mayor Günter Novak (SPÖ) of Mallnitz. “Many work in spas in the Gasteintal or in the hospital in Schwarzach. The accommodation was organized in such a way that the return journey was only necessary once a week.” Others relied on a home office arrangement or blocked working hours – or had found a job in Carinthia.
Commuters and tourism are affected
In the opposite direction, employees of logging companies from Salzburg that process beetle wood in Carinthia will probably be mainly affected. Novak fears the closure will hurt tourism. Mallnitz is located on the popular Alpe-Adria cycle path from Salzburg to Grado, which attracts many guests, especially in May, June and July. The ÖBB recently registered more than 30,000 cyclists crossing the Tauernschleuse every year. From April 11, 2025, a bicycle shuttle will run between Mallnitz and Bad Gastein (10 euros one way, max. 35 bicycles).
“But the fact is that there is no possibility to renovate the tunnel,” local boss Novak emphasized. With the opening of the Koralm Tunnel next year, there will also be an improved connection to Mallnitz. International trains must then stop every hour.
After completion of the work, the car trains will run again from July 5 and be fully operational from July 14. However, a second construction phase will probably be necessary in the first half of 2027. The tunnel was then closed again for five months.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
