Time has come in exactly six months: passengers come from Graz to Klagenfurt on the Koralmbahn route in just 45 minutes. The “Kroon” gained insights in advance.
The cameras of the mobile phone are performed. There is a crowd in the driver’s cabin when the city jet extends from West Styria station and goes to the southern tube of the Koralm tunnel. This is also a premiere for train riders Friedrich Getter on Friday. “Great,” the Styrian from Judendorf summarizes his impression. “Every new route is a highlight in the career. The system is really mature.” With this set, Getter can only drive 160 km/h. With a railjet it is approximately 230 km/h – the travel time due to the 33 -kilometer tunnel is slightly less than eight minutes.
“This project is internationally excellent”
The Austrian Transport Science Society – in short ÖGV – has been dedicated to the railway for the past two days. “The intention was to bring together science, industrial and transport companies shortly before the project was completed,” explains director Karl-Johann Hartig. Austria and the companies involved do not have to hide – on the contrary. “This project is excellent internationally, also because the costs have risen. You can and must look at it.”
The potential of such a new traffic artery is also seen on the western track, says Hartig. “It’s about fast and cheap connections, not only on this, but also on other connections, and about better nodes.”
Perfect reception of mobile phones
For students from the technical universities and FHS, who rode the Koralmahn for the first time on Friday, the most important thing is to be there. A young man finds “really cool”, “simply because of the immense dimension.” Internet and mobile phone reception is already perfectly running in the tunnel, and the participants could also visit the evacuation tunnel: in a tube that you get out, an intervening tube can act as an escape and rescue area, passengers in the other tube can be picked up again in the case of evacuation.
Incidentally, the test phase of two months has been completed, says project manager Klaus Schneider. “It went well. This week we drove the route with the Railjet and 250 km/h. Now the training trips follow.” The excitement is now increasing enormously, exactly six months before the opening. “We are very satisfied.”
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
