After nearly three decades of planning and construction, the new Koralmbahn line officially entered service yesterday, marking a historic milestone for southern Austria.
The 130-kilometre route links Graz and Klagenfurt via the 33-kilometre-long Koralm Tunnel — the sixth-longest in the world. The line was inaugurated on Friday in a ceremony attended by the Austrian president, Alexander Van der Bellen, the chancellor, Christian Stocker, and other senior officials.
Thanks to this new piece of infrastructure, the journey between the two cities now takes just 41 minutes, cutting the previous travel time by over an hour and even undercutting the car journey by roughly the same margin. The line is designed for speeds of up to 250 km/h, though ÖBB’s Railjet services, currently operating on the route, top out at 230 km/h.
During the first hours of operation, Austria’s national rail operator, ÖBB, reported an enthusiastic response: 30 trains and around 10,000 passengers travelled along the new line. Demand on the opening day was so strong that the operator plans to add extra services over the Christmas holidays.
Hailed as Austria’s largest rail project in a century, the Koralmbahn represents an investment of €5.9 billion — equivalent to €45.38 million per kilometre. As part of the European Baltic–Adriatic Corridor, the line is expected to boost regional economies, sustainability and territorial cohesion across southern Austria.