Tauern Tunnel

Final preparations for tunnel closure underway

The tunnel will be closed on November 18.(Bild: ÖBB Marktl Photography)

On 18 November, the Tauern closure between Böckstein in Salzburg and Mallnitz in Carinthia will start as part of the extensive modernization of the Tauern Tunnel. Within a few months, the tunnel will be brought up to the state of the art and prepared for the requirements of future rail traffic. 

The heart of the Tauern railway line, the 8,371-metre-long Tauern Tunnel, was put into operation in 1909. It received its last update in 2004, which focused on tunnel safety and track construction work. Around 20 years later, the tunnel needs to be modernized and made more efficient for the future.

Complete closure necessary
It is not possible to carry out the extensive measures with a single-track closure due to construction conditions. A complete closure between Mallnitz and Böckstein from November 2024 to July 2025 is therefore necessary for the construction work. A second stage of the measures is required to finalize the modernization work. This is already being planned and will focus on the area of the south portal. The second construction phase is expected to take place in the first half of 2027.

Hourly rail replacement service between Salzburg and Carinthia
With the closure of the Tauern Tunnel on November 18, 2024, a rail replacement service will start with buses via the A10 without intermediate stops between Bischofshofen and Spittal an der Drau. The buses will run every hour in both directions and will use the lane reserved for public transport on the freeway before the exit to Bischofshofen in the event of traffic jams in front of the ASFINAG tunnel construction sites. This already proved its worth last year.

Gastein Valley easily accessible for winter tourism
The winter tourism resorts in the Gastein Valley will remain accessible by train from Salzburg until the beginning of March. The extensive modernization and station renovations for greater passenger comfort in the future and the necessary infrastructure in the Gastein Valley for a better timetable will start on 3 March 2025. From this point onwards, synergies will be used to make the route between Schwarzach/St. Veit and Böckstein fit for the future during the closure of the Tauern Tunnel.

Preparing for future high-level long-distance traffic
Alongside the Brenner axis, the Salzburg - Villach Tauern route is the most important Austrian transalpine connection and therefore a main axis of Alpine transit. The core of the route is the approximately 81-kilometre-long Tauern Railway from Schwarzach im Pongau to Spittal an der Drau in Carinthia. With the commissioning of the Koralm Railway, the implementation of the integrated timetable and the associated expansion of services, the north-south connection is becoming significantly more important in long-distance transport. Over the next few years, the Tauern line will be prepared step by step for future high-level long-distance traffic and travel will become even more comfortable.