Scenic route
Arlberg Railway
Zurich → Vienna · Switzerland · Liechtenstein · Austria · Germany
Eight hours Zurich to Vienna on Austria’s only east–west mountain mainline: the Trisanna gorge, Wiesberg Castle and a 1,310 m summit in the 10.2 km Arlberg tunnel.
Driven through in 1884 as Austria’s only east–west mountain mainline, the Arlbergbahn is the middle of a much longer run: railjets leave Zurich along the Walensee, cross the Rhine into Liechtenstein and Vorarlberg, then climb the Klostertal through a chain of avalanche galleries to a 1,310 m summit inside the 10.2 km Arlberg tunnel. The eastern descent is pure theatre — the lattice arch of the Trisanna bridge flung across a gorge beneath Wiesberg Castle, then the Inn valley to Innsbruck. Beyond it the train clips the German corner at Rosenheim and runs the Salzach and the Danube into Vienna, eight hours after Zurich.
Along the way
- Walensee shore east of Zurich
- Rhine valley through Liechtenstein
- Klostertal avalanche galleries
- Arlberg tunnel (10.2 km)
- Trisanna bridge & Wiesberg Castle
- Danube plain into Vienna
How this line was checked
- Checked against OpenStreetMap: 99.8% of this line lies within 250 m of real track (median 14 m); the longest stretch away from it is 2 km
- Checked against the running timetable via ÖBB Scotty: our line sits under 100 m from the shape of EC 13473
- Wikipedia has an article for this line
Questions and answers
How long is the Arlberg Railway?
The Arlberg Railway runs 811 km from Zurich to Vienna. It runs through Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria and Germany.
How long does the Arlberg Railway take?
The fastest scheduled journey is 9 h 00 min for the 811 km. That is an average of 90 km/h end to end. The line's top service speed is 230 km/h.
Who runs the Arlberg Railway?
ÖBB and SBB, with ÖBB Railjet.
How old is the Arlberg Railway?
The line has been in service since 1884. That is the year the atlas dates it from: for a modern brand running over an older railway, it is the railway's date, not the brand's.
How high does the Arlberg Railway climb?
1,310 m above sea level at its highest point.
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More train routes in Switzerland · Liechtenstein · Austria · Germany.
Planning this trip? Journey time & direct trains: Vienna → Zurich · Zurich → Vienna.