Heritage route

Erzbergbahn

Vordernberg → Eisenerz · Austria

The “Semmering of the ore”: a heritage line over the 1,204 m Präbichl pass under the terraced Erzberg, the ochre iron mountain worked for over 1,300 years.

Built in 1891 as an adhesion-and-rack line to carry iron ore off the Erzberg, the Erzbergbahn crosses the 1,204 m Präbichl pass between Vordernberg and Eisenerz. Regular traffic ended in 1988, but volunteers now run heritage diesel and steam trains over the switchbacks and through the Präbichl tunnel each summer, in the shadow of the terraced ochre mountain that has been mined for over 1,300 years.

Along the way

Vordernberg engine shed
Rötzgraben viaduct
Switchbacks up to Präbichl
Präbichl pass tunnel (1,204 m)
The stepped Erzberg above Eisenerz

How this line was checked

Checked against OpenStreetMap: the whole line lies on real track, a median 43 m from it
Wikipedia has an article for this line

Questions and answers

How long is the Erzbergbahn?

The Erzbergbahn runs 20 km from Vordernberg to Eisenerz.

How long does the Erzbergbahn take?

The fastest scheduled journey is 1 h for the 20 km. That is an average of 20 km/h end to end. The line's top service speed is 40 km/h.

Who runs the Erzbergbahn?

Verein Erzbergbahn, with heritage diesel, steam.

How old is the Erzbergbahn?

The line has been in service since 1891. 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 Erzbergbahn climb?

1,204 m above sea level at its highest point.

View on the world railway map →

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