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Drava Valley Railway
Drava Valley Railway
Overview
Native name	Drautalbahn
Line number	423 01 national border near Bleiburg–Bleiburg 410 01 Bleiburg–Klagenfurt Hbf 413 01 Klagenfurt Hbf–Villach Hbf 222 01 Villach Hbf– Pusarnitz-Süd junction 407 01 Pusarnitz-Süd junction–national border near Sillian
Service
Route number	620 Bleiburg–Klagenfurt 220 Salzburg Hbf–Klagenfurt Hbf 223 Spittal-Millstättersee–Innichen
History
Opened	1 June 1863 (1863-06-01)
Technical
Line length	311 km (193 mi)
Number of tracks	1 or 2
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Minimum radius	266 m (873 ft)
Electrification	Klagenfurt Hbf–Innichen: 15 kV 16.7 Hz AC
Operating speed	140 km/h (87 mph) (max)
Maximum incline	2.73%
Route map Legend km elev (M) or length (m) in metres Spielfeld-Straß–Trieste railway to Spielfeld-Straß & Graz 0.000 Maribor (Marburg a. d. Drau Hbf) Drava (Drau) Spielfeld-Straß–Trieste railway to Ljubljana & Trieste 0.900 Maribor Tabor 1.900 Maribor Studenci 2.600 Maribor Sokolska ( Marburg/Drau Kärntnerbf. ) 4.800 Marles 5.900 Limbuš (Lembach) 8.100 Bistrica ob Dravi (Feistritz b. Marburg) 11.400 Ruše tovarna (Rast Fabrik) 12.400 Ruše (Rast) tunnel 230 m 18.300 Fala (Fall) 24.800 Ruta (Lorenzen am Bachern) 27.400 Ožbalt (Kappel im Steiermark) 34.500 Podvelka (Rottenberg-Fresen) 39.600 Vuhred elektrarna (Johannesberg) 43.700 Vuhred (Wuchern-Mahrenberg) Wucherbach viaduct 47.700 Sveti Vid (St. Veit b. Saldenhofen) 51.700 Vuzenica (Saldenhofen) 54.100 Trbonjsko jezero (Trofiner See) 56.100 Trbonje (Trofin) 59.600 Sveti Danijel (St. Daniel) Rekabach viaduct 63.200 Dravograd (Unterdrauburg) Lavant Valley Railway to Celje 64.900 Podklanc 69.200 Dobrije 71.000 Ravne na Koroškem (Gutenstein-Streiteben) 74.300 Prevalje Prävali tunnel Holmec (Homberg) tunnel 338 m 82.000 Holmec (Homberg in Kärnten) 82.152 Slovenia Austria border Jaun Valley Railway to Zeltweg 86.334 Bleiburg (Pliberk) 486 M 89.261 St. Michael ob Bleiburg ( Šmihel pri Pliberku ) 479 M 90.400 Mahle Filtersysteme Austria siding Koralm Railway from Graz 93.430 Mittlern (Metlova) ( station moved 2020 ) 482 M 100.027 Völkermarkt-Kühnsdorf (Velikovec-Sinča vas) ( replaced 2020 ) 441 M Kühnsdorf-Klopeiner See (Sinča vas-Klopinsko jezero) (since 2020) Vellach Valley Railway ( closed 22 May 1971 ) 107.223 Tainach-Stein (Tinje-Kamen) 393 M Drau (Drava) 110.700 Koralm Railway Grafenstein green tunnel 633 m 114.657 Grafenstein (Grabštajn) 418 M Gurk (Krka) 124.322 Klagenfurt Ebenthal ( Celovec Žrelec v Koroški ) 441 M 124.092 Klagenfurt Fbf Rosen Valley Railway to Sankt Veit an der Glan 125.881 Klagenfurt Hbf (Celovec glavna postaja) 440 M Rosen Valley Railway to Jesenice 128.394 Klagenfurt Lend 447 M 129.693 Klagenfurt West ( opened 14 December 2014 ) 130.788 Klagenfurt See (Celovec jezero) ( closed 21 May 1952 ) 133.257 Krumpendorf (Kriva Vrba) 445 M 137.630 Pritschitz 448 M 139.727 Pörtschach am Wörthersee (Poreče ob Vrbskem jezero) 448 M 141.302 Leonstein ( closed 1 October 1967 ) 142.549 Töschling 445 M 147.883 Velden am Wörthersee (Vrba na Koroškem) 469 M 151.676 Lind-Rosegg (Lipa-Rožek) 500 M 152.040 Bildstein siding 155.036 Föderlach (Podravlje) 505 M A 11 / E61 A 2 / E55 Knoten Villach 162.207 Villach Seebach 492 M Rudolf Railway to Sankt Veit an der Glan 163.450 Villach Hbf-Ostbf goods yard 164.264 Villach Hbf (Beljak glavna postaja) 498 M Rudolf Railway to Tarvisio Boscoverde Tauern link line 415 01 to Villach Westbahnhof 166.483 Gummern 2 junction A 10 Draubrücke Wollanig 171.384 Omya siding 172.799 Gummern ( closed 13 December 2014 ) 174.013 Puch (Bukovje) 505 M 177.688 Weißenstein-Kellerberg (Belšak) 506 M 178.744 EVONIK siding Paternion-Feistritz halt ( opened 14 December 2014 ) 183.163 Paternion-Feistritz ( Špatrjan- Bistrica na Dravi ) 513 M 185.684 Markt Paternion (Trg Špatrjan) 525 M 187.000 Ferndorf (Perja vas) 527 M 188.062 Knauf Insulation siding 191.710 Rothenthurn 520 M 192.324 Danicek siding A 10 / E55 200.135 Spittal-Millstätter See Špital-Milštatsko jezero 544 M 206.504 Pusarnitz-Süd (line 407 01 junction) Tauern Railway to Schwarzach-St. Veit 206.652 Lendorf 548 M 210.639 Möllbrücke-Sachsenburg 558 M 213.057 Markt Sachsenburg 562 M 213.148 Hasslacher siding 219.574 Kleblach-Lind 572 M 226.460 Steinfeld im Drautal 582 M 232.075 Greifenburg-Weißensee 590 M 237.365 Berg im Drautal 594 M 241.780 Dellach im Drautal 608 M 246.640 Irschen 609 M 249.856 Oberdrauburg 621 M Carinthia Tyrol state border 257.013 Nikolsdorf 637 M 263.235 Dölsach 653 M 265.280 Verbund siding 265.354 Rossbacher siding 266.170 Liebherr siding 266.222 Landwirt siding 266.680 Lienz Peggetz ( opened 1 December 2011 ) 268.381 Lienz 674 M 278.334 Thal 812 M 280.253 Theurl Leimholz siding 284.497 Mittewald an der Drau ( loading point ) 882 M 291.504 Abfaltersbach 1,036 M 295.406 Tassenbach 1,070 M 295.656 Nordpan siding 297.025 Heinfels ( opened 1 February 2020 ) 1,078 M 298.627 Sillian 1,089 M 301.400 Weitlanbrunn 1,111 M 302.246 Holzhof Arnbach siding 302.952 72.568 Austria Italy border 71.668 Winnebach/Prato Drava 1,125 M 70.632 Vierschach I ( closed c. 1960s ) 69.115 Vierschach-Helm/ Versciaco-Elmo ( opened 2014 ) 1,137 M 68.819 Vierschach II ( closed 1989 ) 1,138 M 64.509 Innichen/San Candido (electrication system change) 1,176 M Puster Valley Railway to Franzensfeste km elev (M) or length (m) in metres Source: Austrian railway atlas This diagram: view talk edit

The Drava Valley Railway (German: Drautalbahn) is an east–west railway running along the Drava. It runs from Maribor (where it connects with the Spielfeld-Straß–Trieste railway, formerly part of the old Southern Railway—Südbahn) to Innichen, where it merges into the Puster Valley Railway (German: Pustertalbahn; Italian: Ferrovia della Val Pusteria) to Franzensfeste (Fortezza). It starts in northern Slovenia, crosses Carinthia and East Tyrol and ends in South Tyrol. The Klagenfurt–Bleiburg section has been rebuilt as part of the Koralm Railway, which follows the Jaun Valley Railway (Jauntalbahn) from Bleiburg. Like the rest of the line in Slovenia, this section of the line has one track and is unelectrified.

History

The line now called the Drava Valley Railway consists of the Carinthian Railway (Maribor–Villach), the original Drava Valley Railway (Villach–Lienz) and the eastern part of the original Puster Valley Railway (which extended from Lienz to Franzensfeste). It received its current name as a result of the division of the Puster Valley Railway into an Austrian and an Italian part after 1918.

Carinthian Railway

The Carinthian Railway (Kärntner Bahn) was built as a branch line by the k.k. Priv. Südbahngesellschaft (Imperial–royal, "privileged"—by the grant of a concession—Southern Railway Company) and extended from Maribor (then officially referred to under its German name of Marburg) to Villach.

The original concession (1856: Maribor–Villach–Brixen with a Villach–Gorizia—branch) was held by another company, which, however, could not raise the capital to build this large project. It still held the concession at the groundbreaking ceremony in Klagenfurt in 1857.

This concession then passed to Creditanstalt, which passed part of it (Maribor–Villach) on to the Southern Railway Company. The remaining projects were dropped for the time being. The section from Maribor to Klagenfurt was opened on 1 June 1863. The line was then opened to Villach on 30 May 1864.

The line was electrified and double-tracked between Klagenfurt and Villach in the 1960s.

Old Drava Valley Railway; Puster Valley Railway

An extension was not initially considered. It was only because of political and strategic considerations that the decision was made later to build a connection from Villach via Lienz to Franzensfeste to establish a link between the Southern Railway and the Brenner Railway. This was done with the construction of the old Drava Valley Railway and the Puster Valley Railway, both of which were opened on 20 November 1871. The Villach–Franzensfeste section was built with financial support from the state.

Reorientation after 1918

After the collapse of the Habsburg monarchy, the line suddenly lay in three different states and thus lost its historical unity. With the division of the Puster Valley Railway, its Austrian section was merged with the old Drava Valley Railway and the Carinthian Railway to form the current Drava Valley Railway, while the Italian Puster Valley Railway kept its name. The Austrian section still ends a few kilometres from Maribor. Between the junction with the Rosen Valley Railway in Klagenfurt and the junction with the Rudolf Railway towards Tarvisio in Villach, it became part of the new southern line.

Since the junction with the Lavant Valley Railway (Lavanttalbahn) was in Dravograd (Unterdrauburg) in Slovenia, trains between the Jaun Valley and Klagenfurt had to run as transit traffic until the Jaun Valley Railway (Jauntalbahn), which provides a route through Austria, was built in the 1960s.

Passenger services and rolling stock

Services of the Slovenian Railways run on the Slovenian section from Monday to Friday. There is comparatively dense traffic between Maribor and Ruše. Three pairs of trains run as far as Bleiburg. Some trains run as far as Prevalje. Very few regional trains run on weekends in the summer months. Services are mostly operated with class SZ813/814 railcars, which were built between 1973 and 1976 by Fiat Ferroviaria and TVT Maribor.

Services operate from Bleiburg to Klagenfurt Hauptbahnhof, many originating in Wolfsberg. Services are operated by push-pull trains powered by class 2016 locomotives or class 5022 diesel multiple units.

ÖBB long-distance services on the Vienna–Villach, Vienna–Lienz and Klagenfurt–Salzburg routes are also operated on the Klagenfurt–Spittal an der Drau section. These RJ, EC, IC or EN services are pulled or pushed by class 1144, 1116 and 1216 locomotives. Modern railcars of class 4024 are also operated as REX, R or S-Bahn services on the electrified section.

Until the 2013/14 timetable change, there were two daily ÖBB direct connections from Lienz to Innsbruck, which were run as transit trains over the Puster Valley Railway and the Brenner Railway and were hauled by class 1216 locomotives.

Since the 2014/15 timetable change, fourteen FLIRT trains have been running every hour from Lienz to Franzensfeste, with interchange to services to Innsbruck or Bolzano (Bozen). The six-part ETR170 sets are equipped for operation under 3 kV DC (Italy) and 15 kV/16.7 Hz AC (Austria).

References

Footnotes

1. "Ausgedient: ÖBB sucht Käufer für den Bahnhof in Gummern" [Discontinued: ÖBB is looking for buyers for the railway station in Gummern]. Kleine Zeitung (in German). 25 December 2014. Archived from the original on 24 March 2016. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
2. "Neue Haltestelle geplant: Der Zug hält ab Dezember in Heinfels". Tiroler Tageszeitung (in German). 3 June 2019. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
3. "Ein Bahnhof, in dem noch nie ein Zug gehalten hat". Tiroler Tageszeitung (in German). 20 January 2020. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
4. Railway Atlas 2010, pp. 77, 86–95, 97.
5. H. Strach (1898). Band 1.1, pp. 335, 336
6. H. Strach (1898). Band 1.1, pp. 411–415
7. "Timetable for Maribor–Prevalje valid from 15 December 2019 to 29 August 2020" (PDF) (in Slovenian). Slovenske železnice. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 October 2020. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
8. "SŽ garnitura serije 813/814" (in Slovenian). miniaturna-zeleznica.com. Archived from the original on 7 August 2014. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
9. "Direkte Zugverbindung Franzensfeste-Lienz" (in German). Retrieved 25 October 2020.

Sources

• Eisenbahnatlas Österreich [Railway atlas of Austria]. Schweers + Wall. 2010. ISBN 978-3-89494-138-3.
• Hermann Strach (1898). Österreichischer Eisenbahnbeamten-Verein (ed.). Geschichte der Eisenbahnen Oesterreich-Ungarns. Geschichte der Eisenbahnen der Oesterreichisch-Ungarischen Monarchie (in German). Vol. 1.1. Wien / Teschen / Leipzig: Karl Prochaska. pp. 73–503.

• Railway lines in Austria
• Railway lines in Slovenia
• Railway lines in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol
• Cross-border railway lines in Austria
• Cross-border railway lines in Italy
• Cross-border railway lines in Slovenia
• Railway lines opened in 1863
• 1863 establishments in the Austrian Empire