Austria’s Koralmbahn enters service – Voestalpine delivers rails and turnouts

Austria’s new high-speed “Koralmbahn” line between Graz and Klagenfurt will enter full operation on 14 December 2025. According to information provided by Voestalpine Railway Systems, the company supplied the complete rail infrastructure for the 130-km route, including the 33-km Koralm Tunnel — Austria’s longest rail tunnel and one of the largest worldwide.

Voestalpine equipped the line with around 290 km of ultra-long rails (120 m) and 235 turnouts, together with locking and digital monitoring systems. The rails were rolled at the company’s Donawitz mill and are designed for speeds up to 250 km/h. Turnouts were produced at Voestalpine sites in Zeltweg and Woerth, the latter a joint venture with Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB).

The system includes continuous digital condition monitoring, allowing ÖBB to track turnout and track performance in real time and to move towards predictive maintenance. A pilot installation of the new monitoring platform has been running on the Koralmbahn since mid-2025.

The project marks one of the largest deployments of Voestalpine’s rail systems in Austria. The group has supplied similar infrastructure for major European lines, including the Gotthard Base Tunnel. In 2024/25, Voestalpine Railway Systems reported EUR 2.2 billion in revenue and employs about 8,400 staff, including 1,300 in Austria.

Source and Photo: Voestalpine