📋 Tender Overview
Climate-friendly mobility: 30% more capacity for goods on the southern route
New route: Shorter transport routes, less energy consumption due to lower gradients
Koralmbahn strengthens Austria as a European logistics hub
(Villach, November 4, 2025) - Even before the first passenger trains roll over the Koralmbahn in December 2025, the first freight trains will run on the new route at the beginning of November. In doing so, the Koralmbahn is writing railway history - in keeping with tradition, because the history of the railway began with the transport of goods 200 years ago.
A historic moment for rail freight transport
The first rail connections emerged 200 years ago to efficiently transport heavy goods - from coal and salt to raw materials and agricultural products. Now the chosen path continues: with the commissioning of the Koralmbahn, freight traffic is moving forward again. The OBB Rail Cargo Group has been using the new connection between Carinthia and Styria since the beginning of November 2025 - and is now transporting goods over the 130-kilometer-long new route. OBB Rail Cargo Group board spokesman Clemens Forst is pleased about the opening of the new route for freight trains: With the start of freight traffic on the Koralmbahn, a new chapter begins for rail freight transport in Austria. Thanks to the new Koralmbahn, we can offer our customers shortened transport times and more capacity for climate-friendly logistics.
Faster, more efficient and more powerful: The advantages of the new connection
The Koralmbahn is a milestone for freight transport in Austria and Europe. In the future, trains between Villach Sud and Graz will no longer have to take the detour via Knittelfeld, Leoben and Frohnleiten and will reach their destination more quickly. This is particularly important for single-wagon transport, in which wagons containing goods from different customers are efficiently transported in bundles. The new flat route makes it possible to transport trains with higher loads of an additional 250 to 280 tons per train. This means that up to 300,000 train kilometers per year can be saved through shorter transit times and more efficient circulation. The lower gradients on the Koralmbahn route (10 instead of 16 per mille) are also in the interests of efficiency because less energy is used for the journeys.
Omya uses the new Koralmbahn for sustainable transport
A single-car train from the OBB Rail Cargo Group was one of the first freight trains to be sent on the new route on Tuesday, November 4th. In a single-car train, the cars come from different directions to the large marshalling yard in Villach Sud and are put together to form a train. They then travel on the new route towards Graz, where they are separated again at the marshalling yard and distributed to their destinations. OBB Rail Cargo Group customer Omya has been relying on environmentally friendly rail transport for years. The use of the new Koralmbahn is a further step towards making the companys logistics processes more efficient and climate-friendly. In the future, mineral fillers for paper production will increasingly be transported by rail within Austria. The new route enables us to carry out transport in an even more sustainable and resource-saving manner. In this way, we are making a further contribution to reducing CO2 emissions and strengthening rail freight transport, says Omya.
Koralmbahn as part of the Baltic Sea-Adriatic Sea corridor
With the Koralm Railway, the southern axis will become part of the Baltic Sea-Adriatic Sea corridor, which connects Europe from north to south and represents one of the most important freight transport routes in Europe. The corridor connects economic areas from the Baltic Sea to the Adriatic, strengthens Austria as a logistics hub and offers customers of the OBB Rail Cargo Group faster, more efficient connections to ports and industrial centers. The full impact of the Koralmbahn will unfold even further with the completion of other major projects - such as the Semmering Base Tunnel.
More capacity on the new southern route
With the new Koralmbahn and the existing line over the Neumarkter Sattel, a four-track southern axis is being created. This brings up to 30% additional capacity for freight transport and thus even more space for climate-friendly transport by rail. Every kilometer that is traveled on the Koralmbahn instead of on the road in the future saves CO2 and energy. In this way, OBB is strengthening its role as the backbone of climate-friendly logistics in Europe.
Passenger traffic starts on December 14th.
The Koralmbahn is one of the most important infrastructure projects in Europe: 130 kilometers of new route, around 50 kilometers of tunnels, over 100 bridges and 23 modern train stations and stops connect Graz and Klagenfurt - making the southern route a centerpiece of the European rail infrastructure. Its center: the 33 kilometer long Koralm Tunnel, one of the longest railway tunnels in the world. After the start of freight traffic, the next big step will follow on December 14, 2025: on the day of the international timetable change, the first passenger trains will begin operating on the Koralmbahn. This means that the Weststeiermark and southern Carinthia are even better connected with each other with shorter travel times and more frequent frequencies. The OBB not only runs faster and more comfortably, but also more often from the east to the south. The biggest change is the reduction in travel time with the RJX from Graz to Klagenfurt from over two hours to just 41 minutes. With the further expansion of the southern route - especially through the Semmering Base Tunnel - the importance of this connection as a backbone for mobility, economy and climate protection in Austria and Europe is growing.
Rail Cargo Group: OBB freight transport
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