Semmering Base Tunnel

Semmering Base Tunnel Semmering-Basistunnel
File:20140606 Semmeringbasistunnel Gloggnitz 7522.jpg Northern tunnel portal at Gloggnitz
Overview
Type	High-speed rail Commuter rail Freight rail
Status	under construction
Locale	Austria (Lower Austria, Styria)
Termini	Gloggnitz Mürzzuschlag
Website	[1] (in German)
Technical
Line length
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Operating speed

The Semmering Base Tunnel is a railway tunnel under construction between Gloggnitz and Mürzzuschlag in Austria underneath the Semmering Pass. The existing route is 41 km in length and the Semmering Base Tunnel will be 27.3 km in length. The new route will offer time savings of up to 0h30m, partly on account of the shorter route and partly on account of the higher speed limit (maximum 250 km/h).

Construction began on the 25th of April 2012 and the link is expected to enter service in 2026.

The main benefit of the line will be increased ease of use for freight traffic. Currently, the route gradients require the use of two locomotives; the reduced gradient of the new link will enable the transit of freight traffic using just one locomotive. The Semmering Base Tunnel and the Koralm Railway in combination will enable freight transit across the whole southern line with just one locomotive.

Currently, the fastest Vienna-Graz and Vienna-Klagenfurt journeys on the Railjet services are 2h35m and 3h55m, respectively. If the Koralmbahn enables Graz-Klagenfurt journeys of 1h00m, this will bring Vienna-Klagenfurt journeys down to 3h35m, a saving of 0h20m. If the Semmering Base Tunnel enables time savings of 0h30m, this and the Koralmbahn will bring Vienna-Graz and Vienna-Klagenfurt journey times down to 2h05m and 3h05m respectively.