EUR 61 million investment to expand the Gailtal railway until 2019
By the end of 2019, the Gailtal railway will be electrified from Arnoldstein to Hermagor. Following the official ground-breaking ceremony on 20th of June 2018 and the relocation of the first pylons, the construction works have started.
The entire construction project are carried out in two phases: From 9th of July 2018 until the 11th of November 2018, the railway line will be closed to all trains. This year the section between Arnoldstein and St. Stefan / Vorderberg will be completely rebuilt. Next year, there will also be a closure for rail traffic between 8th July 2019 and 14th December 2019. On 15th December 2019, electric rail traffic between Arnoldstein and Hermagor will be start operation.
In Hermagor, freight traffic is being separated from passenger traffic. This work will start in the summer of 2018, because a new loading facility is being built in the southern part of the station. Safety is also a top priority, as 20 railway junctions will be technically secured and two additional ones in the municipality of Hermagor will be completely replaced by a crossing bridge.
The Ministry of Transport, ÖBB and the province of Carinthia are investing around EUR 61 million to expand the Gailtal railway by 2019. This year, ÖBB is investing around EUR 241 million into the renovation and new construction of infrastructure facilities in Carinthia, making it one of the largest investors in the country. By 2023, around EUR 1.67 billion will flow to Carinthia on behalf of the state in order to build modern rail infrastructure and to further improve existing ones.