Franz-Josefs-Bahn (Austria)

This article deals with the railway line between Vienna and Gmünd. For the company see Kaiser Franz Josephs-Bahn .

Vienna FJB – České Velenice
Route number (ÖBB) :	109 01
Course book route (ÖBB) :	800
Route length:	163.9 km
Gauge :	1435 mm ( standard gauge )
Network category :	A (Vienna FJB - Tulln) B1 (Tulln - Gmünd)
Route class :	D4 (Limberg-Maissau - Eggenburg = D3)
Power system :	15 kV 16.7 Hz  ~
Maximum slope :	12  ‰
Minimum radius :	294 m
Top speed:	140 km / h
Dual track :	Vienna – Absdorf-Hippersdorf
Legend 0.000 Vienna Franz-Josefs-Bahnhof 164  m above sea level A. Connection arch (until 1991) 1,100 Vienna Spittelau 166  m above sea level A. Vienna Belt Street 2.084 Suburban line from Vienna Hütteldorf 2.678 Vienna Heiligenstadt 169  m above sea level A. Suburban line to Vienna Brigittenau Donauuferbahn from the Winterhafenbrücke 3.952 Vienna Nussdorf 164  m above sea level A. Klosterneuburger Strasse 5,853 Kahlenbergerdorf (closed in 2004) 167  m above sea level A. 7,550 HOA / FOA / SOA facility Provincial border Vienna - Lower Austria Klosterneuburger Strasse 8,870 Klosterneuburg - Weidling 173  m above sea level A. 10,366 Klosterneuburg -Kierling 173  m above sea level A. Klosterneuburger Strasse 12,400 Below Kritzendorf 170  m above sea level A. 13,927 Kritzendorf 170  m above sea level A. 16.645 Höflein on the Danube 171  m above sea level A. 19.262 Greifenstein-Altenberg 173  m above sea level A. 21,908 St. Andrä-Wordern 174  m above sea level A. 24.632 Zeiselmauer - Königstetten 174  m above sea level A. Klosterneuburger Strasse 26,562 Muckendorf-Wipfing 173  m above sea level A. 26,826 Üst St. Andrä-Wölker 2 28,410 HOA / FOA / SOA facility 28,597 Langenlebarn 176  m above sea level A. Siding Brumowski Air Base Klosterneuburger Strasse 33,050 Tulln on the Danube 181  m above sea level A. Tullnerfelder Bahn to St. Pölten 34,400 Tulln Danube Bridge Danube Tullner Strasse Stockerau expressway 38.670 HOA / FOA / SOA facility 40.034 Neuaigen-Stetteldorf (abandoned July 2, 1996) 180  m above sea level A. 42.078 Absdorf-Hippersdorf South from and to Stockerau 43,992 Absdorf-Hippersdorf 183  m above sea level A. Kremser Ast to Krems an der Donau 45,950 Minnich Mill connecting railway 46.263 Absberg (Dec. 13, 2015 closed) 190  m above sea level A. 48.912 Großwiesendorf - Tiefenthal (December 13, 2015 closed) 198  m above sea level A. 52.425 Großweikersdorf 204  m above sea level A. 56,000 HOA / FOA / SOA facility 57.100 Glaubendorf - Wetzdorf (December 13, 2015 closed) 238  m above sea level A. Horner Street 60.363 Ziersdorf 249  m above sea level A. Ravelsbach 64,340 Ravelsbach connecting railway ( Awanst ) (closed December 13, 2015) 262  m above sea level A. Durnbach 69.738 Limberg - Maissau 281  m above sea level A. Schleinzbach Straningbach 72.840 Straning (closed Dec 13, 2015) 316  m above sea level A. 75.180 Grafenberg (abandoned July 2, 1996) 337  m above sea level A. Retzer Strasse 78.682 Eggenburg 381  m above sea level A. Schmida Waldviertel Street Stockernbach planned clasp for the Kamptalbahn 85.226 Klein Meiseldorf - Maria Dreieichen (December 13, 2015 closed) 403  m above sea level A. Pulkautalbahn from Zellerndorf Kamptalbahn from Hadersdorf am Kamp 88.625 Sigmundsherberg 435  m above sea level A. Pulkautal street 92.211 Kainreith - Walkenstein (abandoned May 29, 1994) 460  m above sea level A. 94.060 HOA / FOA / SOA facility 97,900 97,800 Error profile +100 m 98.028 Hötzelsdorf-Geras 499  m above sea level A. Horner Street Pulkau 102.571 Ludweishofen (closed May 29, 1994) 536  m above sea level A. 108.883 Irnfritz 544  m above sea level A. 115.288 Blumau an der Wild (closed May 29, 1994) 555  m above sea level A. 121,442 Göpfritz 578  m above sea level A. to Raabs an der Thaya Waldviertel Street 125,800 HOA / FOA / SOA facility 125.836 Connecting railway ( Awanst ) Wurmbach of the Federal Army Thauabach 128.635 Allentsteig 524  m above sea level A. 135,759 Thayatalbahn from Waldkirchen an der Thaya 138.257 Schwarzenau in the Waldviertel 504  m above sea level A. Waldviertel Street to Martinsberg-Gutenbrunn 141.835 Echsenbach (abandoned May 29, 1994) 510  m above sea level A. Zwettler Strasse Thaya 147.055 Vitis 528  m above sea level A. 150.716 Hirschbach 531  m above sea level A. 154.139 Pürbach-Schrems 531  m above sea level A. 158.508 Hoheneich (abandoned May 29, 1994) 504  m above sea level A. Gmünder Strasse 161.928 Gmünd Lower Austria (formerly Gmünd City) 499  m above sea level A. Waldviertel narrow-gauge railways 163.100 Lainsitz (state border A / CZ) 163.785 České Velenice (formerly Gmünd Hbf) 498  m above sea level A. to Veselí nad Lužnicí to České Budějovice Single track section: double track until 1967 Single track section: double track until 1959

The Austrian Federal Railways today use the Franz-Josefs-Bahn to designate the part of the main line located on Austrian territory , which originally connected Vienna with Eger and was built by the kk priv. Kaiser Franz Josephs-Bahn and operated until 1884. It runs from Vienna Franz-Josefs-Bahnhof via Vienna Heiligenstadt , Tulln and Weinviertel and Waldviertel to Gmünd Lower Austria .

history

Gmünd railway station around 1900, today České Velenice

The line (Budweis–) Gmünd – Eggenburg was opened in 1869, the line Eggenburg – Vienna in 1870. The route seems unusual, as the two district capitals Horn and Waidhofen an der Thaya are not touched. Planning variants also provided for a route across the cities mentioned, but ultimately the decision was made for the project that was carried out.

With the construction of the Kamptalbahn , which opened in 1889, and the Thayatalbahn , which opened in 1891 , Horn and Waidhofen were later connected to the main line.

Sigmundsherberg station , view towards Gmünd, Lower Austria

2143 by train towards Gmünd in Sigmundsherberg (1988). The line to Gmünd was only electrified in the 1990s.

Refurbishment of the bridge pillar of the Danube Bridge in Tulln, 2009

The railway line was expanded to double tracks from 1889 to 1905, and from 1898 the section from Heiligenstadt to Tulln was also integrated into the network of the Vienna light rail system, which was newly opened that year . This connection ceased to exist as a result of the commissioning of the Viennese electric light rail in 1925. In 1959 the second track between Sigmundsherberg and Gmünd was removed, and in 1967 between Absdorf-Hippersdorf and Sigmundsherberg; Since then, only the line between Vienna and Absdorf-Hippersdorf has been operated on two tracks. While trains to Prague and Berlin ( Vindobona -Express) still ran on the Franz-Josefs-Bahn until the 1990s , today the route is only of regional importance. The faster passable northern line , via Hohenau / March, with a connection to Brno took over the main part of the rail traffic towards the Czech Republic .

From December 2005 to December 2009 two international trains ran daily on the Franz-Josefs-Bahn: to Budweis (“Silva Nortica”) and to Pilsen via Budweis (“Hopfen & Malz”). In the 2009 timetable, the two international trains were run as ER (EuRegio) and only run to Budweis . From March 22, 2009 up to and including October 26, 2009 an international train was run in two parts due to the renovation of the Tulln Danube bridge ; one from Vienna to Tulln, the other from Stockerau via Absdorf-Hippersdorf to Gmünd, Lower Austria . ER trains have stopped running since the 2010 timetable, instead a REX (Regional EXpress) runs every two hours from Vienna FJB to České Velenice and back. Since the timetable change in 2011, the REX “Silva Nortica” only runs from Vienna to Gmünd; from České Velenice there are connections to Ceske Budejovice every two hours on working days.

With the timetable change in December 2017, there will be on the upper Franz-Josefs-Bahn (Sigmundsherberg-Gmünd) on weekdays (except Fridays) from 2:28 p.m. (from Vienna FJBf) at least one hourly service until 8:28 p.m. with two faster trains, which do not stop between Vienna Heiligenstadt and Eggenburg. In addition, in the Vienna area FJB – Kritzendorf is set up every 15 minutes on the S40 in the morning and in the afternoon.

Train traffic

Regional trains run on the Franz-Josefs-Bahn to Sigmundsherberg, Gmünd / České Velenice, Krems and St. Pölten. The crossings of passenger trains in the single-track section between Absdorf-Hippersdorf and Gmünd, Lower Austria take place every hour in Limberg-Maissau and every two hours in Irnfritz . In the event of delays or during peak hours there will also be crossings in Sigmundsherberg , Eggenburg , Großweikersdorf, Göpfritz or Schwarzenau .

The double-track line between Absdorf-Hippersdorf and Franz-Josefs-Bahnhof in Vienna is operated in left-hand traffic .

line	route	Cycle (min)	Vehicle use	annotation
REX	České Velenice / Gmünd - Sigmundsherberg - Eggenburg - Tulln on the Danube - Vienna Franz-Josefs-Bahnhof	≈60 / ≈120 (according to Gmünd)	Local double-decker coach of the ÖBB ÖBB 4744/4746 (on weekends)	at rush hour every hour to Gmünd / every half hour to Sigmundsherberg
REX	Krems an der Donau - Hadersdorf am Kamp - Absdorf-Hippersdorf (from here on Franz-Josefs-Bahn) - Tulln an der Donau - Vienna Franz-Josefs-Bahnhof	≈60	Local double-decker coach of the ÖBB	every half hour during rush hour
	St. Pölten Hbf - Tullnerfeld Bhf - Tulln City - Tulln an der Donau (from here on Franz-Josefs-Bahn) - Vienna Franz-Josefs-Bahnhof	≈30	ÖBB 4020 ÖBB 4024 ÖBB 4744/4746 (on weekends)	Stop at all stations between Tulln and Vienna

Rolling stock

The REX to and from České Velenice largely consist of multi-system locomotives and Wiesel double-decker push-pull trains (some with Cityshuttle control cars), as there is a change in electricity systems at the state border . Some trains ending in Gmünd are also hauled by the single-system series ÖBB 1142 or ÖBB 1144 . In order to be able to create uniform schedule, the two-hour REX trains run to and from České Velenice with the locomotive MÁV series 470 (corresponds to ÖBB 1116) and three double-decker cars including control cars. The three locomotives of the series 470 of the Hungarian state railways MÁV are used in the course of kilometer compensation between Vienna and the Czech Republic. The REX trains, which start or end in Sigmundsherberg, are mostly run by class 4744/4476 multiple units , which have displaced the 4020 series and the Cityshuttle shuttle train cars. In addition, two pairs of trains run to the Czech Republic with cityjet-Desiros , some in double traction.

Freight transport

The freight trains are currently mainly hauled by 1116 ; From time to time, locomotives of other series such as ÖBB 1142 or ÖBB 1144 can also be found on the line. The main cargo consists of wood and wood chips that are transported from the area around Waldhausen . In autumn, freight wagons loaded with potatoes are increasingly on the road for Agrana in Gmünd. If necessary, military trains also run to the Wurmbach connecting railway (AB) at the Allentsteig military training area, as well as collector trains that serve freight customers along the route, such as the Stark company in Irnfritz or the AVH in Sigmundsherberg.

Accidents

On November 4, 1875 near Schwarzenau on a 10 meter high embankment with a 5 ‰ gradient in a curve where the route led to a bridge, at around 0.30 a.m. the passenger train No. 9 from Vienna to Prague along the tangent of the curve arch, because a piece of rail had been loosened. At least nine people died in the incident.

→ Main article : Schwarzenau railway accident

On September 25, 2015, a serious train accident occurred not far from Allentsteig station: A semi-trailer truck loaded with a timber harvesting device got stuck on a level crossing directly east of Allentsteig station and was subsequently driven by the REX 2150 (Vienna FjBf - Gmünd Lower Austria; ÖBB 1144 286 leading) recorded. The driver died at the scene of the accident, the driver of the truck had fled the cab before the collision.

On December 22, 2017, a rapid transit train set and a passenger train collided in the Kritzendorf station area. At least two cars tipped off the tracks, injuring around 20 people.

See also

• List of railway lines in Austria

Web links

Commons : Franz-Josefs-Bahn (Austria)  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Current ÖBB timetable (Franz-Josefs-Bahnhof – Gmünd route)
• Current timetable of ÖBB (Franz-Josefs-Bahnhof – Krems route)
• Photos of the Franz-Josefs-Bahn

Individual evidence

1. ↑ gmuend.at, anniversary trip "140 years of the Franz-Josefs-Bahn" , 23 September 2010
2. ↑ ^{a b} Deutsche Reichsbahn (Ed.): Timetable 1944/1945 KBS 461 . July 3, 1944 ( online [accessed July 13, 2013]).
3. ↑ Announcement of the opening of the line on June 23, 1870. In:  Wiener Zeitung , June 21, 1870, p. 7 (online at ANNO ).
4. ^ Driving regulations of November 24, 1870. In:  Wiener Zeitung , December 3, 1870, p. 14 (online at ANNO ).
5. ↑ ÖBB - Cycle Tramper Danube. Retrieved August 1, 2018 . 
6. ↑ http://www.ff-goepfritz.at/index.php/einsaetze/technische-einsaetze/419-lkw-gegen-zug-auf-der-franz-josef-bahn-in-der-kg-thaua
7. ^ Train accident in Kritzendorf: Several injured people orf.at, December 22, 2017, accessed December 22, 2017.