Zellerndorf – Sigmundsherberg railway line

Zellerndorf – Sigmundsherberg

Pulkau train station (Photo: 2008)

Route number (ÖBB) :

187 01

Route length:

19.8 km

Gauge :

1435 mm ( standard gauge )

Maximum slope :

17 ‰

Minimum radius :

284 m

Top speed:

60 km / h

Legend

	from Novosedly and Laa an der Thaya
	from Znojmo
66.8 0.0	Zellerndorf	225 m above sea level A.
	Zellerndorf East
	to Vienna Floridsdorf
2.1	Flat
7.1	Röschitz Lst
10.9	Pulkau Lst until 1988 Bf	324 m above sea level A.
12.2	Rafing
14.7	Missingdorf
17.9	Maigen
	from Vienna FJB
	from Hadersdorf
19.8	Sigmundsherberg	435 m above sea level A.
	to Gmünd

The Zellerndorf – Sigmundsherberg railway line (also known as the Pulkautalbahn ) is a standard-gauge railway line in Lower Austria. It leads from Zellerndorf via Pulkau to Sigmundsherberg .

history

The line was part of the main network of the Austrian Northwest Railway and was opened on July 1, 1872. Originally, the route was intended as a strategic transit route, which is why it partly only led past the locations. Pulkau train station, for example, is around three kilometers outside the city, and the Röschitz stop and charging point is also far away from the town. Another reason for the remote location of the stations was that the wagons , who provided the freight traffic from the station to the surrounding villages with ox-drawn carts , had generally spoken out against the construction of the railway.

On April 23, 1945, a serious accident occurred in Pulkau train station.

Passenger traffic on the entire route has been suspended since May 29, 1988, and all stops (with the exception of Pulkau train station) have been closed. On October 19, 1988, the Pulkau train station was also converted into an unoccupied stop; Until then, this was still occupied for the purpose of operating the hand-operated barrier. The remaining freight traffic on the Zellerndorf – Sigmundsherberg line was discontinued on May 31, 1990. This section of the route was used again and again for diversion trains because of track closures on the Franz-Josefs-Bahn - even after the regular passenger traffic was discontinued , so a gatekeeper was always employed at Pulkau station. There were also less frequent special trips; the last special train ran on May 21, 1998.

From 11th to 13th March 2003 and on 5th October 2005 derailment tests were carried out at Pulkau station with a short freight train and a measuring car. A new system was tested that reports derailed axles to the engine driver by means of a signal tone. Therefore, in order to get to Pulkau train station, the section from Sigmundsherberg to Pulkau was cleared of bushes and other undergrowth. However, the section to Zellerndorf was not restored, this has partly grown together beyond recognition. During the test drives, the railway station's track systems were damaged and not repaired.

Because in 2006 there was a lack of space in the former Vienna Südbahnhof due to track demolition, two Transalpin sets ( 4010 series ) and two Schlieren wagons were stowed in Pulkau station for a while.

On January 1, 2011, NÖVOG took over the line intended for abandonment from the ÖBB . NÖVOG handed over the line to the Waldviertel Railway Museum for reuse in June 2014 . As part of a study up until autumn 2014 it was ascertained whether the desolate stretch could be renovated and used for tourist purposes. In December 2018, an inquiry was sent to the Railway Museum regarding the current status of this study and its further progress. Because the estimated costs of reactivation are estimated to be too high, the mayor of Horner expressed the wish to convert the branch line into a cycle path. Contrary to this request, the Sigmundherberg Railway Association is still working on reactivating the line.

A special feature of this branch line is that the two entry signals to the Zellerndorf and Sigmundsherberg stations are still in operation. However, the entry signals in Pulkau station - these were form signals - have long been removed.

gallery

manually operated barriers at Pulkau train station
Tracks near Pulkau in the direction of Sigmundsherberg (in 2008)
Stop board for the Röschitz stop ( can be seen in the Sigmundsherberg Railway Museum)
Röschitz stop on August 25, 2013. The edge of the platform is still there, but has grown over beyond recognition.
Scrap wagons in front of Sigmundsherberg, which are parked on the Pulkautalbahn.
Entry signal into the station area Zellerndorf
Advance signal for Sigmundsherberg train station
Maigen on August 25, 2013. The stop sign is already rusted and the edge of the platform can still be seen.