Semmering Railway

The Semmering Railway is an early mountain railway in Austria that crosses the Semmering Pass between the southern Vienna Basin and the Mürz valley. It is noted for its engineering solutions - viaducts, tunnels and stonework - developed to carry a standard-gauge railway through steep, wooded terrain.

The route extends for roughly 41 kilometres and was built between 1848 and 1854 under the direction of engineer Carl von Ghega. The line includes stations, bridges and masonry structures grouped at intervals along the mountain ascent that together form a planned transport landscape.

The railway represented a pioneering achievement in mid-19th-century railway engineering and played an important role in opening the Alps to faster transport. The line remains in use for regular passenger services and is valued both for transport and for its historic and scenic qualities.

Geographically the railway runs across the Semmering Pass in Lower Austria, linking the Gloggnitz area in the east with the Mürzzuschlag region to the west.

• Length and construction period: The railway line is approximately 41 kilometres long and was constructed between 1848 and 1854 under engineer Carl von Ghega as one of the first standard-gauge mountain railways in Europe.
• Best way to visit: Passenger services continue to run along the route; travelling the full line by train provides the best way to experience the engineered landscape and views.

What to See #

• Semmering station area: Semmering station and village area, the original mountain terminus grouping of station buildings and worker housing associated with the railway construction.
• Viaducts, tunnels and engineered structures: The line's characteristic stone viaducts, retaining walls and tunnels that traverse steep slopes and form the engineered landscape of the pass crossing.