New Lower Inn Valley railway

New Lower Inn Valley railway
Overview
Native name	Neue Unterinntalbahn
Locale	Austria
Line number	330 01
Technical
Line length	40.236 km (25.001 mi)
No. of tracks	2
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	15 kV/16.7 Hz AC overhead catenary
Operating speed	220 km/h (136.7 mph) (maximum)
Route number	300
Route map Legend  Operating points and lines[1]  Planned railwayfrom Brannenburg Original linefrom Kufstein Schaftenau junction Existing lineto Wörgl Angath Angerberg Breitenbach Inn Original linefrom Wörgl 24.262 Radfeld junction Original lineto Jenbach 26.500 Radfeld cutting(L 791 m) 27.291 Münsterer tunnel(L 15.990 m) Inn Original line Existing line 43.269 Jenbach cutting(L 620 m) Original linefrom Jenbach 43.890 Stans junction Existing lineto Fritzens-Wattens 2 junction 44.760 Stans cutting(L 514 m) 45.274 Terfner tunnel(L 15.840 m) Existing line Vomp passing stationplanned Existing line 61,160 Baumkirchen cutting(L 624 m) 61,524 61,407 Change of chainage (-117 m) 61,667 Existing linefrom Stans junction 61.749 Fritzens-Wattens 2 junctionBaumkirchen interconnection Original lineto Innsbruck Innsbruck bypassto Innsbruck 1 junction

The New Lower Inn Valley railway (German: Neue Unterinntalbahn) is a partially completed double-track high-speed main line of the Austrian railways. It connects the Brenner railway at Innsbruck and the Innsbruck bypass with the line to Kufstein, connecting with Germany, Salzburg and eastern Austria. It forms a part the core of the network of Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB). The bypass is part of Line 1 of the Trans-European Transport Networks (TEN-T). The first section (Kundl–Baumkirchen), which is designed for speeds up to 220 km/h, was opened on 26 November 2012.^[2] Since the timetable change on 9 December 2012, it relieves the existing Lower Inn Valley railway between Wörgl and Baumkirchen with trains able to operate at up to 250 km/h. In the future, these and other construction projects (including the Brenner Base Tunnel) are expected to reduce travel time on the Munich-Innsbruck route from 1:50 to 0:55 and on the Munich–Verona route from 5:20 to 2:20.^[3] The cost of the project amounted to € 2.358 billion.^[4]

History

The Kundl–Baumkirchen section was opened on 26 December 2012.

Route: section 1: Kundl-Baumkirchen

Looking east: the middle tracks are the end of the Münsterer tunnel, part of the Stans link. The outside tracks are the new route of the original line, which has been in operation since 15 August 2011

The line is 40 km long, of which approximately 32 km is in tunnels or deep cuttings. The section between Wörgl Kundl station and the original line is supplemented with a high-speed line and forms a four-track line to a grade-separated junction at Radfeld. The new segment then descends between the tracks of the existing line and runs to the almost 16 kilometre-long Münsterer tunnel. After passing under the Inn and Jenbach railway station it continues to the grade-separated junction at Stans. The line descends again, and continues through the 15.8 kilometre-long Terfner tunnel. In the tunnel there is space for a planned third track to allow overtaking movements, thus increasing line capacity. After underpassing the Fritzens-Wattens station it joins the old line at Baumkirchen where it separates towards Brenner/Verona via the Innsbruck bypass or towards Innsbruck/Arlberg via the original line.^[5]

Signalling

The new line is fitted with ETCS Level 2 signalling system. Four new electronic interlocking systems were built to control both the new line and the existing line. These systems are remotely controlled from the new Innsbruck operations control centre (Betriebsfernsteuerzentrale).^[6]

Planning: section 2: Brannenburg-Kundl

The approximately 25 kilometre-long section from Brannenburg-Kundl is currently in the planning phase with route selection between Schaftenau and Kundl has been completed. The continuation of the route into Germany is currently being negotiated.^[7]

Concrete shell for the new line

The selected route south from Schaftenau would leave the existing line via several short tunnels and cuttings to join the route of the A12 autobahn. It would then run through a nearly 10 kilometre-long tunnel under the mountains of the southern Angerbergs and under the Inn, the A12 and the built-up areas of Kundl before emerging between the tracks of the existing line and running to the grade-separated junction at Radfeld.^[8]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lower Inn Valley railway.

Berlin–Palermo railway axis Berlin–Halle Halle/Leipzig–Erfurt Erfurt–Nuremberg Nuremberg–Munich Munich–Rosenheim Rosenheim–Kufstein Kufstein–Wörgl Wörgl–Innsbruck Innsbruck bypass Innsbruck–Franzensfeste (Brenner Base Tunnel) Franzensfeste–Verona Milan/Verona–Bologna Bologna–Florence Florence–Rome Rome–Naples Naples–Salerno Salerno–Reggio Calabria Strait of Messina Bridge Messina–Palermo

Coordinates: 47°25′43″N 11°53′43″E / 47.42861°N 11.89528°E / 47.42861; 11.89528