Run-time 1 hour and 36 mins approx

The Semmeringbahn is one of Austria’s most famous rail routes linking Vienna with the south and south-west of the country. Built over 170 years ago, today, it is still a busy mainline with numerous passenger and freight trains using the route to travel over the Semmering Mountains.

This programme looks at the trains, stations and some of the photographic locations on the north ramp of the line between Gloggnitz and Semmering. With a new base tunnel currently being constructed and scheduled to be opened in 2026, much of the traffic that currently uses the route is on borrowed time as it will be diverted underneath the mountains on to the new line. Our visit was made in July 2017 and shows a whole host of locomotives and train types. Included are classes: 1142, 1144, 1016, 1116, 1216, 193, 386, 4020 and 5022. With as many freight trains as passenger trains this route is a surprising rival to some of the long-established Alpine Crossing lines that feature more prominently in other countries such as Switzerland.

The programme shows not only trains but some of the beautiful scenery through which the line was built, including some spectacular tunnels and viaducts that have now helped preserve the line as a World Heritage Site.