Breitenauerbahn is a narrow-gauge railway line connecting the stations of Mixnitz and St. Erhard in Styria. The narrow-gauge railway is located near Graz, in the valley of the Mur River.
The starting station is Mixnitz-Bärenschützklamm, where S-Bahn trains from Graz to Bruck an der Mur stop. For the first kilometer, the narrow-gauge track runs parallel to the standard-gauge track (1435 mm) before turning into the valley of the Breitenauer Bach stream. The line is 10.8 km long. Along the way, trains stop at the following stations:
– Mautstatt (1.4 km)
– Baumgartwiese (5 km, elevation 512 m)
– Schafferwerke (7.4 km, 565 m)
– Magnesitwerk Veitsch-Radex (10.4 km)
– Sankt Erhard (10.7 km, 619 m)
The track gauge is 760 mm, and the overhead electrical system operates at 800 V.
The narrow-gauge railway was built in 1913 to transport essential supplies to the magnesite mine in Breitenau am Hochlantsch, as horse-drawn transport was too slow and insufficient for the plant’s needs. From the beginning, the line was electrified.
The first passenger train ran on September 12, 1913.
In 1966, passenger service was discontinued and replaced by buses. Four years later, the Breitenauerbahn line was slightly shortened. Since 1988, tourist trains have been running on the route, and freight trains still operate on the line.
In 2005, a flood destroyed a significant portion of the track, but the line was rebuilt.
Currently, tourist trains on the Breitenauerbahn operate a few times a year. On operating days, four trains depart daily from Mixnitz-Bärenschützklamm, every two hours.
Additional information:
Breitenaeurbahn – official website
Related articles:
Train travel in Austria – a comprehensive guide
Narrow-gauge railways in Austria
