It’s been a great year for European trains. In October, we got the news that the iconic Orient Express is returning to the railways in 2027, with original refurbished carriages, then in November it was announced that every major city in Europe could be connected by high-speed railways by 2040.
But all of that is far in the future. If you want something to get excited about right now, you’ll be interested to hear that a brand new high-speed rail route launched on December 14, and it’s cut the journey time between Austria and Italy down by three hours.
The connection between Vienna, Austria’s capital, and the northern Italian town of Trieste is operated by Austrian rail company ÖBB. Previously, the train journey was nine hours and 20 minutes long, but it will now take just over six and a half.
Trains are scheduled to run daily, departing Vienna at 6.53am and arriving into Trieste at 1.31pm. In the other direction, services depart Trieste at 2.22pm on weekdays and at 2.37pm on weekends, pulling into Vienna at 9.07pm.
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The new route is part of a wider project to create ‘faster travel options between the Adriatic coast and [Vienna]’, which has also involved the construction of the €6.1 billion, 130-kilometre Koralm Railway and tunnel, which cuts through Austria’s Koralpe mountain range.
With this extension, several new stops have been added, including Graz, Klagenfurt, Villach, Udine, and Grado. Austrian passengers will also be able to access Venice faster.
A spokesperson for ÖBB told the Independent that this new line ‘marks the beginning of a new era in rail travel’. They added that ‘we are not only increasing the number of services on the rail network, but also significantly reducing travel times.
‘[We are] very pleased that we have taken an important step towards strengthening climate-friendly mobility and connecting important regions even faster’.
This could be a sign of what’s to come in Europe – easier, cleaner access between more of the continent’s most exciting destinations.
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