Semmering Railway

Semmering Railway*
UNESCO World Heritage Site
State Party	Austria
Type	Cultural
Criteria	ii, iv
Reference	785
Region**	Europe
Inscription history
Inscription	1998  (22nd Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. ** Region as classified by UNESCO.

The Semmering Railway, Austria, which starts at Gloggnitz and leads over the Semmering pass to Mürzzuschlag was the first mountain railway in Europe built with a standard gauge track. It is commonly referred to as the world's first true mountain railway, given the very difficult terrain and the considerable altitude difference that was mastered during its construction.

The pioneering design by Carl Ritter von Ghegain set the standard for alpine railways on long, steep escarpments. It is located at N47 38 55.6 E15 49 40.7 and is still fully functional as a part of the Austrian Southern Railway. In 1998 it was named a World Heritage Site and in 2004 it celebrated its 150th anniversary.

Background

The Semmering Railway was named a World Heritage Site in 1998 after it was determined it had outstanding universal value and it met two of the 10 selection criteria.

The first criteria it met was that it represents an outstanding technological solution to a major physical problem in the construction of early railways.

Second, with the construction of the Semmering Railway, areas of great natural beauty became more easily accessible and as a result these were developed for residential and recreational use, creating a new form of cultural landscape.

History

Semmering Railway with surrounding mountain scenery

Semmering Railway at Mürzzuschlag, around 1900

The Semmering Railway was constructed between 1848 and 1854 by some 20,000 workers under the project's designer and director Carl von Ghega. The construction features 14 tunnels, 16 viaducts (several two-story) and over 100 curved stone bridges as well as 11 small iron bridges. The stations and the buildings for the supervisors were often built directly from the waste material produced in the course of tunnel construction.

Across an overall track length of 41 km the Semmering Railway was quite daring for its time; it had a maximum gradient five times that of previous railways. This was an entirely new technical dimension for railway construction, and new instruments and methods of surveying had to be developed to handle the resulting challenges. Also, new technologies were employed for the Engerth locomotives because the types in general use at this time could not handle the extreme gradients and turning radii.

While being built the Semmering Railway was a deliberate attempt to be a harmonious combination of technology and nature. The unique travel experience that the Semmering Railway offered contributed significantly to the original opening of the Semmering region to tourism.

The Semmering railway line is part of the Südbahn railway that runs between Vienna and Graz, continuing on to Maribor, Ljubljana and eventually to Trieste.

File:2004 Austria 25 Euro 150 Years Semmering Alpine Railway back.jpg

150 Years Semmering Alpine Railway Coin

Semmering Pass

The Semmering is a mountain pass in the Eastern Northern Limestone Alps that forms a natural border between Lower Austria and Styria. The Semmering Railway passes 282 ft. below the summit of the Semmering Pass (3215 ft./980 meters) by tunnel.

The railway led to the development of a vacation resort for the people of Vienna and the construction of several hotels. In the early 1900s the hotels on the Semmering were among the leading hotels of the Alps, and hosted high-class visitors from throughout the Austrian Empire. The leading hotels - the Panhans, Südbahnhotel and Erzherzog Johann - were joined in 1909 by a fourth luxury hotel, the Semmeringer Kurhaus. During World War I, it was known as the Physical-Dietetic Mountain Convalescent Home and served as an exclusive convalescent home for officers.

In December 1938, the Kurhaus was taken over by the Wehrmacht and converted into a "German military convalescent hospital", where leading figures of the Third Reich went to convalesce.

Following World War II, the Russians occupied the Kurhaus, as the boundary with the British zone ran exactly along the Semmering Pass.

Steam locomotives worked the route for a century, but electrification took place between 1956 and 1959.

Today winter sports and Summer hiking are the top draws for the town. The Semmering ski resort, which hosts Alpine skiing World Cup events, is located at the pass and extends on the Hirschenkogel mountain. Today it is mainly used by skiers from Vienna, from where it can be reached within one hour, but increasingly is used by people from Hungary and Slovakia.

Carl Ritter von Ghega

Born in Venice, in an Albanian family, he studied in Padua, where he took the examination for doctor of mathematics at the age of 18. He began his engineering career with road and hydraulic engineering in Venice. From 1836 to 1840 he was a construction supervisor for the railway track from Brno to Breclav, the so called Emperor Ferdinand North Railway. During this time he studied the railways in England and other European countries.

In 1842, entrusted with the entire planning of the future state railway, he made a study trip to North America. After his return he began planning the railway line from Mürzzuschlag to Graz and Trieste. In October 1844 the section of track between Graz and Mürzzuschlag was opened. The crossing of the Semmering was not believed possible, but as early as 1844 he submitted a plan for locomotives without an extra rail for gear wheels. Before the plan was even accepted he began to enforce the construction of locomotives that could overcome the challenging gradients of Semmerling pass.

Due to political circumstances and doubts as to the feasibility of the project the plans were shelved for four years, and it was only the revolution in Vienna in 1848 that brought about the beginning of construction work.

Ghega rejected the use of iron and steel as a matter of principle, which explains the "bricked railway" consisting of 65 million bricks and 80,000 flagstones. At the beginning of construction work about 5,000 workmen a day were transported from Vienna to the building sites and back. About 20,000 people were employed at the peak of construction.

Before its completion in 1854 von Ghega became a knight (Ritter).

He was next assigned to the building of a railway in Transylvania, but he died in Vienna from tuberculosis before it could be completed.

Today’s railway has only been slightly modified from von Ghega's original design and stands as a continuing testament to his engineering genius.

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

• Semmering the Magic Mountain Semmering.or.at.

External links

• World Heritage Site
• History of the building of the Semmering-Railway
• Ole Oest. 2007. Semmering Railway, Austria
• Photo tour of Semmering Railway
• Austria's World Heritage Sites
• Austria 360
• James Martin. 2006. Scenic Train Routes in Austria Goeurope.about.com.

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