Effects of the Koralm Railway on the ÖBB system

With the opening of the Koralm Railway between Graz and Klagenfurt, a new railway line has been put into operation in Austria for the first time in 100 years, following decades of network reduction. Key features: high speed and tunnels for shorter travel times between the main train stations in Graz and Klagenfurt. The rationale stems from the project-based perspective of traditional transportation systems. However, from the perspective of a paradigm shift, this fundamentally changes the outlook. The new timetable and operational data provide an opportunity for an initial assessment of the effects achieved. This paper addresses questions regarding the scale of investment in relation to overall transportation relevance, changes in transportation value potential within the region, and the potential for modal shift in freight transport. The ÖBB data are calibrated against the known systemic laws of passenger transport, and conclusions and recommendations are derived. Methodologically, the paper addresses quantitative analyses of infrastructure, spatial, traffic, and operational data, as well as feedback processes. It also examines the extent to which the results can be interpreted within the context of EU transportation policy.