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The Arlberg Railway (), which connects the Austrian cities Innsbruck and Bludenz, is Austria's only east-west mountain railway. It is one of the highest standard gauge railways in Europe and the second highest in Austria, after the Brenner Railway. The 136.7 km line is a highly problematic mountain railway, in part because it is threatened by avalanches, mudslides, rockfalls and floods. It is operated by the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) and frequented by international trains, including the Orient Express.
The construction of the Arlberg Railway started on June 20, 1880, and proceeded at a faster pace than planned. Completion was originally not expected until the autumn of 1885, but already by May 29, 1883, the valley route from Innsbruck to Landeck in Tyrol was put into service. On September 21, 1884, the entire stretch of the mountain railway was completed, including the then single-track, long Arlbergtunnel. The construction claimed 92 lives. The costs were totaled 38,165,282 crowns. The Arlberg tunnel rises from St. Anton on a length of approximately 4 km with 2 ‰. The highest point is at 1310.926 m in kilometer 104.241 m. Then it falls to Langen am Arlberg at 15 ‰.
Right from the beginning, the use of steam locomotives on the Arlberg led to serious problems: Passengers and crews were exposed to the unhealthy effects of sulfurous acid, which condensed from the steam in the tunnel. Grade slopes of up to 3.4% on the western ramp (Klostertal) and 2.6% on the eastern ramp caused traction troubles for the locomotives. Finally, in 1924, this problem was eliminated with the completion of electrification of the tunnel, followed by the ramp sections in 1925. This electrification of the railway was carried out with a 15 kV, 16.7 Hertz system, allowing heavy trains to be pulled over the route once the tracks and supporting structures, including the Trisanna Bridge in 1964, had been upgraded for the increased axle weights.
Today, traffic through the Arlberg railway tunnel has increased considerably, despite competition from road transport through the Arlberg Road Tunnel. This has made it necessary to widen the approach ramps for double tracks. Many long-distance, high-speed EuroCity (Transalpin) and Railjet trains ply the route from Vienna to Vorarlberg over the Arlberg. On the occasion of the World Ski Championships in 2001, the railway station of St. Anton on the eastern side of the Arlberg Tunnel was relocated from the town centre to a new site on the south side of the valley. This required the Arlberg tunnel be lengthened to 10650 m and the construction of the new Wolfsgruben tunnel.
Beginning with 2020, the stretch of track between Landeck-Zams and Ötztal will be selectively double-tracked, to increase capacity and improve the frequency of local services. The program, which was announced in 2018, will likely be completed by 2025, and was chosen over the more expensive full double-tracking plans. The first works are scheduled to take place between 19 and 21 September 2020, during which services will be disrupted.
The next step is a second track in the "Klosterbogen" (named after the monastir "St. Peter") between Bludenz station and Bings station.
Two steam locomotives losted 14 freight cars after a break of the coupling in the Großtobeltunnel in the near of Langen am Arlberg in January 1924. They rolled down and derailed in Dalaas station with more than 62 mph (100 km/h). They destroyed a large area in this station. 3 railway workers was light injured. An avalanche, cames from the Canyon " Muttentobel" in the north of Dalaas station, hitted it and a waiting train in 12. January 1954. 10 peoples (passengers and the station chief and his family) died. Large parts of the old station building from 1884 was destroyed and it was demolished later. The actually building was constructed after 1954. A memorial in Dalaas station remembers on this tragical day.
A thunderstorm with heavy rain produced a mudslide in 11. August 1995. It destroyed the bridge over the Masonbach near Braz. An Intercity-train to Bludenz can´t stopped. The locomotive and the first cars falled in the river. 4 peoples died.
A freight train at way from Romania to France, loaded with 208 new Automobile Dacia-cars, derailed after a brake-defect with 78 mph (125 km/h) in two curves in June 2010. The last 5 freight cars derailed in a left-curve, in the " Brazer Bogen" with radius = 250 m, where 44 mph (70 km/h) was allowed. The locomotive and the first freight cars derailed in the next curve, a right-curve with radius = 242 m before the Braz station. 37 mph (60 km/h) was allowed there. The locomotive chief was injured. 96 vehicles was destroyed totally and 79 heavy damaged. Also the locomotive and the most of the railway cars was destroyed totally.
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