ÖBB Rail Cargo Group CCO Christoph Grasl and Alpacem Managing Director Bernhard Auer
(Wietersdorf, 13 February 2026) – The new Koralm Railway has been in operation for freight transport for around 100 days. At a press conference on the premises of the industrial company Alpacem, the ÖBB Rail Cargo Group presented an initial positive assessment. Since 1 November 2025, around 1,050 freight trains with more than 21,000 wagons and over a million tonnes of goods have travelled on the new Koralm Railway.
Freight transport faster, more efficient and more powerful thanks to the Koralm RailwayThe Koralm Railway brings significant improvements for freight transport: shorter transit times, improved efficiency and additional capacity on the southern axis. The new flat route with a maximum gradient of ten instead of 16 per mille allows trains to carry higher loads. This reduces energy consumption and cuts up to 300,000 train kilometres per year.
Minister for Mobility Peter Hanke emphasises the strategic importance of the new connection: ‘The Koralm Railway is a milestone for efficient, climate-friendly mobility in Austria. The first 100 days of freight transport show how modern infrastructure enables a shift to rail, strengthens companies and at the same time makes an important contribution to climate protection.’
Strong signal for the business hubThe new Koralm Railway is a strong signal for Austria as a business hub. Together with the existing line via the Neumarkter Saddle, the southern axis now has four tracks. This means up to 30% more capacity along the southern route – a decisive factor in shifting even more freight traffic to rail. ‘Thanks to the additional capacity, we can offer our customers significantly faster connections within southern Austria and towards the Adriatic ports. This will strengthen Austria's position as a logistics hub in the heart of Europe in the long term,’ emphasises Christoph Grasl, CCO of ÖBB Rail Cargo Group. The full impact of the Koralm Railway on freight transport will become apparent with the completion of further infrastructure projects – above all the Semmering Base Tunnel.
Advantages for single wagonload transportSingle wagonload transport in particular benefits from the elimination of detours via Knittelfeld, Leoben and Frohnleiten. In single wagonload transport, wagons from different directions and from different customers are brought together and assembled into a train at shunting yards. This train then travels on, for example, the Koralm Railway. The wagons are then separated again and distributed to their destinations.
ÖBB Rail Cargo Group customer Alpacem has been relying on environmentally friendly rail transport for years. Single wagonload transport is mainly used to transport raw materials for cement production, such as cement clinker or granulated blast furnace slag, on behalf of Alpacem through Austria and on to Italy.
Alpacem Managing Director Bernhard Auer explains: 'The Koralm Railway provides us with even more reliable and efficient transport and reinforces our decision to consistently focus our logistics on rail. At the same time, the new line enables us to carry out transport more sustainably and in line with the green transition. The close cooperation with the ÖBB Rail Cargo Group shows how efficient and climate-friendly rail freight transport can be today.'
Koralm Railway as part of the Baltic-Adriatic CorridorWith the Koralm Railway, the southern axis becomes part of the Baltic-Adriatic Corridor, which connects Europe from north to south and is one of the most important freight transport routes in Europe. The corridor connects economic areas from the Baltic Sea to the Adriatic Sea, strengthens Austria as a logistics hub and offers customers of ÖBB Rail Cargo Group faster, more efficient connections to Adriatic ports and industrial centres. The full impact of the Koralm Railway will become even more apparent with the completion of other major projects, such as the Semmering Base Tunnel.
Video footage of ÖBB Rail Cargo Group transports on behalf of Alpacem can be found here:
Alpacem Intermodal TransportRail Cargo Group: the freight transport division of the ÖBB As a leading rail logistics provider in Europe, we are shaping the industry. 365 days a year – 24 hours a day. Across Europe and beyond into Asia. With our presence in 18 countries – and our own traction in 14 of them – we connect people, businesses and markets from the first to the last mile. It’s thanks to our 6,014 logistics professionals that 418,114 trains a year, respectively 1,150 a day, reach their destinations safe and sound. With our efficient end-to-end logistics services, we transport 79.9 million net tonnes of freight each year.Alpacem AustriaAlpacem Austria brings together all Austrian companies of Wietersdorfer Alpacem GmbH in the fields of cement, concrete, and raw materials. From eight locations in Carinthia and Styria, customers in the construction industry are supplied with high-quality building materials generated through regional value creation. The company’s headquarters are located in Wietersdorf, Carinthia. For more information, visit alpacem.at.Wietersdorfer Alpacem GmbH (Alpacem for short) is the market leader for cement, concrete, and raw materials in the Alpe-Adria region. With a total of 760 employees, high-quality cements, concretes, and raw materials—including related services—are produced at 29 locations in Austria, Italy, and Slovenia. The company’s headquarters are in Wietersdorf, Austria. Alpacem is part of the Wietersdorfer Group, an internationally active industrial company in the construction materials and pipe industries.