With the completion of a major emergency drill on 4 October, the Koralm Railway project has entered its final stage before official launch. The exercise concluded an extensive safety training phase for emergency services and railway staff, ensuring the system is fully prepared for passenger operations when the Koralmbahn opens on 14 December 2025.
More than 150 members of the fire brigade, police, medical services, and ÖBB teams took part, supported by 50 volunteers acting as passengers. The simulated scenario involved a train stopping seven kilometres inside the tunnel due to a technical fault, with smoke and injuries complicating evacuation efforts. All participants were successfully evacuated under realistic conditions, assisted by the new ÖBB Servicejet — a state-of-the-art rescue train stationed at both ends of the tunnel. The Servicejet can tow a double Railjet set, evacuate about 300 people, and carries 40,000 litres of fire-fighting water with protective ventilation systems.
The exercise forms part of a comprehensive safety concept into which around 15 percent of the project’s total investment has been directed. Safety infrastructure includes emergency exits every 500 metres, fire-fighting water lines, ventilation, detectors, access routes for rescue teams, and redundant communication systems. A third tunnel tube, roughly one kilometre long, has also been built midway as an underground evacuation and rescue area.
Another key element of operational safety is the European Train Control System (ETCS), which enables cross-border rail operations through unified speed and distance control standards. Before entering the tunnel, all trains undergo technical inspections for issues such as overheated brakes. The tunnel is equipped with dual power supply systems and blackout resilience measures allowing up to six hours of autonomous operation.
The Koralm Railway, part of Austria’s new southern route, is one of Europe’s largest infrastructure projects. Its centrepiece, the 33-kilometre-long Koralm Tunnel, will cut travel time between Graz and Klagenfurt to just 41 minutes once operations begin in December 2025.
