Local Railway Bridge

Before today's road bridge, there was a railway bridge over the Traun River. After the bridge was demolished, a part of it was preserved and repainted. That part is intended to commemorate the Salzkammergut local railway.

The narrow-gauge railway came into operation in 1890, the first section from Bad Ischl to Strobl. From 23 July 1894, the train ran continuously from Ischl to Salzburg. In order for the train to depart from the main station, a bridge had to be built over the Traun River. Furthermore, a tunnel was dug through the Calvary. After leaving the tunnel near the Schratt Villa the train crossed the road from Ischl to Salzburg on an ungated level crossing. Some residents, who were children at the time, remember the whistling of the train at 7AM. Then you had to get up quickly to not to be late for school.

If the Salzkammergut local railway still existed today, it would outshine all existing steam trains because it would travel through a very beautiful landscape. When still in operation, on the ride to Salzburg, travelers were able to see three lakes while peacefully traveling: Wolfgangsee, Krottensee, and Mondsee.

In 1893, the cogwheel railway Schafbergbahn was opened. One could get there by boat from the St. Wolfgang train stop.

Some figures:

The summertime schedule included up to seven daily trains.

Travel time for regular tains from Ischl to Salzburg was about three hours; for express trains,  two and a half hours.

Passenger figures:
400, 000 in 1911.
650, 000 in 1918.  

Up to 1.5 million passengers in 1943 and 1944 (because of the war).

2,146,000 (!) in 1946.

From 1950, passenger numbers declined, but there were still between 800,000 to 900,000 travelers per year.

Despite massive protests by the population (2,500 people demonstrated in Salzburg), the railway was discontinued on 30 September 1957.  Freight train service ran until 10 October, on which day the demolition of the tracks began immediately. This was done so hastily that wagons left over in St. Gilgen had to be removed by low-loader trucks.