today 138
today 138
The MTW 100 owned by Rhomberg Fahrleitungsbau operated on the feeder line to the new Koralm Tunnel between Graz and Deutschlandsberg for approximately half a year. Its task was to assemble various overhead line components in tunnels, railway stations, and on open track. As a multi-functional work machine, the MTW ensured ease of work and safe operations in every situation.
Rhomberg Fahrleitungsbau has both MTW 100 and MTW 10 machines in its fleet. It acquired the MTW 100 in the latest series in January 2019. The assembly team was particularly impressed with the driver’s desks’ ergonomic design and clear layout, especially with the newly designed workshop and crew cab. Thanks to the design, which is both efficient and spacious, there was more than enough room available to perform all work. Convenient equipment features such as remote control operation, the large working area on the elevating work platforms, or glare-free surrounding lighting also had an obviously positive impact on the user experience. Taken together, this gives the fitters the tools they need to deliver the best quality on the line.
The MTW series has been designed for versatility and has been a successful model for a long time. Decades of user experience from previous versions of the series went into developing the new MTW 100. Our development engineers focused on further optimising operability and ease of maintenance. The result was a universal, customisable working machine with many carefully planned details: both operating companies and operating staff appreciate it in equal measure.
The 130 km Koralm Railway will connect the cities of Graz and Klagenfurt, presumably as of 2025. It is part of the new Southern Line running between Vienna and Villach, consolidating the Baltic - Adriatic Corridor within the Trans-European Transport Network. For this reason, the European Union is also providing funding.
This high-capacity line, often described as the project of the century, comprises 47 tunnel kilometres and more than 100 bridges. Trains are already travelling on certain sections of the line while work on the others is going full steam ahead. The last large section of track is currently under construction: the section of the line from Graz to Weitendorf with a connection to Graz Airport.
The Koralm Tunnel lies at the heart of the entire line, crossing through the 2,000 m high Koralpe mountains. 23 years after planning began, completion of the final tunnel drive was celebrated in June 2020. With both single-track pipes each approximately 33 km long, the Koralm Tunnel will be the seventh longest railway tunnel in the world once it has been completed.
The Koralm line will significantly reduce travelling times as well as alleviate the environment in the long term. For example, the train journey from Graz to Klagenfurt will be almost one quarter of the original time (see “Reaching destinations faster” below). This creates the prerequisites for forward-thinking passenger and freight transport, increasing the appeal of railways as compared to other forms of transport.
Modern railway equipment features have been designed to ensure efficient, safe operations at speeds of up to 250 km/h. They include ballastless track and overhead conductor rails in tunnels as well as the ETCS train control system Level 2 on the entire Koralm line. As quality requirements are high, Plasser & Theurer machines frequently operate on the worksites.
Travelling time (in hours) of the fastest train connection via the Koralm Railway as compared to the old line via St. Veit an der Glan as well as by car:
* Once the Semmering Base Tunnel is in operation (tentatively as of 2028), this time will decrease again to less than two hours.
