Ausserfern Railway

Ausserfern Railway
Map of the Ausserfern railway line
Overview
Other name(s)Garmisch-Partenkirchen – Kempten Railway
Native nameAußerfernbahn
StatusOperational
OwnerDB Netz (Germany)
Austrian Federal Railways (Austria)
Line number5452 (Garmisch-Partenkirchen–border)
352 01 (border–Reutte–border)
5403 (border–Kempten)
LocaleBavaria in Germany
Tyrol in Austria
Termini
Stations31
Service
Route number973 (Western part), 965 (Eastern part) (DB)
410 (ÖBB)
Operator(s)DB Regio Bayern
History
OpenedStages between 1895-1913
Technical
Line length93.9 km (58.3 mi)
Number of tracksSingle track
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
Electrification15 kV/16.7 Hz AC Overhead line
(Garmisch-Partenkirchen – Reutte)
Operating speed70 km/h (43 mph)
Maximum incline3.75 %
Route map

km
0.000
Garmisch-Partenkirchen
708 m
1.242
Garmisch-Partenkirchen Hausberg
2.100
Rießersee
3.100
3.400
Kreuzeck Railway
4.700
Obergrainau
5.458
Untergrainau
740 m
13.266
Griesen (Oberbay)
821 m
14.846
30.445
GermanAustrian state border
29.200
Schober
(closed on 29 May 1960)
27.600
Schanz turnout
25.900
Schanz
(closed on 26 September 1971)
23.300
Ehrwald Zugspitze Cable Car
974 m
20.400
Lermoos
1004 m
19.000
Lermoos Tunnel (105,6 m)
16.400
Lähn
1106 m
13.100
Bichlbach-Berwang
1072 m
11.600
Bichlbach-Almkopf Railway
8.800
Heiterwang-Plansee
1012 m
6.900
Thanellerkar
(closed on 7 November 1966)
5.000
Katzenberg Tunnel (512,5 m)
3.600
Bad Kreckelmoos
938 m
0.500
Reutte in Tyrol Schulzentrum
0.000
14.390
Reutte in Tyrol
850 m
12.000
Pflach
840 m
7.600
Musau
822 m
6.400
Ulrichsbrücke-Füssen
814 m
3.900
Vils
817 m
0.500
Schönbichl
831 m
0.000
34.300
Austro–German state border
33.000
Pfronten-Steinach
841 m
30.700
Pfronten-Ried
858 m
29.300
Pfronten-Weißbach
874 m
27.000
Pfronten-Kappel
23.900
Nesselwang
864 m
21.600
Maria Rain
19.800
Wertach-Haslach
891 m
17.600
Oy-Mittelberg
13.600
Zollhaus-Petersthal
909 m
12.000
Bodelsberg
8.400
Jodbad Sulzbrunn
(station until 2008)
818 m
6.900
Sulzberg
3.900
Durach
1.800
St Mang
(formerly Kottern-Neudorf)
to the former Kempten Hauptbahnhof (to 1969)
Neu-Ulm–Kempten railway from Memmingen and
Buchloe–Lindau railway from Kaufbeuren (since 1969)
Neu-Ulm–Kempten railway / Buchloe–Lindau railway (until 1969)
Iller
old trackbed (to 1969)
0.400
Kempten (Allg) Hbf
(since 1969)
705 m
0.000
Kempten (Allg) Hbf
(until 1969)
from the old Kempten Hbf (to 1969)
km
elev
Source: German railway atlas[1]

The Ausserfern Railway (German: Außerfernbahn) is a cross-border railway line in the German state of Bavaria and the Austrian state of Tyrol. The single-tracked branch line starts from Kempten in Germany, before crossing into Austria just after passing through Pfronten. It then transits the Außerfern area around Reutte, before passing back into Germany in order to terminate at Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

The line provides the only rail access to Reutte and the Außerfern, albeit one that requires any journey to or from the rest of Austria to pass through German territory. The line connects with the Mittenwald Railway and the Munich–Garmisch-Partenkirchen railway at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, with the former providing a link to the Tyrolean capital of Innsbruck. It connects with the Buchloe–Lindau railway and the Neu-Ulm–Kempten railway at Kempten.

The line was built in stages, between 1895 and 1913. Although the Austrian section of the line is maintained by the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB), all train services are operated by Deutsche Bahn (DB).

  1. ^ Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland [German railway atlas]. Schweers + Wall. 2017. pp. 113–115. ISBN 978-3-89494-146-8.