Introduction
The railway line from St. Pölten to Mariazell, known around the world as "Mariazellerbahn", is a narrow gauge railway located in eastern Austria, in the southern part of the province of Niederösterreich (Lower Austria). There it partially runs through one of the most remote and sparsely populated mountain areas of Austria, just about 80 kilometres from Vienna! It is still a regular line, providing daily passenger services on the 85 kilometres long electric mainline from St. Pölten to Mariazell on a 760mm gauge track.
On these pages we want to provide all the information you will need to decide on a trip with this unique narrow gauge railway. You will find a detailed route description, facts about the line and the region it runs through and a lot of links to resources of relevance for both, the tourist and the railfan!
For a lot of people this unique narrow gauge railway is more than just a means of transport. It's an inseparable part of the landscape through which it runs and a part of our history and cultural heritage. We see ourselves as a meeting point for everyone who believes that the Mariazellerbahn deserves a secure future as a vital lifeline in the south of Lower Austria. It doesn't matter if a person is interested in everyday traffic or historic steam trains, a commuter or railway employee, from Austria or from somewhere else in the world. Our members meet at several occasions to take a ride to Mariazell with friends and families and not only once it was necessary to run our train with two engines - right in the tradition of the old pilgrim's trains! In fact, if you see an actual picture of a long double-headed train hauled by two 1099s it's in all likelihood that it's one of our "full trains!" - Voller Zug!
We are proud to announce that this is an independent website, produced and maintained wholly by volunteers in their spare time! Thus this is also an unofficial web resource, not supported or authorized by any of the official departments responsible for the Mariazellerbahn. Information is gathered by society members, railfans and informed sources which we hope is free from error, but please note that we cannot guarantee or take responsibility for its accuracy!
Photographs are provided by members who also hold the copyright on them. If you are interested in one of them or need any additional information feel free to get in touch with us!
See also Mariazell Railway at Wikipedia
