St. Pölten freight rail bypass worth €731m enters service

This roughly 24.7 km double-track high-performance line connects the Wagram junction with the Rohr junction near Loosdorf, bypassing St. Pölten to the south of the city and its main station. It includes four tunnels (including the 3,485 m Pummersdorf Tunnel) and 23 bridge structures, and was ceremonially opened on 1 December 2017, with regular operation starting at the timetable change on 10 December 2017. The project cost about EUR 731 million and relieves the Westbahn line by diverting freight traffic around the St. Pölten passenger hub; it is also the first line in Austria built without optical signals, meaning only ETCS-equipped trains can operate on it.