Floridsdorfer Hochbahn

The Floridsdorfer Hochbahn (lit.'Floridsdorf high line'), also known as the Italian Loop, is a freight-only railway line in Austria. It runs 4.4 kilometres (2.7 mi) between Wien Jedlersdorf and Wien Leopoldau, connecting the Northwest railway line and North railway line.

Floridsdorfer Hochbahn
Bridge with decorative arch
The "Weeping Bridge," designed by Wander Bertoni [de]
Overview
Line number138 01
History
Opened1 December 1916 (1916-12-01)
Technical
Line length4.4 km (2.7 mi)
Number of tracks1
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
Electrification15 kV  16.7 Hz AC
Route map
km
ÖBB-Technical Services
0.1
Wien Jedlersdorf
4.4
Wien Leopoldau
[1]
Map

Route

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The northwest end of Floridsdorfer Hochbahn is at Wien Jedlersdorf on the Northwest railway line. The line proceeds eastward over elevated tracks through Floridsdorf, eventually crossing over the North railway line approximately 440 metres (1,440 ft) east of Wien Siemensstraße. The line joins with the North railway line at Wien Leopoldau.[1]

History

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Planning for a connecting line between the North and Northwest railway lines began before World War I, but assumed a heightened importance as military rail traffic grew in Vienna. Construction work began in May 1916, with the line opening for traffic on 1 December of the same year. Thousands of Italian prisoners of war from the Sigmundsherberg prisoner of war camp [de] worked on the line, leading to the nickname "Italian Loop."[2]

The line was bombed several times during World War II and wrecked by retreating German forces during the 1945 Vienna offensive.[2] Rebuilding the line following the war was not practical because of the postwar shortage of building materials.[3] Reconstruction of the line finally began on 2 September 1996.[4] Service resumed on 29 May 1999.[5]

Notes

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  1. ^ a b Eisenbahnatlas Österreich [Austrian railway atlas] (in German) (3rd ed.). Cologne: Schweers + Wall. 2021. p. 105. ISBN 978-3-89494-150-5.
  2. ^ a b Luxner, Johannes (5 June 2016). "Wiens vergessenes Weltkriegsrelikt". ORF (in German). Retrieved 3 March 2024.
  3. ^ Krapfenbauer, Steiner & Eisele (1999), p. 483.
  4. ^ Krapfenbauer, Steiner & Eisele (1999), p. 486.
  5. ^ Krapfenbauer, Steiner & Eisele (1999), p. 489.

References

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