ÖBB expand Arlberg railway protection against natural hazards

ÖBB will modernise and expand protection systems along the Arlberg railway in the Klostertal valley, ORF reported. New avalanche catchment dams, rockfall nets, cable-net barriers and snow nets are due to be built by December 2028.

Work will take place along the railway in the Annatobel and Wörezer areas, where parts of the existing avalanche and rockfall protection no longer meet current technical standards. Train services will continue without disruption, but residents should expect construction traffic, noise and dust.

The work is being carried out in cooperation with the municipality of Dalaas. The municipality will clear a debris basin, while ÖBB will reuse the material for the avalanche protection works. A 12-metre-high, vegetated earth embankment will be built from the material.

“By using the material jointly, we are saving transport and easing the burden on our municipality,” Dalaas Mayor Martin Burtscher said, according to ÖBB.

ÖBB and the municipality have drawn up a traffic plan for the construction work. It regulates construction traffic around the kindergarten and sets the permitted times for lorry journeys.

Despite the measures, ÖBB said there would be increased delivery traffic as well as temporary noise and dust. Helicopters will also be used periodically to transport materials to difficult-to-reach slopes. The company said it was working to keep the disruption as low as possible and complete the work efficiently.