Semmering Pass
| Semmering | ||
|---|---|---|
Elevation 965 m (3,166 ft) | | |
| Location | Austria | |
| Range | Alps | |
| Coordinates | 47°37′57″N 15°49′47″E / 47.63250°N 15.82972°E | |
  Semmering Pass Location of Semmering Pass | ||
Semmering (German pronunciation: [ˈzɛməʁɪŋ]) is a mountain pass in the Eastern Northern Limestone Alps connecting Lower Austria and Styria, between which it forms a natural border.
Location
Semmering Pass is located west of Sonnwendstein and Hirschenkogel and east of the Pinkenkogel.
With the
The village of Semmering is on the pass. The villages of Maria Schutz and Spital am Semmering are slightly below the pass, on the Lower Austrian and Styrian sides respectively. Schottwien and Mürzzuschlag are the closest sizeable towns on either side.
Rail transportation
As the Semmering is a major bottleneck in the
A ground-breaking ceremony was held at Gloggnitz on April 25, 2012 to officially launch preliminary construction works for the 27.3 km Semmering Base Tunnel. Opening is planned for 2024. The €3·1bn base tunnel between Gloggnitz and Mürzzuschlag is a key part of the 'new Südbahn' project. It will eliminate the current bottleneck on the 41 km Semmering Railway route where steep gradients and numerous curves require freight trains to use two or three locomotives.
The tunnel will comprise two 10 m bores between 40 and 70 m apart, linked by cross passages every 500m. Boring is planned to start in 2014, with excavation completed ready for fitting out from 2021. The tunnel will be designed for passenger trains to run at up to 230 km/h, shortening Vienna - Graz journey times by 40 min to 1 h 50 min, which is expected to attract more customers to rail.
Skiing
The Semmering
Numismatics
The view was printed on the 20 shilling note from 1966 to 1983.
The Semmering Pass is featured on a famous commemorative coin: the 25 euro 150 Years of the Semmering Alpine Railway Coin. The reverse of the coin shows a typical Semmering view. A steam engine has just emerged from a tunnel crossing one of the distinctive viaducts.
See also
External links
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
