Fewer Cars on the Southern Motorway: Koralmbahn Eases the Koralm Corridor

Why the Koralm corridor in particular benefits

Even if the figure of 4.6 percent seems modest at first glance, it is remarkable in the context of the overall dynamic. While traffic on many motorway sections in Austria stagnated or only declined slightly, the corridor along the Southern Motorway shows an above-average change. The VCÖ interprets this as an indication that modal shifts occur when the rail offering is genuinely competitive.

The A2 Southern Motorway has traditionally been one of the most heavily used routes in Austria, particularly on the way south and towards Carinthia. Congestion and seasonal traffic peaks have been an issue there for years. The new Koralmbahn, which connects Vienna, Styria and Carinthia directly, now relieves precisely this axis – and to a greater extent than the nationwide trend would have suggested.

Other routes show no comparable effect

It is notable that similar effects are absent on other heavily used routes. For instance, on the A1 Western Motorway in the Haid area, no comparable decline was recorded according to the VCÖ. In the transport club's view, this underscores that the impact of new rail lines is tied to specific improvements in service and reductions in travel time, and does not occur automatically.

Implications for transport policy

For the debate on shifting traffic from road to rail, the new figures are a relevant argument. The VCÖ sees the data as confirmation that investments in expanding the rail network deliver measurable results not only in climate policy but also in transport policy. According to the club, the Koralmbahn is regarded as a flagship project against which future projects must measure themselves.

The regional dimension should also not be underestimated. The relief of the Southern Motorway brings immediate benefits for communities along the route, such as less noise and exhaust emissions. At the same time, commuters benefit who can travel between the provincial capitals faster by rail and without traffic jams.

It remains to be seen how sustainable the effect is. The VCÖ intends to monitor further developments and examine whether the decline consolidates or whether some of the traffic has merely been shifted in time. What is already clear, however, is that in the Koralm corridor the Koralmbahn has already had its transport-policy impact in its first year of operation.