Home, Mobility
The Koralm Railway improves accessibility far beyond the metropolitan areas
On June 18, Kurt Fallast, Managing Director of PLANUM Fallast & Partner, presented the latest findings on the spatial impacts of the new rail connection and the revised schedules as part of the ÖVG event “Transformation Through Connection – 6 Months of the Koralmbahn.” The event took place in the morning at Graz Central Station and in the afternoon at the Carinthian Chamber of Commerce in Klagenfurt.
The presentation focused on the results of the recently completed AREA SÜD mobility study. The analyses show how the Koralmbahn is changing accessibility in southern Austria: Not only are Graz and Klagenfurt becoming closer in terms of travel time, but numerous rural communities are also benefiting from significantly improved connections.
Thanks to shorter public transportation travel times, workplaces, educational institutions, and recreational activities will be more quickly and easily accessible to many people. In this way, the Koralm Railway not only strengthens the connection between the two federal states of Styria and Carinthia, but also makes an important contribution to sustainable and climate-friendly mobility.
The study’s findings underscore the potential of an efficient public transportation infrastructure as a key location factor and a driver of regional development and equal opportunity—especially for people living outside urban centers.
PLANUM also benefits directly from the new connection: Since the opening of the Koralm Railway, the Klagenfurt office can be reached from the Graz headquarters in about one hour door-to-door. This has nearly cut the travel time in half compared to the previous route.
PLANUM is pleased to have been part of this event and would like to thank the other speakers from Graz—Dr. Klaus Schneider, DI Alfred Nagelschmied, and Mag. Adrian Plessin—for their valuable contributions and fascinating insights into the many facets of the Koralmbahn and its significance for the development of the southern region.
