About this journey

The journey begins at Aigen-Schlägl and follows the Mühlkreisbahn — officially designated Linz Urfahr – Rottenegg – Aigen-Schlägl — northward through the Mühlviertel to Linz Urfahr station, the line's southern terminus on the north bank of the Danube, historically known as the Mühlkreisbahnhof. The route is non-electrified and standard gauge, and traction throughout is provided by an ÖBB Class 5047 diesel railcar, a type that entered service in 1987 after ÖBB placed its initial order with Jenbacher Werke in 1983. Each unit is powered by a 12-cylinder Mercedes-Benz OM444 or MTU V-engine producing 419 kW, with the entire drive system located underfloor — an arrangement that distinguished it from nearly all the interwar-era railcar classes it replaced.

The 5047 was designed specifically for lightly used branch lines: it can operate in one-man mode, allowing the driver to sell tickets and dispensing with a separate train attendant. As the Mühlkreisbahn approaches Linz Urfahr, the line crosses the tram network at level crossings before reaching the station. The connecting line onward to the main ÖBB network then crosses the Danube on the Eisenbahnbrücke, running partly within a road carriageway in a tramway-like fashion — an unusual final passage that marks the transition from rural branch line to the city beyond.