About this journey

Leoben Hauptbahnhof sits at a notable rail junction in the Styrian uplands, where the Rudolf Railway branches off to the north. Departing east, the Railjet joins the Bruck an der Mur–Leoben railway, a line that forms part of the long-distance Vienna–Klagenfurt–Villach corridor and stands among Austria's most strategically important routes. The line was opened on 1 September 1868 by the Austrian Southern Railway Company, and its approach to Leoben was significantly reengineered in 1998 when the 5,460 m Galgenberg tunnel replaced most of the older St. Michael–Leoben section.

The route continues northeast through Styria and Lower Austria before arriving at Wien Hauptbahnhof, the Austrian capital's central station. Formally inaugurated on 10 October 2014 and fully operational from December 2015, the station replaced the former Wien Südbahnhof terminus. Its construction cost around €987 million, financed by ÖBB, city authorities, the European Union, and property development. Five island platforms are covered by striking canopies roughly 210 metres in length, supported at 38-metre intervals by concrete frames clad in sheet steel. A Lion of St Mark sculpture from the old Südbahnhof is displayed within the station, recalling the historic connection southward toward Venice — a route this Railjet service itself continues to serve on select departures.