Koralm Railway

Project scale and timeline

• Koralm Tunnel is ~33 km twin-bore, part of a 130 km line with extensive tunnels and structures, built over ~27 years (1998–2025), with the main tunneling 2008–2020 and recent years spent on fit‑out and testing.
• Some commenters initially felt 17–27 years “too long” but others stressed the geological and engineering difficulty and long testing/safety phase.

Budget, “within budget” and HN title norms

• Original estimate (around 2005) was ~€5.5B vs ~€5.9B actual; some call this “within budget” or “slightly over,” others note it’s about 7% higher.
• Inflation and added sections mean it can be framed as under/over depending on accounting; regardless, many see this as an unusually good outcome for a 20‑year megaproject.
• A long subthread criticizes the HN submission title for editorializing (“within budget”) when the linked page doesn’t mention costs, invoking HN guidelines. Others argue it’s fair context drawn from other sources and not misleading.

Engineering difficulty and geology

• Commenters highlight extremely challenging Alpine geology: “about as bad as it gets,” with mixed boring/blasting, fault zones, high depth, elevated rock temperatures (~32–39°C), and substantial safety/ventilation systems.
• Comparisons with Tokyo’s Toei Oedo line and other tunnels emphasize that metro projects in uniform alluvial soils are not directly comparable to deep Alpine base tunnels.

Travel impact and network context

• The new line cuts Graz–Klagenfurt travel from ~3 hours to ~45 minutes by avoiding detours through narrow valleys and many intermediate stops.
• Together with the Semmering Base Tunnel, it will significantly shorten Vienna–Graz/Klagenfurt trips.
• Some users share personal excitement, having followed the project since childhood.

EU funding, signage, and politics

• Noted EU co‑funding sparks debate on “funded by EU” billboards: design inconsistency annoys some, others defend minimalist, cheap communication.
• Signs are intended to make EU benefits visible; effectiveness is debated, referencing Brexit regions that were major beneficiaries.
• Discussion touches on Austria as a net EU contributor, but with political and planning benefits from EU‑level funding decisions.

Rail culture, pricing, and comparisons

• Several compare Austria’s competent, relatively on‑time, on‑budget rail building to the UK’s HS2, US “Big Dig,” California HSR, and Canadian light rail cost overruns and delays.
• Austrian trains are seen as culturally central, comfortable, and generally preferred over buses, though single intercity tickets can be expensive without passes.