After beginning upgrades to the tracks of the SchafbergBahn in 2018, further investments will be made to Austria’s steepest cog railway as of spring 2020. The new construction and new concept of the valley station is intended to significantly improve guest experiences and extend the average length of visit.
The project to build a new SchafbergBahn valley station represents a € 7.5 million investment by Salzburg AG in its tourism division. Within the scope of a Europe-wide architectural competition, 54 extremely exciting concepts from across Europe were submitted. The winning project came from Salzburg architectural firm dunkelschwarz ZT OG.
The new valley station is intended to be developed and utilized as a multifunction service center. In addition to the all-weather station including foyer and entrance area, the building will also feature a modern interactive exhibition on the theme of “Railway and Mobility”, a shop as well as dining facilities. Furthermore, the rooms will be available year-round as a communications and events center for the entire Salzkammergut region. Increasing the quality of guest experiences plays a central role in the new concept. In addition, the investments in improvements to existing infrastructure are intended to keep pace with modern advances in recreational tourism, such as ticketing, while ongoing development is planned to create facilities as an education and information center for schools from across Austria. That said, the investments which are made will contribute an important impulse to the region and enhance the trend towards an extended season, and ultimately to year-round tourism.