From plans to rails: how cooperation paved the way for the Koralm link
When we think of major transport projects, we usually picture the finished result: a new rail line, a tunnel breakthrough, a faster connection. But long before trains can run, years of coordination, evidence-building, and planning across borders must come first.
One such story began along the Baltic–Adriatic transport axis, where our BATCo (Baltic–Adriatic Transport Cooperation) project brought together key stakeholders to align priorities and remove bottlenecks for a trans-European rail corridor.
When borders hamper mobility
For commuters and businesses, transport corridors are only as strong as their weakest links. Fragmented planning can mean:
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slow or unreliable connections between regions,
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congestion on roads when rail alternatives are missing or uncompetitive,
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and freight routes that stay carbon-intensive because shifting to rail is not feasible.
BATCo focused on the “invisible” work behind infrastructure: bringing regions and transport authorities to the same table, using data to agree on needs, and coordinating long-term investment priorities.
At 32.9km, the Koralm Tunnel is the longest railway tunnel in Austria. It forms the core of the approximately 130km-long section of the Koralm Railway and is a section of the route that connects Graz and Klagenfurt.
Rather than building infrastructure itself, BATCo created the conditions for better infrastructure by:
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setting up a platform for data exchange and shared analysis,
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supporting policy alignment across regions,
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and strengthening joint transport planning for a corridor that runs across national borders.
One of BATCo’s key regional studies focused on Klagenfurt, examining how infrastructure upgrades, including the Koralm Railway, could improve both passenger and freight mobility. Published in 2013, the study suggested that by 2030 a new rail link between Graz and Klagenfurt could significantly reduce travel times, support regional economic development, and help shift traffic from road to rail. That kind of groundwork matters because it turns separate national upgrades into a coherent transnational corridor approach.
A faster rail link helps commuters and freight
Today, the coordinated corridor development that BATCo promoted is reflected in major investments along the Baltic–Adriatic axis, including the Koralm Railway in Austria and the Koralm Tunnel. The tunnel was opened in 2025 with a length of 32.9 km, the longest railway tunnel in the country, forming the core of the 130 km Koralm Railway section that connects Graz and Klagenfurt.
For commuters, the benefit is concrete: the fastest journey time between Graz and Klagenfurtfallsfrom around three hours to 42 minutes.
For freight transport, the impact is about capacity and efficiency along a key north–south route. Rail Cargo Group describes the Koralm link (together with existing lines) as creating a four-track “Southern Axis” with up to ~30% more rail capacity, supporting a modal shift from road to rail and strengthening Austria’s role as a logistics hub.
Infrastructure corridors are not built and do not work if planning stops at administrative borders. BATCo’s role was central to help regions coordinate their visions and investment logic early, so that succeeding infrastructure projects could contribute to a wider Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) corridor, connecting central Europe with southern and eastern Europe.
This story is a reminder that the time people save on a train today often starts with cooperation years earlier. If you work on mobility planning or corridor development, BATCo shows what helps: coordinated planning, shared evidence, and alignment across regions can be the difference between fragmented upgrades and a transport axis that actually functions.
Project: BATCo
Duration: 2010-2013
Budget: 3,59 m €
Partners: AT, CZ, IT, PL
