Rail route of the month: in the footsteps of railway pioneers through Austria

Our slow travel expert reflects on a milestone in early railway history as she takes the Railjet from Salzburg to Vienna

Most travellers from Britain bound for the 1873 World Fair in Vienna would have had their first encounter with Austria in Salzburg, whence it was an easy onward journey to Vienna. In those days, the fastest train was the lunchtime express from Salzburg, which chugged to the Austrian capital in just under eight hours.

Times have changed. A glance at Table 950 in the March 2023 European Rail Timetable shows three direct trains each hour from Salzburg to Vienna, all taking under three hours for the 200-mile journey. It’s a fine ride – every bit as engaging today as it was when Thomas Cook’s clients, clutching their hotel coupons and pocket timetables, made their way to the World Fair.