Train stations

At the beginning of the 19th century, technical innovations heralded a new era. Ground-breaking was the invention of the steam engine, which enabled mobility by rail and steamship and resulted in the expansion of the transport network. Pleasure and recreation trips of the upscale clientele were established, for which the Frenchman Louis Vuitton developed suitable cabin and cabinet cases.

Magnificent passenger trains were created for the European dynasties, and so empress Elisabeth also had a touring car set available on her railway journeys from 1873, which consisted of a saloon and a sleeping car, equipped with electric lighting, steam heating and a toilet.
A replica of the interior can be seen in the Sisi Museum in the imperial palace of Vienna.
The saloon and sleeping car made in 1873/1874 is in the Technical Museum.

In 1833, following the example of the London Lloyd, the "Österreichische Lloyd" was founded, the largest shipping company in Austria-Hungary and the Mediterranean, whose steamships sailed from Trieste to the Far East in order to connect to the then already numerous existing relations such as the k.u.k.  Levant post offices and the k.u.k. consulates.

In 1856, Luigi Negrelli from Trentino planned the Suez Canal, completed by Lesseps in 1869.

Augsburg

In the newly designed railway museum in Augsburg, the "Bahnpark Augsburg" stands the historic steam locomotive 415 of the former Austrian Southern Railway Vienna - Trieste from the time of Empress Sisi. This historically valuable exhibit from 1897 was transported from St. Pölten near Vienna to Augsburg in 2016.

In this cultural and museum project, called "Rundhaus Europa", 29 historic locomotives from many European countries tell the cultural history of Europe. The ambassador locomotive from Austria symbolizes the century of the railway. This express train steam locomotive No. 415 was built in 1897 for the "k.u.k. privileged southern railway " based in Vienna.

In the exhibition there are also three other historic steam locomotive halls with workshop atmosphere and a historic forge to see.

On 10.10.2021, the Empress alias Sabine Rossegger visited the "Bahnpark Augsburg" and the historic steam locomotive 415.

Trieste

In Sisi's time, Trieste was the most important port city of the Austrian monarchy and the terminus of the former Southern Railway from Vienna. In 1878, the current station building - Trieste Centrale - was built and inaugurated.

During the Austro-Hungarian period, there was another main terminal, the Trieste State Railway Station (Trieste Sant'Andrea), which was built in 1906 by the Austro-Hungarian Railway. At that time, passengers from Vienna arrived at Trieste Sant'Andrea station, which was renamed "Trieste Campo Marzio" in 1923.

Today, the magnificent building serves a railway museum, the Museo di Trieste Campo Marzio dedicated exclusively to the world of the railway. This terminal station from 1906 is an architectural jewel of Art Nouveau that is rarely found in Europe and thus also forms part of the exhibition. In the open air of the station museum are locomotives as well as Austro-Hungarian and German wagons, which were paid as reparations for war damage. Thus, these trains reflect the great history of these areas on a small scale.

Since 11 June 2021, the connection between Trieste and Vienna has been active again. The Eurocity runs once a day to Trieste, on the same route that was built in 1857 for the "k.u.k. privileged southern railway" from Vienna via Graz - Maribor-Ljubljana. After 150 years, this line is honoured again.

Merano

When Merano was connected to the European railway network in the 19th century, it developed into a trendy health resort. A spacious and architecturally sophisticated station building was built, which has been a listed building since 2004.

In 1859, the station, designed by Luigi Negrelli in the style of Viennese neoclassicism, was opened. With the Merano Kurhaus in Art Nouveau décor and the architecture of the Grand Hotel, built in 1883, an impressive cityscape is created.

Budapest

The first major railway station of Budapest was Nyugati (Western) Railway Station inaugurated in 1877. The building’s innovative iron structure considered a technical feat at the time and still admired today was planned in the design agency of the famous Gustave Eiffel. Since the imperial-royal couple preferred to travel by state railways, to receive them in a worthy manner, a royal waiting room was installed at the newly built railway station. The imperial train arrived on today’s track 10, therefore the entrance of the royal waiting room fulfilling high-level representative demands opened on that track.

This special historic pavilion located in the railway station building consisted of three rooms: the reception room, the royal meeting room, which also served as the salon of Emperor and King Franz Joseph I, and the rococo style salon of Empress and Queen Elisabeth connected to a patio and a lovely little garden.

The royal waiting room is like a hidden jewellery box in the hustle and bustle of Nyugati Railway Station’s passengers. It is open to the public only on special occasions.

Inside the station are two statues of the inventors of the locomotive, J. Watt and G. Stephenson, surrounded by wonderful frescoes.

Gödöllö

In 1867 the station building was opened. Since that time, Franz Josef I , Sisi and their entourage have been travelling regularly by train from Vienna to Gödöllö.
The Royal Waiting Room was managed by the castle and when the couple arrived, the red carpet was laid out between the entrance to the building and the train.

The connection from Budapest to Gödöllö is still called the "royal track". Once a year, the imperial Sisi train rolls from Nyugati station over the old tracks towards Gödöllö, the Empress's favourite Hungarian castle.

Possenhofen, Starnberg

The initiator of the construction of Possenhofen station, King Maximilian II, died before its opening. His son Ludwig II continued the construction projects and even ensured that parts of the foundation walls of Feldafingen Castle were used for the station - a sensation at that time.

Empress Sisi learned about the respective construction progress mainly from letters. It was not until July 1869 that Elisabeth was able to stop at the station in Possenhofen for the first time with the steam train and thus to travel almost to the front door of the castle.

However, since the station building became very dilapidated over time, optical repair work could not be avoided. According to an old template, the Royal Salon was restored to its original state as much as possible.

The historic Possenhofen train station is now in the Empress Elisabeth Museum with a permanent exhibition in the historic pomp waiting room.

 

Switzerland, GoldenPass Express

A direct train significantly increases the attractiveness of Montreux, Gstaad and Interlaken and brings Montreux closer to the Jungfrau and Lucerne. From palm trees to glaciers: the slogan becomes a reality. The GoldenPass Express is a link between the French and the German-speaking part of Switzerland, between cultures, between city and country life, between lake and mountain lanscapes.
The GoldenPass Express connects several attractions along its route. A non-exhaustive list:
Rochers-de-Naye with panoramic view on Lake Geneva (access from Montreux), Boat trip on Lake Geneva (CGN), Castle Chillon visit (access from Montreux), Maison Cailler chocolate tasting (access from Montbovon), Glacier 3000 with panoramic view on the swiss alps (access from Gstaad), Stockhorn for hiking (access from Erlenbach i. S.), Boat trip on Lake Thun
(access from Thun), Jungfrau – Top of Europe (access from Interlaken).

Further information: here