Image: ZEITUNGSFOTO.AT/DANIEL LIEBL (APA)
The road to Kleinschwendberg was closed, around 30 people are affected, the ORF Tirol reported on Thursday. A crack formed in the road at the beginning of May, and the intense rainfall has now worsened the situation, it said. Train routes in Styria and Tyrol remained closed.
An emergency supply of food and possible rescue operations have been set up, said Mayor Franz Hauser. If necessary, a mission can also be completed by helicopter. Work begins on Monday. The road closure is expected to last two to three weeks.
Railway lines closed
Railway lines in Styria and Tyrol remained partially closed after the heavy rain. The routes between Spielfeld-Strass and Leibnitz and in Tyrol between Ötztal and Landeck-Zams are affected, the ÖBB announced on Thursday in a broadcast. The cleanup will continue for several weeks.
In Styria, the railcar of a passenger train derailed on Wednesday due to a mudslide. The clean-up work in the track area has started and the derailed express train has already been removed. According to the ÖBB, the closure in the Ehrenhausen area is expected to last until May 30th. After the mudslides, the slopes and embankments next to the railway must now be examined. The rail replacement service with buses for long-distance trains between Graz and Spielfeld-Strass and for local transport between Leibnitz and Spielfeld-Strass will remain in operation, freight traffic will be diverted.
Mudslide on western route
According to the ÖBB, no train journeys are possible between Ötztal and Landeck-Zams until May 24 due to a mudslide on the western route. The clearing work on the track systems has already begun, the work on the protective structures and the slope stabilization will take several weeks. A rail replacement service with buses for local, long-distance and night-time travel will remain in place, with travel time extensions of up to 60 minutes to be expected. From May 24th, long-distance and night-time traffic is to be resumed, and regional local traffic is expected to be operated entirely as rail replacement bus services until June 18th.
Source: Nachrichten
