WESTBAHN’S INAUGURAL JOURNEY – MODERN MOBILITY MEETS CULTURE
Westbahn celebrated the launch of its Southern Line service with an extraordinary inaugural journey from Vienna to Villach. Under the motto “Art and Culture on Rails in Carinthia/Koroška,” the speed and comfort of high-speed rail merged with Carinthia’s rich cultural diversity, turning the maiden journey into a truly unique experience.
A PREMIERE THAT CONNECTS MOBILITY WITH CARINTHIA’S CULTURAL DIVERSITY
During the approximately three-and-a-half-hour journey, Carinthian artists presented a diverse onboard program throughout nine carriages, transforming the high-speed train into a moving cultural stage.
One of the three brand-new “SMILE” high-speed trains from Swiss manufacturer Stadler was deployed for the occasion. This train, along with two others, will now operate daily between Vienna, Graz, Klagenfurt, and Villach. All three trainsets are fully wrapped in cultural imagery highlighting institutions such as the Artists’ Town of Gmünd, Ensemble Porcia, the Ingeborg Bachmann House, Carinthian Summer, the Museum of Modern Art Carinthia, the Carinthian State Museum, the Lassnig Atelier, the cultural town of Bleiburg/Pliberk, the Liaunig Museum in Neuhaus/Suha, and the Heunburg Theatre.
„Carinthia is one of Austria’s culturally richest provinces, with a strong tradition in literature, painting, dance, and sculpture. Carinthia is far more than a scenic backdrop of lakes and mountains. When we make these strengths visible, the province becomes even more attractive as a cultural destination.“
- Principal Owner of Westbahn Hans Peter Haselsteiner
Westbahn Managing Director Marco Ramsbacher emphasized: “When modern mobility and cultural identity come together, it creates genuine value for people and for the region. As a native Carinthian, I am especially pleased that with the SMILE high-speed train and our new Westbahn connection, we are able to showcase the full diversity of Carinthia.”
Managing Director Thomas Posch added: “For us, this connection is more than just a new route. We want to demonstrate that modern mobility can combine quality, comfort, and meaningful experiences. This inaugural journey stands for exactly that: traveling faster while experiencing more.”
THE TRAIN AS A STAGE
During the inaugural journey, the trip itself became the experience, and the train the setting for cultural highlights. The service departed from Vienna with intermediate stops in Graz and Klagenfurt. Nine groups of artists animated the carriages, bringing performances directly to passengers so they could remain comfortably in their seats while immersed in the action.
At the stop in Klagenfurt, the train was welcomed by the Klagenfurt City Theatre with music and live performances. The journey concluded in Villach with a festive ceremony featuring contributions from the town band of the Railway Music Association, the Jauntal Traditional Costume Band, and musical performances by Silvia Igerc and Arthur Ottowitz.
The artistic direction of the program was led by a distinguished creative team: Nadja Kayali (Carinthian Summer), Florian Eisner (Ensemble Porcia), Andreas Ickelsheimer (Heunburg Theatre), and Arthur Ottowitz (Werner Berg Museum Bleiburg/Pliberk).
With the launch of the new connection and the introduction of the SMILE high-speed trains, Westbahn places a strong emphasis on quality and makes a clear statement: it is not just about arriving faster, but about traveling better.