The Schneeberg Railway is a local railwayline inLower Austria running from Wiener Neustadt to the Hochschneeberg mountain. From Wiener Neustadt to Puchberg am Schneeberg it runs as a standard gauge, adhesion railway and from Puchberg am Schneeberg to the Hochschneeberg as a narrow-gauge, cog railway. The main section from Wiener Neustadt to Puchberg am Schneeberg had a branch to Wöllersdorf from the outset. The section built later from Sollenau to Feuerwerksanstalt is now closed and renaturalised. The line's name - the Schneeberg Railway - was not only used in the title of the original operating company, the Schneeberg Railway Company Limited,, but has also been adopted by its latest operator, the Lower Austrian Schneeberg Railway Company founded on 1 January 1997. However, the NÖSBB uses the name Schneebergbahn only for the cog railway section of the route.
Management
Whilst the operation of the standard gauge section of the Schneeberg Railway is handled by the ÖBB, the management of the narrow-gauge rack railway is carried out by the Lower Austrian Schneeberg Railway Company founded in 1997, in which the state of Lower Austria - in the guise of the "Lower Austrian Transport Organization Company" - and the ÖBB each have a 50 percent share. The journey time on the main section from Wiener Neustadt to Puchberg am Schneeberg takes regional trains approximately 45 minutes on the non-electrified single track. On average 15 to 20 Regionalzügetrainsrun in each direction daily. The Schneeberg Railway on the extension line from Puchberg am Schneeberg to the Hochschneeberg is a narrow gauge rack railway that has become an important tourist attraction in southern Lower Austria, transporting 120000-130000 registered guests per year. The journey up the mountain takes 53 minutes using modern coaches. Heritage trips using steam traction and the original carriages still take 1 hour, 17 minutes. The trains to the Hochschneeberg run hourly depending on demand. Adverse weather conditions can cause restrictions or changes to the train service. Services are operated from late April to late October depending on the weather. In addition, in April, special trips to the Hengst Hut are laid on.
