Köflach railway line

The Köflach railway line (Köflacherbahn) is a standard gauge railway line in the province of Styria in Austria. It runs 40.2 km from a junction with the Southern railway line at Graz Hauptbahnhof to Köflach. Graz-Köflacher Bahn und Busbetrieb (GKB) owns and operates the line.

History
The Graz-Köflacher Eisenbahn- und Bergbaugesellschaft (lit. 'Graz-Köflach Railway and Mining Company') was established in 1856 to construct a railway line from Köflach to Graz. The line opened for goods traffic on 3 April 1860; passenger service began on 1 November. The Wieserbahn, which branches off south from the line at Lieboch, opened on 8 April 1873.

Route
The line originates at Graz Hauptbahnhof, on the west side of Graz, and runs south to Lieboch, where the Wieserbahn continues south. The line then turns west and follows the Kainach river to Bärnbach. At Bärnbach, it crosses the Kainach and follows the Gradnerbach tributary to Köflach.

Operation
Graz-Köflacher Bahn und Busbetrieb (GKB) operates two services of the Styria S-Bahn over the line. The S7 operates hourly, with additional service on weekdays, over the entire line between Graz and Köflach. The S61 provides additional service via Lieboch to Wies-Eibiswald via the Wieserbahn.