RAILROAD RECONSTRUCTION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00926A000100020006-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: R
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 3, 2012
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: October 3, 1947
• Content Type: REPORT

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/10/03: CIA-RDP80-00926A000100020006-4
b-.. CE Tf gL `EL:LIGENCE UROIJ
INFORMATION REPORT
COUNTRY Austria
SUBJECT' Railroad Reconstruction
PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE
ACQUIRED
NATIONAL CEFHNSE OF THE UNITED STATES WITHIN THE
MEANING OF THE ES?OHAOE ACT SO U. S C.. St. ANC 92. AS
AMENOEO IT'"' TRANSMISSION OR THE REVELATION OF ITS
CONTENTS IN ANY MANNER TO AM UNAUTHORIZED FLIISON
IS PROHIBITED BY LAW IT MAY NOT GE Fi EPRODUCEV IN
WHOLE OR IN PART. SY OTHER THAN THE STATE, WAR. ON
NAVY DEPAV;TMENTS. EXCEPT BY PERMISSIONOP THE DIRECTOR
DATE DISTR.3 October 1947 .
STAT
NO. OF PAGES g
NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED EIE .QW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
'1' _ e Rae~k sit blishn erLt of the Austr? Igo Ra
Ixatrr~duotiran
STAT
WThe considerable difficulties and delays encountered by the Four Po -,
in the negotiations in respect of the Peace Treaty with Austria and the
atmosphere of despondency overhanging Central European affairs - have, unfori ateayy,
largely over-shadowed the very considerable progress achieved in the re-eutablish-
nent of the Austrian Railways as an independent unified system, end in t 1c restorr
dL;f train service and facilities for passenger and freight traffic. These ks
,;Ave had to be undertaken in t be face of im ense political and economic d..s.fi-
al.ties"especially those ari inng from the quadrupartite division and oecu; ation
of the country -and of acute tortagee of material ss and eguipsient, and with a
staff frequency inadequately clothed and suffering from varying degrees o
undernourishment. In the ci yo%mstanees, an objective review of the probinae
involved and the progress achieved by Dr. Johann Boffin, Austrian Ministate?ial
Councillor (Ministerialrat), Tier , which has been published in the weal. ~ : fficial
Bulletin of the Central. Office for International Railway Traffic (Zeitsd.., ?. ft
fur den Internationalen Risaanbahnve kelr), Bern, is particularly opportur_
7t is felt that the story of the Austrian Railways since the collapse of
in the spring of 1945, is worthy of record and contains features likely t_, be
of interest of railway administrations generallyo
It may be recalled that prior to the Ansch.luss, in Hw-r ., 1938, when
Austria was incorporated into the German Reich, and the Austrian Federal !t ilvays
narged into the German Railway (Reichsbehn), all the railways in Austria, omcnpt
for a :'Yxnbu_.- of purely local railways, which had retained their i,ndepeaaden4-e had
been operated by the Austrian Federal Railways (Osterraichiache Bundesbah a n).
aphis is a specially constituted semi-autonomous undertaking ? established ii 1923,
.Zollowing the investigation;, by the late Sir William Acworth,, for the op :-ation
as a single system, in the national interest and on a oommercial 'basis, o:' the
.,entire railway system,, including both the state-owned lines and those of the
DISTRIBUTION
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former companies, certain of which, in fact, continued in existence as
financial entities. The Austrian Federal Railways, which had their own
Bdard of Directors, were managed by the headquarters (Generaldirektion)
in Vienna, Mich was responsible for matters of policy and executive
decisions affecting the entire sy t i, and by four Federal ailway Divisional
Managements (Bundesbahndirektionen), in Vienna, Villach, Linz and Innsbruck,
which uere responsible for the day-to-day executive management and operation
of all lines in their respective areas.
"After the Ansehluss, the Austrian Federal Railways were quickly and
ruthlessly Germanised, German organisation and methods being introduced with
all possible speed. The Headquarters (Generaldirektion), which, according to
German principles was?k;o centralised, was first reduced to a Liquidating
Office for Austria (Abwicklunpatele Osterreich) and then disbanded, c,ntrol
being transferred to the German Ministry of Transport (Reichsverkebre--ministerima),
in Berlin. The Federal Railway Divisional Managements (I3undesbahndirektionen)
at Vienna, Linz and Villach were raised to the status of German Railway Divisional
Managements (Reichsbehndirektionen); that at Innsbruck was disbanded, the lines
formerly under its control boinr divided between the Reichsbandirektionen at
Augsburg, Linz, Munich and Tillach. The Germans instituted their own system
of District Office"ommercial (Verkehrsemter), Civil Engineering and Operating
(Bau-und Betriebsamter) and Locomotives and Rolling Stock (Masohinenamter)-
interposed between the Divisional Managements and the stations; under the
Austrian organisation, the stations reported direct to the Divisional Managements.
"In addition to this administrative re-orgarisation, the Austrian passenger
fares and freight rates systems wore replaced by the German systems, and conse-
quent on the replacement of the Austrian Schilling by the German Mark as the
ait of currency in Austria, all finances were put on a Mark basis. German
operating and commercial policy, and German methods, rules and regulations were
all introduced. A big programme of new construction and improve??ent works, W.
bracing all parts of the Austrian Federal Railwayys, was, at once, put in bend,,
and energetically pushed forward, in order to bring the system up to German
standards and to increase its capacity to deal irith the increases in traffic
anticipated under the German plans for the economic and industrial development
of Austria, and for strategical expansion towards South-E4otern Europe. When the
Allied armies crossed the Austrian frontier on 30th March, 1945, from several
directions, the German railway organisation there was already disintegrating.
In addition, Allied air attacks.. German demolitions and the fightinrr caused
extensive dam ge to stations, yards, bridges, locomotive depots and other installa-
tions. Also, Austria was a veritabl- "graveyard" of locomotives and rolling
stock of all nationalities, which the Germans had evacuated there as their armies
retreated on all Fronts. In contrast with other parts of Europa, for example,
Holland, from which nearly all rolling stock had been withdrawn, Austria was
cluttered up with rolling stock, much of which, however, was in a wrecked or
damaged condition; moreover, those units in a serviceable condition often couli not t
moved owing to track damage and. destroyed bridges. It was from this state of
complete administrative and physical chaos, and with the country under the
occupation of the four Powers and divided into four Zones, between which movement
and trade were virtually impossible, that the task of the re-establishment and
reconstruction of the Austrian Railways bad to be begun.
Administrative, Staff, a,~t d Financial Arrangements
"Administrative Re-organization: On April 19th, 1945, one week after the
Russian occupation of Vienna, those members of the Vienna Divisional Management
who had stayed at their posts, together with the representatives of the station
and other staff in the Vienna area, established, with the approval of the Russian
Occupation Authorities, a new administration, named the Railway Mana.gemient,
Vienna (Eisenbahndirektion, Wien), which undertook the operation of the railways
in the Russian Zone-the Provinces of Burgenland and Lower Austria.
"In the British Zone-the Provinces of Carinthia and Styria-the railways
were placed under the former Villach Divisional Management. The railways in
the American Zone-the Provinces of Upper Austria and Salzburg-were placed under
the former Linz Divisional Management. In the French Zone, which comprised the
Provinces of Tyrol and Vorarlberg and correspond roughly to the territory of the
former Innsbruck Divisional Management, which had been disbanded by the Gernmens
P 1938, a Railway Management was re-established at Innsbruck to operate all
lines in the Zone. Thus, in effect, four entirely separate and independent
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RESTRICTED
Railway Managements (Eisenbahndirektionen) were established by the Allied
11 litary Authorities, one in each of the four Divisions of the former
Lustrian Federal Railways. Each of these Railway Managements assumed
responsibility for operatin the lines in the respective Zones, which eorre~3-
pond very largely, though gam: precisely, to the systems previously operated
.:rom the same centres, as an independent railway and subject to the inetruca^
ton of the appropriate Occupying Power. Following the issue, in June,
45, of a Decree covering certain transitioral arrangements, the Vienna
Railway Management (Eisenbahndirektion) assumed, in July, 1945, the title
of General Managements (Generaldirektion), but, in practice, its authority
frequently still did not extend beyond the Russian Zone.
"The Allied Control Council for Austria, on its establishment in the
Summer of 1945, set up a Transport Committee, composed of, representatives of
ilia four Powers and charged with the duty of examining and formulating a solu-
ton for the Austrian transport problem. On let November, 1945, by an Ovder
of the Allied Control Council, a new Railway General Management (General-
lirektion) was established in Vienna, with responsibility for the ^aanagement
tid operation of the entire Austrian ailway system as a unified undertaking,
subject to the direction and control of the Occupation Powers: the four
Railway Managements (Eisenbahndirektionen), in Vies! Innsbruck, Line, :tad
Villach, reverted to their former status of Divisional Managements.
"Thus, from 1st November, 1945, the Avetrian Railways were again consti-
tuted as an independent and unified system, l rin as the Austrian State Rail-
ways (Osterreichische Staatseiaenbahnen). The details of the new administra..
Live organisation were set out in the first issue of the Official. Gazette
(."mtsblatt) of the Austrian State Railways, published on 10th January, 1946.
'this provides for a General Management (Generaldirektion), in Vienna
responsible for all matters of policy and executive action involving the entire
system, and for four State Railway Divisional tanagements (Staatseisenbahndiaekt-
ionen), in Vienna, Inns,bruch, Linz and Villach, responsible for the day-to-dav
management and operation of the lines in their respective territories: The .aver
internal organisation is basically similar to that in force on the former Austrian
Federal Railways prior to the Anschluss, but certain changes have been made in the
lines controlled by the Divisions to enable them to coincide with the Zones of
Occupation. The District Offices set up by the Germans have been disbanded, and
the stations report once again direct to the Divisional 2anagemonts. The.General
af;ement in Vienna, is under the direction and control of the Allied Control
z.unoil, exercised through its Directorate of Transport, and the Divisional
Managements, in addition to the control exercised by the General Management in
Vienna, are subject to direction and control by the Occupying Powers in their
respective Zones.
"The relationship of the xustrian State Railways to the Austrian Government
and the new internal organisation were formalised by a Decree issued by the
Federal V.kinister of Transport (lundesalnister fur Verkeh.) on 8th June, 194.:3,
and published in the official Gazette (Amtsblatt) of the iustrian estate Rail:-lays
20th July, 1946. Under this Decree, the General Management of the Aiustri: n
3v.xte Railways (Generaldirektion der Oesterreichisohen Staatseisenbahnen) fo ms
Dii*ision 11 (Sektion 11) of the Federal Ministry of Transport (Bundesminists.rium
filar Verkehr). This Division is under the supervision of a Director-General,,
assisted by two Deputy Direotor-Generals, and is divided into eight Principi.
Departments (Gruppen), as follows: General Secretariat; Starr; Finance an'i
Accounting; Legal and Administrative; Commercial; Operating; Civil Engineering;
and Mechanical Engineering, with, in all, 37 Sections (ibteilungen). In addition,
there are certain separate Special Departments responsible for particular sp;ieres,
namely, Medical, Stores and :lectrification.
"The relationship of the Austrian State Railways to the State is fundamentally
Fi.'.I?ferent from that of the Austrian Federal Railways; whereas the latter wa,,m a
.:ni-automvanous undertaking with its own Board of Management and subject only to
the supervision of the Ministry of Transport as the regulatory authority, under
the new set-up, the Ministry of Transport and the Railway Managements are, in
effect, one and the same. Under the Decree of June, 1946, the Austrian Govern-
moat also became the regulatory authority for all private railways, and the
Federal Ministry of Transport (Bundesninisterium fur Vorkehr), thereby became
the controlling authority for all railways in Austria, in practice, the powe e
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a-*r.the.independent railways were delegated to Division 11 of the Ministry, which,
as alreary pointed outs, forms the General Management of the Austrian State
Railwayso Thus, the independent railways, of which there are 25, are in effect,
wade the supervision of the Austrian State Railways; they are, however, being
encouraged to, retain their identity, and, coincident with the Decree of dune, 1946,
arrangements were made for the re-establishment of the Association of Austrian
Private Railways (Verband der Gsterreichischen Privatbahnunternshmungen)-an
association which formerly existed to protect the joint interests of these railways,
but which had been suppressed by the Germans in 1938.
"Staff: The staff problem has been one of exceptional difficulty and delicacy.
Thus, x+936, the staff of the i-ustrian State Railways totalled no less than
93,000 compared with 57,000 employed by the-Austrian Federal Railways in 1938;
moreover, in 1946, traffic was, on the whole, considerably below the'1958 level.
This increase in staff was due to a combination of circumstances, including, inter
allt, the big increase in railway facilities and capacity created by the German's,
the heavy traffic durinh the war years, the 1ar6e numbers now enga ed on the
clearance of war damage and on reconstruction work, and to the low output of
work at the present time owing to the very difficult living; conditions. In spite
of this admitted excess of staff, it has been considered necessary, in order t0
maintain the requisite standards, to develop staff training facilities. Jmorijst
the staff receiving instruction in 1946 were 760 telephone operators, 850 traffic
staff, 100 permanent way men c.nd some 1,800 engineering apprentices; the latter
were spread over 18 workshops.
"A particularly difficult problem has been the sorting out of the German and
Austrian staff, as, during; the period 1938-45, staff were transferred in both
directions between Germany and :.ustria,. The de-nazif'ication of the Austrian staff
has boon a very delicate question, owing to the necessity of giving effect to
political considerations while avoiding a decline in efficiency throug'i the loss
of too many qualified staff. It appears that there have been marked variations STAT
in the policies and criteria adopted, and in the progress achieved, in the
different Zones.
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"V,fays and ..orbs s The f z llowink, data afford : some indication of the extent
of the war du 1a6c, of the ma~.,nitude of the task of. reconstruction and of the
considerable pro6ress achieved by the autumn of 1946. Thus, cat the time o.' the
German collapse, in April, 1945, out of 6,048 route-km. (3,758 miles) of line
subsequently taken over by the ..ustrian :~ mate Rai1w ys? 2,507 route-kni . (1,558
miles) were either destroyed or so d...,maged that they could not be used for
traffic. By September, 1946. working, was again possible on all but 106 route-km.
(66 miles) of line. Out of a total of 6,078 bridges, 381, with a. total length
of 24,704 metres (22,016 yards) axed including most of the major structures, were
-destroyed. By September, 1946, all but 43, with a len6th of 1,938 metres:
(2,119 yards), had been either rebuilt or replaced by temporary structur:s
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Bridges already re.-opened by the autumn of 1946 included the following: that onSTAT
the Vienna-Prague main-line over the Danube outside Vienna-Nordwestbahnhof,
which, by the use of a military bridge, was reopened for single-track working on
2? th August, 1945, and so provided the first route for north-south traffic across
t:a-; Danube; that on the Vienna-Prague main-line over the Danube, at Tullnj those
cr.::?.iying the Vienna-Bratislava (Polish-Russian) main-line over the Danube, at
V:.enrna-Stadlau and over the Danube Canal at Vienna-Erdbergerlande; that carrying
the (Paris) Innsbruck-Vienna main-line over the Inn, at Brixle;g; that over the
at Braunau; that over the Mur, near Sptelfield; and that carrying the Vienna-
T-?Ba.oste main-line over the Gail, at Arnoldstein. The re-opening of these bridges
enabled the main north-south and east-west international routes across Austria to
be again available for traffic.
"In regard to turntables, out of 141 on the system, 44 were completely
d . r Toyed; by September, 1946, 23 of these had been replaced, and usually the
o.>purtunity was taken to install a longer table than the original, in order to
prepare for the introduction of larger locomotives. At many locations, partic-
ularly in stations and yards, reconstruction work was complicated by the necessity
of restoring the overhead electric wiring, so as to permit of the resumption of
electric traction. The whole task, difficult enough in itself, was greatly
aggravated by the administrative chaos and by the political, economic and labour
problems already referred to. The Austrian State Railways have paid tribute to
the considerable assistance rendered by the Occupying Powers in their respective
Zones, especially in the early stages and in the provision of plant, tools,
e~tv.pment and materials. The Austrian State Railways estimate that, by the end
o. `~,eptember, 1946, their own staff had spent some 30,560,000 man-hours, exclusive
of administrative and supervisory work, on the reconstruction of Ways and Works.
"Locomotives: At the and of 1937, the Austrian Federal Railways possessed,
i:so.udi t~'ie 'narrow-gauge stock, in round figures, 1,900 steam locomotives, 250
electric locomotives and ,rotor coaches, 80 internal combustion engine railcars,
or, in all, some 2,230 motive power units. In general, about 23 per cent. of
this stock was under or awaiting; repair and some 74 million locomotives-kilometres
(gone 46 million miles) were run per annum.
"There was, on a numerical basis, ample motive power in relation to the
reduced level of traffic, in the years immediately proeeding; the Ansohiuss, and,
in fact, a considerable number of engines were in storage. Nevertheless, many
of the steam locomotives were old and there was a multiplicity of types, dating
back to the individual railways of the pre-1914-18 Austro-Iungarian Expire. In
spite of the introduction of a small number of modern powerful steam locomotives
of notable design, by the Austrian Fedoral Railways, the strin6ent financial
pcr