THE FIRST MOUNTAIN RAILWAY FROM ROMANIA
THE 2-nd MOUNTAIN RAILWAY FROM EUROPE
THE FIRST RAILWAY TUNNELS FROM ROMANIA
33,8 KM TOTAL LENGHT
134 CURVES
14 TUNNELS – TOTAL LENGHT 2.084 m
10 VIADUCTS – TOTAL LENGHT 843 m
2.117 m NARROW PASSES DIGGED IN THE ROCK
9.946 m SUPPORTING WALLS
During the year 1790, it was discover the high-quality coal by the worker Mathias Hammer. Two years later, it started the coal working. “The Black Gold” must come to the Danube, where were loaded on ships and transported further on. The old road Anina-Oravița, a.k.a. “The Coal Road” started to be inadequate. This is the reason this project was initiate.
At the beginning, the idea was to built a railway with animal traction, but because of great need and the good quality of the coal, this was transformed into a normal railway.
The railway Anina-Oravița a.k.a. “The Semmering of Banat” was finished at the end of the fall of 1963, was inaugurate at 15 December 1863 for carriage of goods and at 1 November 1869 for carriage of peoples.
The railway Anina-Oravița – “The Semmering of Banat” is the first mountain railway from Romania and it works for 150 years without intermission.
It’s admiring the way that the railway was built and the beautiful landscape. The railway has 33,8 km lenght, 134 curves, 14 tunnels, 10 viaducts, 2117 m narrow passes digged in the rock, 9946 m supporting walls.
The railway ANINA-ORAVIȚA was called “The Semering of Banat” for the techniques used to built
it and for it’s shape. The techniques were used in a smart way in a land that was pretty hard affordable. The tunnel from Gârliște, which has 660 m lenght, is one of the narrowest tunnels from Romania. We still have the Jitin Viaduct, which has 131 m lenght. The beauty of nature delights the travellers of the train even today, passing through high hills, sharp rocks, broadleaf and coniferous forests, a marvelous view in every season.
The Oravița Station is at +218,6m above the sea level, and the Anina Station is at +557, 6m above, it results a difference of level by 339m.
The built of this railway was a result of mining exploitation from this mountain country of Southern Banat. This Anina-Oravița railway is really a piece of engineering art of constructions in the way of
mountain railways. It’s unique in our country and in South-East of Europe, and really deserve the name of “The Semmering of Banat”. The Station of Anina is an historic record assigned with the code: CS-IIm- A-10959.
At this moment, on the route Anina-Oravița and back, moves on a Regio train: 9694/9695. Each set of cars has two class II railcars towed by a LDH engine. Other informations regarding the eventual timetable changes on this route are available at the phone numbers: 0255-240327 – RDTT Anina Station, 0255-572860 – Oravița Station. The train leaves everyday (7 days/week) Anina 13.30 to Oravița at 15.20, and Oravița 11.15 to Anina 13.05.