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Österreichische Bundesbahn (ÖBB) is the national railway operator and still runs the vast majority of Austria's domestic and international passenger services. A wholly owned subsidiary, Rail Cargo Austria, was formed in 2005 to separate out ÖBB's freight services and is also included here.
The state has had a hand in the construction and operation of railways in Austria since the early 1840s but until the early years of the 20th Century there were also major privately owned railway companies. In the years leading up to the First World War most of the privately owned lines were nationalised and absorbed into the KKStB, the exotically named Kaiserlich und Königlich Staats Bahnen or Imperial and Royal State Railways. The last major privately owned line, the Südbahn, remained independent until the end of the war.
With the dissolution of the Austro Hungarian Empire in 1918 came a loss of territory and railways to the newly formed states of eastern Europe and Italy. The remaining lines on Austrian territory were formed into the state owned Austrian Federal Railways, known then as the BBÖ.
Everything changed in 1938 with the annexation of Austria by Germany and the BBÖ became part of the Deutsche Reichsbahn until the end of the war, acquiring many locos built to German designs in the meantime.
The state owned company was re-established after the war, this time as the ÖBB, and remained largely unchanged until it was re-organised into a holding company with various subsidiaries in 2005. Despite the re-organisation and the split of assets between the passenger and freight companies, it's often difficult to tell whether a loco is a passenger or a freight engine as the vast majority haven't been rebranded.
With the dissolution of the Austro Hungarian Empire in 1918 came a loss of territory and railways to the newly formed states of eastern Europe and Italy. The remaining lines on Austrian territory were formed into the state owned Austrian Federal Railways, known then as the BBÖ.
Everything changed in 1938 with the annexation of Austria by Germany and the BBÖ became part of the Deutsche Reichsbahn until the end of the war, acquiring many locos built to German designs in the meantime.
The state owned company was re-established after the war, this time as the ÖBB, and remained largely unchanged until it was re-organised into a holding company with various subsidiaries in 2005. Despite the re-organisation and the split of assets between the passenger and freight companies, it's often difficult to tell whether a loco is a passenger or a freight engine as the vast majority haven't been rebranded.
