Simbach–Braunau railway bridge, Steel railway bridge between Simbach am Inn, Germany and Braunau am Inn, Austria
This steel truss bridge spans about 60 meters across the Inn River, connecting Simbach am Inn in Germany with Braunau am Inn in Austria at their shared border. The structure carries regular rail traffic as a crucial link in the international railway line between Munich and Neumarkt-Kallham.
The bridge officially opened on June 1, 1871, creating the first direct railway link between the two countries at this crossing point. German forces destroyed it in 1945, but it was rebuilt after World War II and has since resumed its role as an international transport corridor.
The bridge connects two regions whose railway networks were once entirely separate, serving as a meeting point between Bavaria and Upper Austria. It enables the flow of goods and passengers across one of central Europe's major transport corridors linking southern Germany to Austria.
The bridge is accessible only to train traffic and cannot be entered by pedestrians. Visitors can best view the structure from the banks of the Inn River, where footpaths and viewing points are available in both towns.
The bridge was built using caisson foundation technology, an innovative technique that was completely new to Bavaria at the time. This method later became standard practice for many large engineering projects throughout the region.
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