The Oravița-Anina cultural-touristic route
The Oravița-Anina cultural-touristic route encompasses the main cultural sights of the area and aims to highlight the Oravița-Anina railway, a true masterpiece of engineering art.
The route includes the following historical tourist attractions that are worth visiting:
- Oravița-Anina railway - "Semmeringul Bănățean" - the first mountain railway in Romania dating back to 1863 (it was named with reference to the Semmering railway in Austria, Semmeringbahn)
- Anina railway station, a former railway station, historical monument located on the territory of the city of Anina.
Originally, the purpose for which the Oravița-Anina railway line was built was aimed at mining operations in the South Banat region. These operations determined the search for a solution for the transportation of coal to the Danube, where it could be loaded by ships, so that it could reach the Austro-Hungarian Empire from there.
Several projects were designed for the construction of the Oravita-Anina railway, but only since 1855, when the railway from Oravița was taken over by StEG (Staats EisenbahnGesellschaft-Austrian State Railways), the construction of the Oravița-Anina railway took shape.
An extraordinary achievement
On September 20-21, 2013 both in Oravi actuala and Anina celebrated the 150th anniversary of the commissioning of the first mountain railway on the current territory of Romania. The route is nicknamed "Semmeringul Bănătean" due to its similarity with the railway "Semmering" in Austria, built between 1845-1854. The two railways are similar, both in terms of technical difficulties and in terms of the mountain landscape.
The Semmering railway has a total length of 40 km at a level difference of 388 m, and the Oravița-Anina railway, a total length of 34 km, respectively a level difference of340 m. At the same time, the Austrian Semmering has 15 tons, and the Banatian Semmering has 14 tons.
The highest railway viaduct in Austria 47m, and the Jitin viaduct is 37m. The great difference lies in the tunnels length. The longest tunnel has 1428 m, while on the Oravița-Anina line the longest is 660 m (Gârli timpte tunnel).
The Semmering railway has a total length of 40 km at a level difference of 388 m, and the Oravița-Anina railway, a total length of 34 km, respectively a level difference of340 m. At the same time, the Austrian Semmering has 15 tons, and the Banatian Semmering has 14 tons.
The highest railway viaduct in Austria 47m, and the Jitin viaduct is 37m. The great difference lies in the tunnels length. The longest tunnel has 1428 m, while on the Oravița-Anina line the longest is 660 m (Gârli timpte tunnel).
The gravity of this construction targets the level difference between the two stations. The Oravița-Anina railway has an inclination of 20 ‰ compared to the other railways with a level difference of 14 C. Also, in the case of this line, the curve radius is 114 m compared to the other railways with a radius of 150 m. This is why locomotives and special wagons were necessary. The passing over the 10 viaducts measures a total length of 843 m, and the passing through the 14 tunnels a total length of 2084 m. The tunnels were dug with the nettle and chisel, dynamite has not yet been invented.
The line has never been electrified, currently operating with diesel locomotives. In the Oravța depot there is a 50 000 series steam locomotive that could be restored for an eventual return to service.
The Oravița-Anina railway is unique in our country and in Southeast Europe, it is a historical monument framed in the value group "A" and constitutes a true masterpiece of engineering art.
The Oravița-Anina railway is unique in our country and in Southeast Europe, it is a historical monument framed in the value group "A" and constitutes a true masterpiece of engineering art.
Other touristic objectives in the Oravița-Anina area:
- Buhui Cave - with the longest underground course in Romania, and Buhui Lake, the first artificial lake in Romania
- Buhui - Mărghitaș, protected area
- Cheile Minișului with Waterfall and Izbucul Bigăr.
Source Text & Photo: https://www.romaniaferoviara.ro/, https://www.facebook.com/visitcaras/posts/