Why was this railway needed?
The need for a new railway line emerged in 1915, when heavy fighting on the Isonzo Front caused interruptions on the Bohinj Railway, which had previously served as the main supply route for the Austro‑Hungarian army. The new line was intended to:
• ensure faster and safer transport of troops,
• deliver ammunition, food, and equipment,
• evacuate the wounded,
• relieve the overburdened road network across Hrušica and Črni Vrh.
For these reasons, the Austro‑Hungarian military declared the project strategically essential, which explains the extraordinary pace of construction.
Construction: an impressive engineering undertaking
Work on the railway and the tunnel progressed rapidly and involved:
• manual and mechanical drilling into hard limestone,
• construction of retaining walls and embankments,
• excavation of service galleries,
• deployment of both military and civilian labour, including numerous prisoners of war.
The Godovič tunnel was planned as a double‑track tunnel, an ambitious design for its time. By the moment construction was halted, approximately 400 metres had been excavated, preserving all phases of tunnel construction — from initial cuts into the rock to nearly completed sections with shaped walls.
A sudden end to the project
In October 1917, following the breakthrough at Kobarid (Caporetto) and the rapid collapse of the Italian front, the strategic situation changed dramatically. The Austro‑Hungarian army advanced deep into Italian territory, and the railway line was no longer needed. Construction was halted almost overnight, leaving the tunnel frozen in the exact state in which it remains today.
A unique open‑air classroom
Today, the Godovič tunnel stands as an exceptional open‑air textbook of early 20th‑century railway engineering. Along its roughly 400‑metre length, visitors can clearly observe:
• the earliest excavation stages,
• progressive widening of the tunnel profile,
• support structures,
• nearly completed sections,
• technical solutions typical of military construction under wartime pressure.
It is one of the few surviving examples of unfinished First World War military infrastructure in Slovenia, offering a rare insight into the engineering methods, logistical challenges, and strategic thinking of the period.