The railway from Lambach, on the ÖBB Westbahn between Linz and Salzburg, was first promoted in 1875, as a link from Lambach to Pram, on the Reid im Innkreis - Neumarkt im Hausstruckkreis route. Permission from the main landowner was only obtained in 1899, and the line opened on 23 July 1901. The section from Haag im Hausruck to Pram was not constructed, nor was the branch line from Backnamming to Offenhausen. The line suffered declining fortunes in the early 1900's and the company went into liquidation at the beginning of 1930. The line was taken over by the Federal Railway, and the running of the line was ceded to Stern und Hafferl from 5 October 1932. The Lambach - Haag route runs as part of the Westbahn for 4 km., until it diverges northwards at Hst. Neukirchen bei Lambach. The route then runs in a vaguely north-easterly direction through villages, until terminating 28.65 km from Lambach, on the southern fringe of Haag.

S & H electrified the route from 8 April 1933 at 800v d.c, and services were then operated by electric railcars (25.101,25.102), with small electric locos hauling freight. When the Westbahn was electrified in 1949, at 15 Kv a.c., the incompatibility was solved by replacing the catenery from the junction at Neukirchen into Lambach, and building two transformer vans (25.051,25.052). As an S & H train approached the junction, the engine was taken off and the transformer van placed between loco and train. The current was switched from d.c. To a.c., and the pantograph on the transformer vehicle took the a.c. power, providing d.c. via an umbilical cable to the loco.

It was not until 1989 that two, later three, New dual voltage vehicles (25.103-104) were built for the line by Bombardier. The electrical switching is now automatic, and the service is faster as a result. Goods traffic continues to be a source of income on the line, and although the railcars haul much of the goods traffic, the electric locomotives, and home-made transformer cars are still used. The original railcars are still stabled on the line, although only used for excursions. A recent change has seen a newly-acquired diesel loco being used by Stern und Hafferl to run diesel freight services in the area.

Get to Haag and follow the signs!

A proposal to close the service in December 2005 was averted when the service was subsidised by Land Neiderösterreich for 12 months, and service is continuing whilst other arrangements are being discussed.

Had the line shut, this service from Wels Hbf would have been one of the last. It was also as far as the LH units rerached in normal service.