The origins of the Arlberg Railway Tunnel is closely associated with the Arlberg railway, of which construction commenced immediately after receiving authorisation to proceed on 16 May 1880. Built at a total cost of 35.5 million gulden, the line had been approved as a single-track railway throughout much of its length; however, the Arlberg tunnel was intentionally constructed with sufficient space to accommodate a double track arrangement from the onset, engineers having anticipated the need to handle higher volumes of traffic than a single line would be able to convey. A large proportion of the Arlberg Railway Tunnel, akin to much of the line's engineered features, comprised natural stone masonry in its construction, using materials such as limestone, gneiss, and mica schist.