Such was the importance of the Karawanks Tunnel that, on 1 October 1906, the opening ceremony was officiated by the Austro-Hungarian head of state, Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The tunnel quickly became a heavily trafficked freight route, even after the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire during the following decade. Through to the present day, it has remained of importance to international freight traffic, being reportedly traversed by in excess of 80 trains per day.