The lastest Railway News from Austria. If you have a news story please send it to the web editor using the email address on the contact page. This page covers news from the current quarter,
if you would like to read stories from prior periods please go to the News Archive.
Electrification Complete
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20th December, David Ollier |
Tirol’s standard gauge rail network is now completely electrified after ÖBB-Infrastruktur completed erection of overhead line masts and wires on the 14·4 km section of the Ausserfernbahn between Reutte and Schönbichl on the German border.
Isolated from the rest of the Austrian network, the 94 km Ausserfernbahn forms part of a 94 km route which transits Austria to link the German towns of Kempten and Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
The 15 kV 16·7 Hz electrification project completed on December 11th, included the installation of around 300 masts, 15 900 m of overhead line and 1 000 insulators.
ÖBB-Infrastruktur has spent more than €70m on modernisation of the Ausserfernbahn since 2005, including station and signalling enhancements, track renewals and bridge renewals.
In Kärnten (Carinthia) electric multiple units operated passenger services on the 31 km Gailtalbahn route between Arnoldstein and Hermagor from the start of the December 15 timetable change.
Work begain in June 2018 to install the 15 kV 16·7 Hz overhead equipment on the line, as part of a programme which should see all standard gauge lines in Kärnten electrified by 2025.
The project required the installation of 879 electrification masts and the replacement of a 124-year old bridge over the River Gail with a more substantial structure. Car and cycle parking facilities were also provided at the stations, and 21 level crossings were modernised.
The €61m cost was funded by the federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation & Technology, the local land government and ÖBB.
ÖBB.said electrification would reduce CO2 emissions by 1 300 tonnes per year.
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Wiener U1 Closed
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17th December, Vienna.at/John Atkinson |
In the week before Christmas, the Wien underground line U1 was partially closed. After a relatively small fire in the
Karlsplatz station, operations between the main train station and Schwedenplatz ceased.
It is expected that the line will reopen from the 23rd.
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Changes to Catering Arrangements
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16th December, Vienna.at/John Atkinson |
ÖBB is canceling mobile food and beverage services on all trains that have their own dining car.
The change will take effect with the new timetable.
With the timetable change on Sunday 15th, the ÖBB discontinued its snack trolley service on the trains.
Since when there have been no mobile food and beverage services in sets where there is a dining car.
A corresponding report from the "Kurier" (Monday edition) was confirmed by ÖBB spokesman Bernhard Rieder of the APA.
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Wiener S-Bahn Starts Night Operations on Weekends
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13th December, Vienna.at/John Atkinson |
With the Austria-wide ÖBB timetable changeover over the weekend of 14th / 15th December, night operation will
start in Wien. Under the old timetable there had been no operations between 1:00am and 4:00am.
Nocturnal half-hour services commenced from Saturday December 14th.
Services are offered for the Mödling - Meidling - Floridsdorf connection (main route), every half hour,
with night traffic running to Wiener Neustadt once per hour.
Night services are also being provided on the connection to Hütteldorf - Heiligenstadt - Handelskai
(S45 suburban line).
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Austrian Trains at the ‘Ostsee’: ODEG leases Cityjets
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10th December, www.railcolornews.com |
In April 2019, the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern region decided to award a direct contract to ODEG for operating passenger trains on the lines RE9/RE10 (Ostseeküste-Ost concession).
DB Regio filed a complaint but the court decided that the region was in its right to do so. Preparations at ODEG’s are now ongoing.
The concession covers a period of only two years (12.2019 – 12.2021). ODEG will be taking over from DB Regio, using 3-car Siemens Desiro ML EMUs to replace existing 5-car Stadler FLIRT trains.
However, ODEG does have a short term vehicle shortage to fill. This will be met by hiring six Desiro ML EMUs from ÖBB and use them on the routes RE9 Rostock – Sassnitz / Binz and RE10 Rostock – Züssow lines.
An interesting move, but without this short term solution, ODEG would not be able to meet the contract’s obligations.
The rental agreement will last at least until March 2020, so the Desiro ML EMUs will thus spend a “winter vacation” at the Ostsee.
The rental contract must have been lucrative for ÖBB, as this will mean dusting off at least 10 of the older class 4020 EMUs and putting them back into operation in Austria,
to cover additional services in Austria since December.
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Drautal: ÖBB surprised By Extent Of Damage
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4th December, ORF |
Around 3,000 trees fell on the railway line in the Drautal during the massive snowfalls and storms in November.
In addition, the overhead line was destroyed over six kilometers. The extent of the damage came as a surprise to ÖBB.
The heavy thunderstorms that hit East Tyrol at the end of November are still having an effect. The clearing up work on the railway line between Lienz and Sillian will continue for some time, with
around 1,000 cubic meters of damaged wood having to be removed from the railway in the next few weeks.
Work will not start on replacing damaged catenary infrastructure until January 7th, 2020.
Until the trains are back on schedule, substitute buses are being run between Lienz and San Candido in South Tyrol.
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Second Infrastructure Package For Vienna Signed
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3rd December, www.drehscheibe-online.de/John Atkinson |
Expansion of the southern route Meidling - Mödling
The southern line between Meidling and Mödling is to be extended to four tracks and two new stations Brunn Europaring (Brunn am Gebirge) and Tullnertalgasse (Rosenhügel) are to be built.
This will create the infrastructural prerequisites for a strategic offer with twelve S-Bahn trains per hour and direction as well as ten fast local transport connections
between Meidling and Liesing.
Meidling - Floridsdorf
The Wien main line is to be modernised by means of modern train control - ETCS 2 - and longer platforms - 220m. These measures will enable more and longer trains to run on this line.
Instead of the current 700 trains per day, up to 900 trains will be able to travel daily in the future and cope well with future passenger growth.
Modernization of Vienna Hütteldorf railway station & Hütteldorf - Penzing line section
The Wien Hütteldorf railway station is to be modernised and made barrier-free in order to accommodate the interlinking of three S-Bahn lines with long-distance traffic and the underground.
For the section between Wien Hütteldorf and Penzing, a two-track extension and the construction of a station in Wien Baumgarten are planned.
The goal is a quarter-hourly cycle of the S-Bahn on the inner west line and a 7.5-minute cycle on the suburban line S45.
Aspern Nord - construction of a 2nd turning track
Addition of a 2nd turning track will allow in this area a 15-minute cycle on the S80.
Expansion of parking capacity at Floridsdorf
In Wien Floridsdorf, additional "parking spaces" are to be created for around 40 electric trains. This is necessary to meet the requirements of the ambitious transport service contract.
Modernisation of railway stations
Within the next few years, twelve Wiener railway stations are to be improved. These include the stations at Matzleindsdorfer Platz, Handelskai, Liesing and Franz Josefs Bahnhof.
In addition to the above-mentioned programme, two further projects are integrated in the 2nd Rail Infrastructure Package.
In a feasibility analysis, the capacity requirements and the measures on the Laaer branch of the Ostbahn between Simmering and Süßenbrunn will be examined with the aim of expanding
the local transport offer - more precisely, the extension of the S45 between Handelskai and Praterkai.
As part of the double-track expansion between Wien Meidling and the Altmannsdorf branch, the crossing on Pottendorfer Strasse is to be replaced by a passenger walkway.
A further step to improve safety at railway crossings.
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Tauernbahn To Run Again From Saturday
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27th November, ORF |
The Tauern line between Spittal / Millstätter See and Bad Hofgastein, which has been closed since last weeks storms, will be put into operation again on Saturday morning.
Whilst the cleanup is expected to continue until the end of the year. Services will be restricted as single track operation will be in force until the year end, when double track
working will recommence.
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Ströck-Weihnachtsbim Makes Its Rounds on the Ring Again
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27th November, Vienna.at/John Atkinson |
From Saturday, the Ströck Christmas bim will be driving along the Ring again for the good cause on Advent weekends. Here is all information about the timetable.
From Saturday, November 30 to Sunday, December 22, the festively decorated vintage tram will be on the ring every Saturday and Sunday from 1 pm to 6 pm.
It starts at the Karlsplatz (Oldtimer stop at the Otto Wagner Pavilion), stops at Schwedenplatz, Schottentor and Rathausplatz, and returns to Karlsplatz after a three-quarters-hour drive.
"The Ströck Christmas bim is already a fixture in the advent of Vienna, a ride is not only a great experience for young and old, but also supports important projects," said Günter Steinbauer,
CEO of Wiener Linien. The historical set dates from 1929 and was in service until 1978 for Wiener Linien.
A ticket to the Christmas experience costs six euros, children up to the age of 12 travel free if accompanied by an adult.
The ticket can be purchased directly from the Bim and all proceeds go to the Austrian Society for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME / CFS).
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Pottendorfer Line to be Doubled
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23rd November, ORF |
More than 60,000 Lower Austrians commute every day by train to Vienna, the majority from the south of the country. However, the ÖBB is reaching its limits of capacity in the region
especially between Wiener Neustadt and Vienna. For this reason, the single track Pottendorfer line will be doubled by 2023. The first section has already been opened.
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New Lightweight Wagons for Voestalpine
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21st November, ORF |
After a three-quarter year trial operation, the first set of newly developed lightweight waggons was handed over by ÖBB to Voestalpine on Thursday.
Around 100 train journeys per year can be saved thanks to the lightweight design.
The lightweight construction waggons, developed jointly by ÖBB Rail Cargo and the Steel Division of Voestalpine, weigh around 20 percent less than comparable wagons.
This means that around four tons more material can be loaded per wagon. This is made possible by a special substructure of the wagons,
which is equipped with less but ultra-high-strength steel.
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Achenseebahn Gets a New Board
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21st November, Tiroler Tageszeitung/John Atkinson |
The financial situation of the Achenseebahn is not rosy, but since the Supervisory Board meeting held at the end of last week, there are bright spots.
"In the country, we are working intensively on refurbishing the flat stretch between Eben and Seespitz railway stations," revealed the Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Christian Kittl.
"In my opinion, the meeting was very creative," he told the Tiroler Tageszeitung newspaper.
A resolution in the long-standing legal dispute with the former board member Bernhard Marchi is also sought, emphasizes Kittl. For him it is clear that it is the will of the new majority
shareholder - the municipalities Jenbach, Eben and Achenkirch - to continue with traditional railway operations, i.e. steam.
There will also be a change in the boards compostion. Georg Fuchshuber has been with the Achenseebahn since 2013. His contract expires at the end of the year.
"I do not want to comment on matters," says Fuchshuber, adding that he has been on sick leave since mid-October.
Under his wathc, the Achensee had racked up a loss of 330,000 euros and a debt of more than one million euros.
There are currently two interested parties seeking to replace Fuchshuber, confirms Kittl.
According to Kittl, the current manager Heino Seeger, who also works for the Tegernsee-Bahn,
and his deputy Gunter Mackinger from Salzburg should remain with teh Achenseebahn.
It is unclear what will happen to the Appenzeller sets, which have sat in a siding for quite some time as they require OHLE to operate.
"We will try to exploit these," says Christian Kittl, who will remain Chairman of the Supervisory Board until August 2020.
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NÖVOG Carries Record Number of Passengers
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20th November, ORF |
NÖVOG (Niederösterreichische Verkehrsorganisations ges.mbH) expects about 1.2 million passengers by the end of the year. That's five percent more than last year.
This has been he best year since NÖVOG's foundation.
Most passengers were recorded on the following NÖVOG lines with expected figures as noted:
Wachaubahn: 38,000 passengers (plus 24.6 percent)
Mariazellerbahn: 579,000 passengers (plus 7.2 percent)
Gemeindealpe: 58,500 passengers (plus 8.3 percent)
In 2020, NÖVOG wants to build on this year's success. For this purpose, a budget of about 12 million euros is planned. Investments will be made in about ten railway safety installations
as well as in a further expansion in capacity. Next year will see a longer summer season.
In addition, the NÖVOG takes over the operation of the Citybahn Waidhofen from ÖBB. From the new timetable a half-hourly service should be introduced.
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New Station for Burgenland
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19th November, ORF |
The state of Burgenland is investigating the possibility of building a new central station in the north of the country, possibly in the area of Großhöflein near the state capital Eisenstadt.
The aim is to improve the commuter experience by train with non-stop services to Wien and back, allowing for faster journeys.
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Power Plant Spullersee to be Renovated for 31 Million Euros
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18th November, ORF |
The ÖBB Spullersee power plant is to be upgraded with state-of-the-art technology over the next few years. In January 2020, the Spullersee is to be emptied.
The 100-year-old power plant supplies around 12 percent of the ÖBB's control power requirements.
The Spullersee power plant was built in the years 1919 to 1925 by ÖBB as a traction power plant. After almost 100 years of power generation, major parts of the plant have reached the end of
their technical and economic life. In order to ensure the efficient use and production of traction current in the future, ÖBB will bring the Spullersee power plant up to date.
Numerous preparatory measures are necessary for the general renovation. Among other things, a new access tunnel will be built, in addition, the supports for a material ropeway,
which is needed for the construction, will be set-up and protective housing for the Arlbergbahnstrecke.
In addition to further small-scale remediation measures, emptying of the lake will commence in January 2020.
In the western region (Tyrol and Vorarlberg), the ÖBB operates not only Braz and Spullersee but also the power plant on the Ruetz in Fulpmes.
These three power plants produce around 220,000 megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity per year. The consumption of ÖBB in both federal states is around 275,000 MWh,
which corresponds to the annual consumption of around 55,000 households.
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Numerous Routes Blocked
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18th November, ORF |
Due to the storm, numerous train lines in the west and south of Austria were interrupted on Monday.
In the area Upper Drautal, Brixental / Salzachtal, Tauern and Salzkammergutbahn there were also roadblocks, as a consequence rail replacement services were not possible.
Due to bad weather, long-distance trains on the Tauern line between Schwarzach-St. Veit and Spittal-Millstätter See were not possible. Between Bischofshofen and Spittal-Millstätter See
a rail replacement bus service was established for long-distance trains with buses on the Tauern motorway (A10).
On the route Spittal - Mallnitz due to the severe weather damage no remote, local or rail replacement traffic was possible.
The Tauern line between Spittal - Millstättersee and Bischofshofen will remain closed until Saturday, November 23rd.
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Murtalbahn Route Damaged and Closed by Avalanche
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17th November, Stephen Ford/Krone Zeitung |
Ten minutes after the passage of a train on the evening of Sunday 17th November 2019, more than 1,000 tonnes of trees, rock and mud poured down the mountainside near Hst Stadl Predlitz,
hurling more than 400m of track from the embankment down into the valley and turning it over in the process.
The track, still mostly intact but now upside down and no longer anywhere near the trackbed, had been dislodged for around 400 metres west of the halt. Fortunately, no one was hurt.
Elsewhere in the Mur Valley, around 50 people were evacuated from their homes on Sunday night, whilst others travelling on the B95, the B97 between Einach and Predlitz and the L511 were all
trapped when the roads were closed by floodwater or mud slides. Some of the travellers were put up for the night in the Seniorenheim des Arbeiter-Samariterbundes in Stadl an der Mur.
The roads will remain closed until at least Wednesday, said State Governor Hermann Schützenhöfer, who arrived at the scene within hours of being advised.
Murtalbahn have not given any indication of any date for resumption of the service and the StLB website does not show any problem currently – although no services are running at all and rail
replacement road services can only run between Unzmarkt and Einach since roads to the west beyond Einach are closed.
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ÖBB Platforms Will Be Smoke-Free
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17th November, ORF |
ÖBB announce a complete smoking ban at all stations in the coming year. So far, smoking was allowed in designated areas, the "smoking islands", on the platforms.
In Wien, the smoking ban is already valid at all stations.
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ÖBB Cityjet Testing Completed
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17th November, ORF |
ÖBB have completed testing the new CityJet on the Almtalbahn route.
Thee drive uses power from either a battery or from the overhead line, allowing the train to operate away from OHLE.
As soon as the train is connected to the overhead line, the batteries recharge. The special batteries that can withstand very high charging current and only take 20 minutes to recharge.
The ultimate goal is to reduce the charging time to 15 minutes. The batteries are located on the trains roof.
For a whole month, the environmentally friendly prototype was tested in Upper Austria on diesel only lines, the Almtal, Donauufer and Hausruckbahn.
The units should soon go into series production.
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NEOS Demand Expansion of Core Wien Zone
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13th November, Vienna.at/John Atkinson |
The NEOS (Political Party) Lower Austria demand a "core zone NÖplus" essentially the extension of the core zone of Wien to the Lower Austrian hinterland.
This should create an incentive for commuters to switch to public transport.
The expansion would reach the first outer zone of the East-Region transport network, there is also a call for a ticket price of one euro per day for this area.
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Wien S-Bahn Changes
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13th November, Vienna.at/John Atkinson |
From mid-December, the S-Bahn will run from Friday to Saturday and from Saturday to Sunday on the main line (Mödling-Meidling-Floridsdorf) and on the S45 suburban line
(Hütteldorf-Heiligenstadt-Handelskai). Service intervals will be every 30 minutes, informed Finance City Councillor Peter Hanke (SPÖ) on Wednesday.
Changes come into force with the ÖBB timetable change on 15th December. In addition to the weekends, services will be provided on the nights before public holidays and at the weekend.
Previously there was a night train service on the weekends from 2006 to 2010. This ceased with the commencement of the night service on the U-Bahn.
Apart from the return of night services, there are a number of other innovations and interval compressions in Wien's S-Bahn traffic.
On the S80 between Hütteldorf and Aspern, for example, there will be a daily half-hourly service. The S50 will run more often at peak times in the morning and in the evening,
while the S45 will run every ten minutes until 9 p.m.. For holidaymakers and employees who have to be at Schwechat Airport early in the morning, an S7 connection will be introduced from 4.06 a.m.
onwards from Floridsdorf.
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Inauguration Of Brenner Base Tunnel Due 2028
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13th November, ORF |
The Brenner Base Tunnel (BBT) will be inaugurated in 2028, confirmed Maurizio Gentile of the Italian railway company. Delays in drilling on the Austrian side prevent earlier commissioning.
"Due to problems on the Austrian side, the BBT inauguration, originally planned for 2027, will not happen until 2028," says Gentile. The Brenner Base Tunnel will be the world's longest underground
rail link at 64 kilometers. A distance of 32 kilometers has already been bored, reports the Brenner Base Tunnel Company (BBT SE).
After its inauguration, the number of goods trains running daily on the Brenner will increase from 66 to 225, 30 percent of all goods that Italy imports or exports cross the Alps.
Therefore, the Brenner Base Tunnel is of crucial economic importance.
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Accident Causes Traffic Problems In The Innviertel
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12th November, ORF |
The railway line between Ried and St. Martin im Innkreis was closed after an accident on Tuesday. A car crashed into a regional train. The 21-year-old driver was lucky to escape without serious injury.
The accident happened at 5.15 clock at an unmarked railroad crossing with St. Andrew's Cross in the district of Haging in Aurolzmünster (Ried im Innkreis district).
The 21-year-old car driver overlooked the approaching regional train. The car slid into the adjacent meadow as a result of the collision.
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Bahnhof Hall Is Barrier Free
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11th November, ORF |
The modernization of the railway station in Hall, Tirol, is completed. With new elevators and an underpass, the station is now fully accessible.
ÖBB, the state and the municipality have invested eleven million euros in the renovation.
The renovation of the railway station began in the summer of 2018. For the construction of the new underpass, a 500-tonne structural section was inserted under the existing rails, with access to the tracks being supplemented with lifts.
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Wien Meidling Bridge
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11th November, ORF |
A 2,400-ton bridge was pushed over the Meidling cut in a single night.
After the smooth shift of the bridge over Breitenfurter Strasse the night before, the steel structure was moved over the seven tracks of the southern railway during the night from 9th to 10th
November. The bridge work is part of an ÖBB project in which the bridges of the Donauländebahn, which have reached the end of their service life, will be replaced by new supporting structures
over the Meidlinger cut.
Coming from the direction of Graz, the last section of the line before the Wien Meidling railway station runs through a cutting. In this so-called Meidling cutting, the southern section -
one of the most important connections in the entire ÖBB network - runs from Wien towards Graz/Klagenfurt. The Donauländebahn, an important freight connection in Wien, crosses the southern
section at the Meidlinger Einschnitt before continuing to Inzersdorf.
A special challenge for this project was to build a new steel arch bridge over the southern section without affecting the operation on one of the busiest sections of the entire ÖBB network
as little as possible. For this reason, the entire steel arch bridge with a span of 58.60 m has been erected since May 2019 on a pre-assembly site next to the Donauländebahn,
it was then pushed over Breitenfurter Strasse. The new bridge will remain in this position until it is moved across to its final position in April after the existing bridges have been demolished.
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ÖBB Invest 40 million In Winter Service
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9th November, ORF |
Every year, ÖBB invests around 40 million euros in winter clearance services. This is particularly challenging in Tirol and Vorarlberg. In these Länder 300 employees are ready to serve 1,100
kilometers of tracks and 128 stations and stops. A particular challenge this year was the damage to the protective structures that were created by the previous and very snowy winter.
Normally, about three million euros have to be spent on repairs, compared to four million this year. In total, more than 55 kilometers of avalanche and rockfall protection were checked in Tirol
and Vorarlberg. Snow removal equipment and 1380 point heaters were also checked and made fit. [I wonder if they could check the points at Thirsk station! Ed]
These heaters are usually automatically activated when snow and ice threaten to paralyze the switches. In adverse weather conditions, a dispatcher can additionally heat the turnouts by means
of the "snow snow key", so that they remain free of snow and ice.
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Broad Gauge In Austria
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7th November, ORF |
Previously we have reported on the plans to bring a broad guage line into Austria to facilitate freight movements from Russia, however, resistance has been put up against a number of the suggested
alternative schemes. The project of a broad gauge railway east of Vienna to the border near Kittsee has encountered resistance in the districts of Neusiedl am See and Bruck an der Leitha
(Lower Austria). Minister of Transport Heinrich Dorner (SPÖ) has confirmed the rejection on the part of the Province of Burgenland.
There is "a clear no to this project and a freight terminal on Burgenland soil," said Dorner in a release.
The Province of Burgenland has been behind the people and the communities right from the beginning, Dorner said, who attended a briefing for local leaders and community leaders on Wednesday evening, (6th November).
Implementation of the project would be an enormous burden for the population. Therefore, they will take all legally possible steps to halt the project.
Whilst the Federal Government could intervene against the will of Burgenland and force the plans through, there would be a problem with locating a logistics terminus as authority
on where this would be located rests with the provincial government.
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Railway Bridge Inaugurated
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1st November, ORF |
On All Saints' Day, ÖBB employees and bridge specialists replaced another railway bridge on the Lueg Pass, after 100 years on duty.
The special crane used for this purpose is around 50 meters high and weighs 670 tons. The crane was delivered and set up at the end of October with 50 semi-trailers.
On Friday the new bridge was lifted into place.
Trains will be using the new bridge from the end of November. Together with the avalanche gallery that was built, the bridges cost 11.5 million euros.
The construction work on the Lueg Pass took almost two years.
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Koralmbahn Section Finished
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30th October, ORF |
Major works on a section of the future Koralmbahn between Althofen an der Drau and Mittlern have been completed. The tracks and equipment in the tunnels though are still missing.
The tunnel alone costs more than five billion euros, the total costs of the line are yet be estimated.
The section of the new line between Althofen an der Drau and Mittler in Unterkärnten is 20 kilometers long. The entire substructure is now finished and now has to be equipped in
accordance with safety standards, says Klaus Berger, one of the project managers.
It will take another three or four years before trains are running in December 2023.
The next steps are the application of the ballast and the laying of the tracks. In some cases, the very soft ground had to be "treated" and fastened with thousands of concrete bored piles.
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Last Remaining Class 214 Transported To Vienna technical Museum
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30th October, ORF |
The last remaining class 214 or 12 locomotive has been transported to the Vienna Technical Museum. The axles were separated from the locomotive for transport,
otherwise there would have been problems with the headroom and also with the weight. The locomotive holds the speed record for Austrian steam locomotives.
During a test drive she was able to reach 154 km / h. with the stokers shovelling around 40 kilograms of coal per minute.
It will take a few more weeks before the heaviest and fastest steam locomotive of its time can present itself in its full splendor at the Technical Museum.
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Womens Employment With The ÖBB
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28th October, Vienna.at/John Atkinson |
On Monday, the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) organized a symposium in Vienna together with the Transport Union vida on employment of women.
With a 12.8 percent share of women in the workforce, ÖBB is at the bottom of European railways league for employing women, with the proportion of female ÖBB executives only slightly higher.
ÖBB is introducing quotas in an attempt to rebalance the genders. Occupations that were previously associated with heavy physical outside activities were historically purely taken by men,
however, many roles such as dispatchers have changed massively; for example dispatchers sit at headquarters and work on computers.
Women's Minister, Ines Stilling, has called for a binding quota for the promotion of women and also fair wages, currently there is a 20% pay gap between men and women.
The aim now is to improve the general conditions for employees, for example in shift work and in company service - that helps everyone, not just women.
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New Frachtbahn Traktion GmbH To Enter Freight Market
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24th October, Vienna.at/John Atkinson |
A new freight company Frachtbahn Traktion is currently being formed by investor Erhard Grossnigg and Hans Peter Haselsteiner with the intention of entering the freight market sometime in 2020.
Reinhard Bamberger, the MD designate, is a former ÖBB man of many years. Full operation is planned for 2021. Initially the business will concentrate on providing tracktion for its customers.
The founders aim to move more goods from road to rail and modernise and digitise the entire process
with a move away from central mega-hubs towards decentralised terminals in order to optimise the interface between road and rail. The business will start with two or three leased locomotives.
Focus will be on central Europe, Austria and surrounding states.
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Construction Work Delays
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24th October, Salzburg24.at/John Atkinson |
Construction work on the line between Freilassing and Frankenmarkt is causing delays in rail traffic. From Saturday, 26 October, ÖBB will be renewing points, ballast beds,
drainage systems and overhead lines on weekends. There will also be delays on the Allerheiligen weekend and from 9th to 10th November.
From Frankenmarkt towards Freilassing, S2 trains will have later departure times. Points and ballast beds as well as drainage and overhead line systems are being renewed at Ederbauer station.
At times only one of the two tracks is available in the construction site area.
The timetable of S2 services will be adjusted on 26th, 27th and 28th October, 1st, 2nd and 3rd November and 9th and 10th November, between Freilassing and Frankenmarkt a few minutes earlier
and in the opposite direction a few minutes later.
Railjet Xpress trains leave Salzburg Central Station on these days 18 minutes later in the direction of Wien. Coming from Wien there are no restrictions for the long-distance trains.
On 28th October, 2nd and 9th November there will be a rail replacement service for regional trains with the terminal station at Straßwalchen between Steindorf near Straßwalchen and Straßwalchen.
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ÖBB Presents New Timetable
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23rd October, ORF |
On 15th December, the new ÖBB timetable will come into force. It brings a strong expansion of local and regional transport: four million additional train kilometers are planned.
There are also new long-distance and nightjet connections. The train tickets are on average 1.9 percent more expensive, it said on Wednesday at a press conference in Vienna.
"A new passenger record is expected for 2019," announced ÖBB CEO Andreas Matthä. For new trains, conversions and a service initiative, the railway has "an investment volume of 2.8 billion euros
at the start," announced the railway chief, who sees ÖBB as the "largest climate protection company in Austria".
The planned additional four million train-kilometers would be "the largest expansion in recent years, if not decades," said Matthä.
In the eastern region, there should be an increase of ten percent, with improved intervals and longer operating times.
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"Jungle Express" Stops Passenger Service
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23rd October, Krone.at/John Atkinson |
The regional train at Bad Gleichenberg station(Photo: Jakob Traby)
It is affectionately called the "jungle express", the train that runs between Bad Gleichenberg and Feldbach. In one year, however, the passenger service on the route will end.
The future lies in tourism.
For nostalgic and romantic railway fans, a train ride on the Gleichenberger Bahn is highly recommended. It's a leisurely ride between gentle hills and pumpkin and maize fields.
The railway owes its name "Jungle Express" to the many sections of line through the middle of the south-eastern Styrian forests. But this is also an Achilles heel, many stations, for example
in Gnas, are located far away from the larger settlement areas. In the Regional Mobility Plan, which was passed a few days ago in the Landtag, it is stated:
"Attractiveness would cost a lot of money (e.g. safety at crossroads) and would not have a great effect".
However, the railway is not to be completely discontinued. Potential is seen in tourism, not least because of the historic wagons. Packages for holidaymakers and excursionists
(e.g. in combination with culinary delights and theatre) are to be developed. "Even now, the busiest days for passengers are the weekends in summer," says Gerhard Harer,
Managing Director of Steiermärkische Landesbahnen.
When passenger transport ends at the end of 2020, bus transport in the region for schoolchildren and commuters is to be greatly expanded.
The buses could also be used to get closer to the larger settlements.
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Badnerbahn Works
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21st October, ORF |
The tracks of the Badner Bahn are to be modernized, the section between the stations of Traiskirchen Lokalbahn and Tribuswinkel Josefsthal (both district Baden) is affected.
The preparatory work is due to start at the end of October.
From November 25th, the Badner Bahn will terminated at Traiskirchen for one week due to construction work. Between Traiskirchen and Baden Josefsplatz, train drivers have to change to buses
in both directions until December 1st. Buses will leave at quarter-hourly intervals. With the exception of the Melkergründe (Baden) stop, buses will stop at the Badner Bahn stations.
Tracks, sleepers and gravel are being renewed in the Traiskirchen Lokalbahn and Tribuswinkel Josefsthal area. Since the track is completely closed, the main work should be done within a week.
Work is also to take place during the night.
From 2nd December, the track will be back in operation. Remaining work will continue until Christmas,but this should not affect railway operations.
The Badner Bahn recorded 12.7 million passengers in 2018 on the route from Vienna to Baden. Compared to 2010, the number of passengers on the Badner Bahn has increased by two million.
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ÖBB Plan GPS Ticketing
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18th October, ORF |
Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) are planning the introduction of GPS ticketing with the Swiss provider Fairtiq.
The Smart-Ticketing programme is intended to simplify ticket purchases via smartphone. The pilot project is scheduled to start at the beginning of 2020.
With GPS ticketing, customers must first download the app onto their smartphone and register their payment data. Then a brief swipe on the mobile phone is all that's needed to get on and off
a train, whilst the app registers and charges for the journey.
According to ÖBB, the advantage for the customers is that they do not have to consider what tariff to select, because the system selects the cheapest.
The customer's journey is recorded by Fairtiq using GPS tracking.
Fairtiq founder Gian-Mattia Schucan told the "Salzburger Nachrichten" that customers' movements are only tracked between boarding and alighting.
The app reminds those who forget to swipe when getting off the train. According to Schucan, Fairtiq handles the data sensitively and in compliance with the German Data Protection Ordinance (DSGVO),
collecting only as much as necessary. GPS ticketing has been available on public transport in Vorarlberg for a year, and in Linz since August. Fairtiq is also used in Switzerland.
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Marshalling Yard Accident
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16th October, ORF |
Two track maintenance machines collided at the marshalling yard in Fürnitz resulting in three workers being slightly injured.
The accident happened at 12.35 p.m. in the area of the ÖBB terminal Villach-Süd at a switch. For unknown reasons, two track-laying machines were driven side-by-side.
In the process, a gravity rail vehicle grazed a universal ballast levelling machine on the side, causing the work trains to derail.
Three people were injured, with one man having to be taken to LKH Villach. Work is currently being carried out on the track system at the Fürnitz large shunting yard.
Serious damage was caused to the two track construction vehicles and the tracks.
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Wien U-Bahn Security
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14th October, ORF/John Atkinson |
The Wiener Linien security service is being expanded and the scope of its officers authority widened . The police have confirmed that U-Bahn security services are
now allowed to arrest people.
The security staff of Wiener Linien have special rights in relation to determining the identity of passengersand powers of arrest. "If, for example, someone throws objects
onto the track, or a passenger behaves aggressively and does not stop when he is warned, the security staff can in the final analysis arrest him.
This is regulated in the Railway Act", Christoph Heshmatpour of Wiener Linien told "Wien heute". This is regulated in Section 30, Paragraph Three of the Railway Act.
Wiener Linien has increased its security service from 90 to 120 employees.
Reasons for an arrest can also be if escape routes are blocked, someone permanently crosses the yellow safety line or deliberately uses the emergency stop improperly.
"If the security forces make an arrest in certain cases according to the railway law, they have to inform and call in the police, who then carry out this arrest in a broader sense",
said Irina Steirer of the Vienna Police.
The Wiener Linien security service is equipped with pepper foam sprays, bodycams and stab-proof vests.
Wiener Linien is also investing 800,000 euros in video surveillance this year. Wiener Linien now has more than 13,000 cameras in use in its vehicles and buildings.
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Murtalbahn Modernisation
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12th October, ORF |
The Murtalbahn celebrated its 125th birthday on Saturday. From the very beginning it has been an important cornerstone for mobility in the upper Murtal, and will continue to be so in the future,
possibly with an environmentally friendly hydrogen drive.
After a construction period of only one year, the railway line between the Styrian Unzmarkt and Mauterndorf in Salzburg was completed on 7 October 1894.
Today, Austria's second longest narrow-gauge railway still runs for 66 kilometres to Tamsweg.
How many people have been transported in the 125 years is not known, says Gerhard Harrer, Managing Director of the Steiermarkbahn, who is also responsible for the Murtalbahn,
"we know, however, that we now have around 1,000 passengers per day, which is of course a very good number for this regional railway. We are also pleased that this number is stable and
even slightly increasing".
Four steam locomotives, five diesel railcars and three diesel locomotives are currently pulling the trains through the upper Murtal valley,no longer quite up to date, and so the Murau region
reached an agreement with the province of Styria to develop the Murtalbahn with new, modern drive systems.
According to Harrer, however, a decision has not yet been made: "We are comparing all possible propulsion systems, which of course also means battery storage or purely electric propulsion.
Of course, there are always interactions, and we will then select the best solution for our concept."
A decision is to be made this autumn. A modernisation package will then be put together around the new drive, with new vehicles, improved links and shorter travel times.
But it will take a few more years before it is implemented: "I think that many things will change in Styria when the southern line is commissioned,
and that should also be our goal to have the new system implemented by then," says Harrer, which means that the new Murtalbahn will not start running until after its 130th birthday.
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Westbahn ruling
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11th October, David Ollier |
On October 3, the Federal Administrative Court in Wien ruled on Westbahn’s appeal and annulled the direct award to ÖBB to run passenger services in the Länder of Wien,
Burgenland and Niederösterreich for a 15-year year period from December 2019.
Open access operator Westbahn petitioned the court stating that the proposal was not permitted under EU rules, as a 10-year contract with a
five-year extension exceeded the 10-year contract term limit for directly awarded contracts set out under the EU’s Fourth Railway Package.
ÖBB being given the rights to operate local and regional passenger trains over 15·8 million train-km in Eastern Austria.
The Federal Ministry of Transport, Innovation & Technology announced that the court had confirmed the validity of its tenders,
but would now revise the contracts as 10-year agreements with no scope for further extension.
Westbahn welcomed the ruling but however are not happy with the Ministry plans,
and argues that the entire procurement process will have to be rerun, not least because the verdict will have implications for the terms of rolling stock procurement.
Westbahn said. ‘On the basis of the preliminary information set out in December 2018, no 10-year contract can be concluded with ÖBB-Personenverkehr’,
Instead, the operator is urging the ministry to issue a series of shorter direct awards of no more than three years, before launching fully competitive tenders for
smaller lots covering the various regions.
Westbahn also believes that the court decision has implications for the interim government’s proposed €11bn transport investment program,
which was approved in parliament on September 19. The parliament had approved a budget to extend all of ÖBB’s Public Service Obligation (PSO)
contracts expiring in December via a series of 15-year direct awards
Wien Hauptbahnhof Celebrates 5th Birthday
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11th October, Vienna.at/John Atkinson |
Wien Hauptbahnhof was officially opened 10 October 2014. To help celebrate the fifth anniversary from 7th to 11th October, celebratory activites took place at the station.
140,000 travellers use the station on the Gürtel on a daily basis and around 1,170 trains stop at or depart from one of the twelve platforms.
For exactly five years now, the main railway station and one of the largest urban development areas in Europe have been located on the former site of Vienna's Südbahnhof.
Unusually, the transit station opened exactly five years ago without delay and without cost overruns, and all trains were running on time for yesterday's birthday.
Schüttdorf Bypass To Be Implemented And Other Improvements
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9th October, Salzburg24.at/John Atkinson |
Pinzgau public transport facilities are to be improved and the Schüttdorf relief road implemented.
The timetable of the Pinzgauer Lokalbahn has been changed from hourly to half-hourly and the bus connections of lines 640, 650, 670 and 260 (Zell am See - Salzburg) have been compressed.
The new guest card for public transport has already been well received and a new regional ticket will follow from 1 January 2020.
In order to permanently improve the traffic situation, further measures will be implemented in the near future. The most important of these are:
- Construction of the S-Bahn station Schüttdorf;
- Decarbonization of the Pinzgau Railway with possibility of extension;
- Establishment and enhancement of Park & Ride facilities to support the switch to public transport, e.g. provision of e-charging stations;
- Further compression of bus timetables.
- Extension of cycle paths and routes.
The Zell am See/Schüttdorf relief road is a necessary measure to relieve the strain on the entire region and reduce congestion.
"The relief road is of great importance for the entire region. We are working hard to obtain all the permits so that we can begin construction as soon as possible.
The assessment period for the Train Path Ordinance ends on 14 October and the approval procedures are in full swing. The excavators will start rolling in spring 2020,"
says Provincial Councillor Schnöll, setting the timetable. The project should be completed by 2022.
Additinoally over the summer months, more than 400,000 holiday cards are distributed to tourists. This means that holidaymakers can use the Pinzgauer Öffis free of charge
resulting in CO2 savings of 1,600 tons per season.
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150 Years ÖBB Knittelfeld Workshop
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5th October, ORF/John Atkinson |
The ÖBB Knittelfeld workshop celebrates its 150th anniversary on Saturday 5th October. ÖBB intends to invest around ten million euros over the next few years.
What began as a workshop for the former Kronprinz-Rudolf-Bahn is now an integral part of Knittelfeld's cityscape and in the last 150 years the ÖBB workshop has developed into a state-of-the-art
location and an important economic factor in the region.
ÖBB Knittelfeld is not only an internationally recognized top address for the maintenance of wheelsets for rail vehicles, but also an important employer with 540 employees,
says Technical Service Managing Director Sandra Gott-Karlbauer: "The fact that customers from 15 European countries entrust their vehicles to our specialists underlines the importance of
the workshop. For us, the Knittelfeld location is an important pillar for providing our partners with perfectly maintained trains at all times and thus making an important contribution
to attractive rail transport and environmentally friendly mobility".
At the Knittelfeld site, more than 25,000 wheelsets and 3,000 tons of steel construction components are currently produced each year; in addition, more than 1,000 overhauls and checks
are carried out on special vehicles and freight wagons.
To ensure that this remains the case in the future, ÖBB is investing heavily in the Knittelfeld location - in the next few years more than ten million euros will be invested
in state-of-the-art technologies and further automation of the plants. The training workshop is currently being rebuilt, in future, it will secure 200 training places at Knittelfeld.
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ÖBB Night Trains And Other Plans
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5th October, ORF/John Atkinson |
Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) are planning to set up night trains from Vienna to Brussels and Amsterdam. In addition, Trieste is to be reached by Railjet, ÖBB boss Andreas Matthä told
the "Wiener Zeitung". The night train from Vienna to Brussels is scheduled to leave in a few months, starting in January of next year. One year later a direct night connection to Amsterdam
will follow. The connection to the Italian port of Trieste by Railjet could come at the earliest the year after next as all train paths have already been allocated for next year.
ÖBB is also pursuing the project of a train connection to China. This involves a connection to the new Silk Road. According to Matthä, both Vienna and Budapest are interesting end points here,
as ÖBB also operates Hungarian freight traffic.
Matthä also gave the newspaper insights into the personnel and technical future of the company. Matthä is seeking an initiative to mitigate the shortage of skilled workers.
ÖBB needs around 10,000 new employees in the next few years, including some in new professions such as experts in data processing and electronics. However, the Austrian labour market
is currently overburdened.
When it comes to climate protection, ÖBB is working to be CO2-neutral by 2030. This means, for example, that diesel engines in buses and locomotives should be replaced by alternative drives by then.
The entire ÖBB company, including buildings, is to become climate-neutral by 2050.
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Mariazellerbahn Closure
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4th October, Vienna.at/John Atkinson |
In November the Mariazellerbahn line is to be partially closed. A bus rail replacement service is to be set up.
As part of the modernisation of the Mariazellerbahn, in autumn work is being carried out on the overhead line and superstructure.
The Kirchberg a. d. Pielach - Laubenbachmühle section will be closed from 4th to 15th November.
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Four Injured In Train Crash
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30th September, Salzburg24.at/John Atkinson |
A train collision in Wien-Floridsdorf had a major impact on public transport in the federal capital. According to ÖBB information, four people were slightly injured.
The route between the stations Floridsdorf and Siemensstraße was impacted. Between Floridsdorf station and Siemensstraße station, an unoccupied double-decker set hit a S-Bahn set
on the side in the Angerer Straße area during displacement work. According to ÖBB spokesman Thomas Pascher, there is no reliable information as to the cause of the accident.
Both trains were partially derailed.
Two female passengers suffered bruises and one teenager complained of abdominal pain, announced rescue spokeswoman Corina Had.
Around 60 people were rescued by the emergency services from the S-Bahn set, reported Gerald Schimpf, spokesman for the Wiener fire brigade.
The fire brigade ended its mission after 6.30 p.m., ÖBB tried to get the damaged trains off the tracks as quickly as possible.
As a result of the accident, regional trains to Hohenau and Laa an der Thaya were diverted via Stadlau. Passengers with other destinations to the north were asked to change to
the underground line U1 at Praterstern and travel to Leopoldau. There they could change to the ÖBB trains again. Pascher stressed that the Vienna Lines accept train tickets.
Train traffic between Siemensstraße and Wien-Floridsdorf was interrupted and the overhead lines had to be earthed.
The clean-up work was due to continue until Tuesday evening.
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Train On Fire After Collision With Truck
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30th September, ORF |
A train and a truck collided on Monday midday on the railway line Gänserndorf-Marchegg near Weikendorf (district Gänserndorf). The diesel set derailed after the collision and began to burn.
Six people were injured in the accident. According to ÖBB spokesman Christopher Seif, the exact cause of the accident was still unclear on Monday afternoon.
According to the police, the collision occurred around 12.30 p.m. on a railway crossing secured with a St. Andrew's cross, when the truck of a 45-year-old Hungarian collided with the diesel set.
The train then derailed. The driver's cab of the articulated lorry came loose during the collision, was thrown from the lorry and remained lying in the adjacent meadow a few metres after the level
crossing. The semi-trailer truck was dragged about 50 metres before the train came to a standstill. Both vehicles were set on fire.
The four train passengers as well as the locomotive driver and the truck driver had to be taken to hospital. According to the police, all those involved suffered only minor injuries.
A total of nine fire brigades were on duty, and the work lasted several hours. After the extinguishing work had been completed and the diesel fuel had been pumped out,
the railcar, which had been severely damaged by the fire, was transported away. According to information from the district fire brigade command Gänserndorf,
a special crane had to be requested to lift the derailed train back onto the rails. The railway line Gänserndorf-Marchegg has been interrupted since Monday midday.
Since the track was also damaged in the accident, the line is expected to be operated as a replacement rail service until Tuesday.
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S-Bahn From Romanshorn To Go to Lindau Via Bregenz
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28th September, Schwaebische.de/John Atkinson |
The Supervisory Board of Bayerische Eisenbahngesellschaft (BEG) approved the extension of the Romanshorn-Rorschach railway line via Bregenz to Lindau at its Supervisory Board meeting on Thursday.
Talks between the Free State of Bavaria and the State of Vorarlberg will take place in Bregenz on Sunday, 6 October.
The railway company will take over the additional service over a distance of almost seven kilometres from the Austrian border to Lindau's main railway station on the island.
Both Mayor Gerhard Ecker and former member of the state parliament Eberhard Rotter, both of whom are on the BEG supervisory board, are pleased that the measure is to be implemented with a
maximum of eleven train pairs per day from the timetable change in December 2021. The city is also working on increasing the number of additional long-distance connections from Munich via
Lindau to Zurich to seven or eight train pairs per day.
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ÖBB Battery Train Tests Extended
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28th September, ORF |
During September, a new battery-operated variant of the CityJet (produced by Siemens) was tested in Lower Austria.
Now the test operation is to be extended.
The almost noiseless and emission-free set was tested for four weeks on the routes of the Kamptalbahn between St. Pölten and Horn, the Traisenbahn between St. Pölten and Hainfeld,
the Kremserbahn between St. Pölten and Krems and the Erlauftalbahn between Pöchlarn (Melk district) and Scheibbs.
Where previously only diesel trains could run, the new eco variant of the Cityjet trains will be used in the future. The electro-hybrid battery drive recharges itself on sections with power
supply and then manages on non-electrified sections without external power supply with the help of the energy stored in the batteries.
The first summary of ÖBB is positive, "the expectations were even exceeded", says ÖBB CEO Andreas Matthä. The test drives in passenger transport had shown that both the batteries
were strong enough and the timetables in passenger transport could be adhered to.
After its premiere in Lower Austria, the test operation of the Cityjet eco is to be extended for one month from mid-October to include railway sections in Upper Austria.
The prototype of the electro-hybrid Cityjet is to be used on weekdays on the Danube bank railway, the Almtal railway and the Salzkammergut railway.
ÖBB hopes that the test runs will provide insights for a series solution of the Cityjet eco on several non-electrified routes.
At the end of the test phase, the new trains will be running on the numerous non-electrified railway lines throughout Austria.
According to ÖBB, about 1,300 kilometres, or almost a quarter of the entire railway network, is not electrified. The Cityjet eco would help to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions
in Austrian rail traffic in the event of series production.
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ÖBB Innovations
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26th September, Vienna.at/John Atkinson |
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ÖBB to introduce battery-powered trains, a Postbus shuttle and a new ticketing system.
The Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) have spent recent weeks testing battery-powered trains as well as a "Digi-Bus" on the roads.
At the same time a Smart-Ticketing system, currently in the concept phase, is being developed to simplify the purchase of tickets via smartphone.
A model that is already being used in the Vorarlberg transport network is being tested for nationwide use.
ÖBB is moving from its previous role as a railway and transport company to that of a comprehensive mobility service provider, said Michaela Huber, ÖBB's head of passenger transport,
at the Vienna Stock Exchange Festival on Thursday. ÖBB is no longer just offering station to station solutions but is interested in the entire supply chain from front door to front door.
In rural areas, ÖBB is testing, among other things, a Postbus shuttle that can be called up as a supplement to the regular bus services in order to get to the station faster which will be
bookable at short notice via app or telephone.
The company is testing alternatives for the use of battery-powered and hydrogen-powered buses. The Cityjet Eco, a train powered by rechargeable batteries, which has now covered its first routes
in September, is being tested in train operation. The test will be continued in October in the province of Salzburg and in November in Styria near Bad Radkersburg.
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Increased Passenger Numbers On S-Bahnen in Oberösterreich
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20th September, ORF |
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Passenger figures on the five S-Bahn trains in Oberösterreich are showing a clear increase. According to Managing Director Herbert Kubasta, the Upper Austrian Transport Association expects
700,000 more passengers in 2018 once figures are finalised.
Kubasta said that the east-west stretch between Linz and Wels was particularly frequently used.
Part of the increase is due to changes arising from customer's wishes being takne into account such as a more frequent services and special offers. Improvements in changes to train quality
has also made a difference with the introduction of air conditioning, WiFi and improved accessibility.
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New Wiener BIM Fahrplan Disruption Unfounded
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17th September, ORF |
The new tram line 11 has been running between Simmering and Favoriten since the beginning of the new school term. However, the new service has impacted lines 6 and 71 resulting in operational
changes which have not been met with enthusiasm everywhere, with fears that the changes will cause traffic jams.
Line 6 has been shortened, with it now ending in Geiereckstraße with a new reversing loop, which runs across the road twice. Paul Stadler (FPÖ), head of the Simmering district,
expressed concern that this would result in massive traffic jams, which as yet have not been realised.
The intention of the timetable change was to create a better connection between the two districts of Favoriten and Simmering. As a consequence of the restructuring
line 11 and 71 trams now run as far as Kaiserebersdorf.
Even though the new reversal loop for line 6 does not appear to be a problem, not everyone is satisfied with the new routing, with some passengers having to change trams on their
way to work between lines 11 and 6, where previously they had a single tram journey.
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Oldtimer Special
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16th September, ORF |
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28 vintage cars and five motorcycles were transported on a special train from Vienna to Wels last Monday. The valuable freight was to be auctioned off on 21 September at the "Classic Austria"
trade fair.
At the "Classic Austria" trade fair that ran from 20th to 22nd September, collectors and restorers were presented with vintage and collector's cars of a more recent date,
as well as historic motorcycles, trucks and tractors. For the first time, the "Brutus" and the Maybach special racing car was shown outside Germany on loan from the Sinsheim and Speyer
Technology Museums.
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Battery-Powered Train Starts Test Run
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25th August, ORF |
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The first battery-powered train will be on its way in Lower Austria in September. ÖBB has received approval for the Cityjet eco and will now test it in passenger operation for the first time.
The aim is to operate emission-free even on non-electrified routes.
On Saturday numerous guests of honour and interested people could experience the new train in the Kamptal. On a route that is normally only used by diesel locomotives,
the non-electrified Kamptalbahn, an electric train was on the move for the first time - more precisely, a train with an electro-hybrid battery drive, developed by Siemens Mobility and ÖBB.
What distinguishes the Cityjet eco from a normal railcar is the battery system on the roof. Batteries are charged as long as the train is electrically powered under the overhead line,
as soon as it loses contact with the overhead line it runs on the batteries. In comparison to diesel vehicles, the ÖBB Cityjet eco will then be able to cover the non-electrified sections
of the route almost noiselessly and emission-free, according to ÖBB.
About a quarter of the railway lines in Austria have not yet been electrified. The new Cityjet is "definitely setting new standards in local and regional transport",
stressed Ludwig Schleritzko (ÖVP), Member of the Austrian Mobility Council, at the official presentation of the train in Sigmundsherberg (Horn district).
"Trains like this are a big and important step towards achieving our climate goals and our desired mobility shift in Lower Austria," said the Provincial Council,
which also emphasized that "despite this new technology, there must be no investment freeze on electrifications in Lower Austria.
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Wien - Simmering: New Tram Line 11 Starts 2nd September
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23rd August, ORF |
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Starting September 2nd, the new tram line 11 will commence services. This connects the districts of Favoriten and Simmering and also has an effect on other tram routes.
It runs between Otto-Probst-Platz and Kaiserebersdorf. Line 6 will be shortened and line 71 extended. Line 11 with 31 stations and 13 kilometers in length will be the longest tram route
in the city.
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Regional Services To Be Improved
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22nd August, ORF |
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The range and infrastructure of the Franz Josefs Railway, the Erlauftal Railway and the Traisental Railway are to be significantly improved in the coming years.
This has now been contractually agreed by the state and ÖBB. Those who commute from the Waldviertel to Vienna, for example, will find a much better offer in future.
Through the further development of the infrastructure of this railway line, ÖBB's REX trains will in future run every hour between Vienna and Gmünd.
In addition, the offer is to be increased during rush hours and the maximum permitted speed is to be increased to 160 km/h.
On the Erlauftalbahn, an improvement of the infrastructure will enable a daily hourly cycle between Scheibbs and Pöchlarn (Melk district) and a half-hourly cycle between Wieselburg
(Scheibbs district) and Pöchlarn, with a better connection between Scheibbs and St. Pölten. On the Traisental Railway, a continuous hourly cycle between St. Pölten, Traisen and Hainfeld or
Schrambach (all districts of Lilienfeld) is also planned, with a half-hourly cycle during peak traffic hours.
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Greens Want "Mobility Guarantee" For Whole Of Austria
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21st August, Vienna.at/John Atkinson |
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The Greens are demanding a "mobility guarantee", giving people in rural areas secure access to public transport.
As was to be expected, the party wants to return to the National Council with the issue of climate protection. At a press conference on Wednesday, the candidates Leonore Gewessler and
Lukas Hammer presented an "eco-bonus model".
Such a "mobility guarantee" is already in place in Switzerland, and a few days ago the German Greens also called for it. What is meant by this is a legally anchored offer of public transport,
even in regions where at present neither bus nor train stop. Green candidate Hammer can imagine twelve guaranteed connections per day per municipality with coordinated timetables.
If the Greens are to have their way, the "mobility guarantee" should take effect by 2023. Both the federal government and the Länder and municipalities would be responsible, which would have to
be regulated in the course of financial equalisation. Hammer is also clear that more money would have to be invested in this, but: "We see where there is an offer, people are changing.
Especially in rural areas, many people are still "slaves to their cars".
The "mobility guarantee" is not the only climate protection demand of the Greens in the election campaign. The Greens stress that a genuine "public revolution" is needed.
This would include an offensive for affordable tickets and a massive expansion of public transport. An air ticket to Ibiza is often cheaper than some train tickets within Austria,
said Gewessler. Climate-hostile behaviour therefore pays more than climate-friendly behaviour.
In order to turn the tide on climate protection, the Greens are therefore also proposing an "eco-bonus model" in tax policy, which favours lower incomes and
puts companies in a stronger position to pay. Privileges for the fossil industry and airlines are to be abolished, and companies could be relieved of ancillary wage costs in return.
A "climate change fund" is also intended to support low-income households, for example with heating systems.
The fact that all parties have now discovered the issue of climate protection during the election campaign does not bother the Greens.
Nevertheless, Gewessler and Hammer were sceptical about the seriousness of other parties' proposals. It is not possible to advocate environmentally friendly measures and at the same
time push the expansion of airports and motorways.
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SBB To Cooperate With ÖBB On Night Trains
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19th August, Vienna.at/John Atkinson |
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The state-owned Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) will in future cooperate with ÖBB on night trains in order to get back into the sleeping car business. A ÖBB spokesman confirmed a
corresponding report by the Swiss news agency SDA that the day offer will also be jointly expanded.
From December 2020, there will be six daily connections per direction between Zurich, Bregenz and Munich. For existing connections - in particular between Zurich-Basel and Berlin
as well as Hamburg - an increase in capacity is under consideration as these nightjet connections have reached their capacity limits.
SBB and ÖBB also intend to include other European cities in the nightjet network and connect them with Switzerland. Together they want to work for a better transport policy framework
for the operation of night trains, for example by financially supporting night trains with CO2 levies and by reducing operating costs such as train path charges.
With its night jets, ÖBB is the largest provider of night services in Europe. "We are convinced of the night jet's success," says ÖBB CEO Andreas Matthä.
ÖBB recently ordered 13 more nightjet sets.
The Swiss gave up their night train business in 2009. Deutsche Bahn left at the end of 2016 with ÖBB taking over lucrative lines from DB.
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Austrian Rail Travel: Room For Improvement
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19th August, Vienna.at/John Atkinson |
| Last year, Austria's railways recorded more than 300 million passengers for the first time. Verkehrsclub (VCÖ), interviewed around 10,500 passengers throughout Austria and concluded
in general, that passengers find the rail offer to be satisfactory, but on some points Austrians would like to see improvements. Due to the climate crisis, interest in travelling by
train is increasing and those who travel by train are mostly satisfied with the experience.
Areas identified for improvement are mainly to be found in reception for mobile phones and the Internet, and also the punctuality and frequency of train connections. VCÖ emphasized in a
broadcast on Monday that due to the increasing demand the rail offer has to be expanded and expanded faster than planned. The willingness to travel by train is increasing. In the past twelve months,
36 per cent of passengers travelled by train more frequently than before, 55 per cent did so as often as before.
The majority of respondents to the survey stated that the quality of rail travel has developed in the right direction over the past twelve months. Every fourth passenger wants more connections.
One third of passengers said that they had experienced a deterioration in the quality of the network and connections for mobile phones and the Internet, as well as in the presence of train staff.
In terms of punctuality, three-quarters of passengers see improvements, but one-quarter see deteriorations. More frequent connections in general were particularly desired by commuters.
VCÖ focused on holiday trips by train. Such travellers rated rail travel better than average, said VCÖ expert Markus Gansterer. 83 percent of holiday travellers were very satisfied or satisfied
with the train journey, only seven percent were not satisfied. One in nine travellers found the seat uncomfortable, as did one in nine who experienced deficiencies in the air conditioning system.
The train crew received the best marks from the holiday travellers, for friendliness and helpfulness.
There is a greater need to catch up on regional connections. Every third passenger on regional trains wants more frequent connections and better connections.
"On the one hand, the railways are important feeder lines to the main lines. On the other hand, they are also indispensable because mobility in the regions can only be brought
onto a climate-friendly course if the regional trains offer high quality," emphasized VCÖ expert Gansterer.
|
New Regiojet Service
|
16th August, David Ollier |
| RegioJet the Czech open access operator has announced a long-distance passenger service on the Praha – Wien – Budapest will commence in June 2020.
There will be two trains each way per day, operated as extensions of the current Praha – Brno – Wien services which have been running since December 2017.
The new service will compete with Austrian Federal Railways Railjet services from Wien but will arrive at a different Budapest terminus. Regiojet will use Déli station,
unlike the Railjet services which serve Keleti station. Trains would arrive at Budapest Déli at 12.14 and 20.14, and depart at 07.45 and 15.35.
They would call at Budapest Kelenföld, Győr and Mosonmagyaróvár in Hungary, crossing the border at Hegyeshalom and calling at Wien Meidling and Wien Hbf before continuing to Praha.
|
Westbahn Train Collides With Truck
|
12th August, ORF/John Atkinson |
| At a level crossing in Seekirchen-Seeburg (Flachgau) on early Monday afternoon, 12th August, a Westbahn train collided with a truck. There were no casualties.
The Westbahn set was on its way to Salzburg near Seekirchen around 3 p.m. - with 70 passengers on board. The truck driver crossed the level crossing at Seeburg. The railway crossing is
secured by traffic lights and barriers. Nevertheless, the truck was in the crossing area when the train arrived. It derailed as a result of the collision. According to investigators,
it is still unclear how this serious accident could have happened.
According to ÖBB, the railway crossing was technically intact and both the red light and barrier system worked, says railway spokesman Robert Mosser. ÖBB's western line from Vienna to Salzburg
had to be closed with a substitute service being set up.
One track was heavily damaged in the crash.
|
Westbahn To Replace GKB As Operator Of Regio Jet Services In Austria
|
9th August, David Ollier |
| RegioJet have has signed an agreement with open access operator Westbahn to operate RegioJet’s Wien to Brno and Praha trains in Austria.
These services have been operated by Graz-Köflacher Bahn (GKB) between the Czech border at Břeclav and Wien Hbf, since their launch in December 2017.
RegioJet will end their co-operation with GKB on 15th December 2019, which Regio Jet say “has been highly professional and contributed to the general success of these trains’.
RegioJet and Westbahn have been co-operating in other areas, including joint operation of a ticket office at Wien Hbf and cross-selling of tickets via their internet channels.
Westbahn drivers and conductors will take over responsibility for operating the RegioJet trains in Austria. Customer service and ticket checking functions will still be provided by RegioJet
employees throughout the journey.
RegioJet’s four trains each way daily have seen average load factors of more than 80% in the first 18 months of operation. The trains offer four classes of travel, with onboard facilities
including free coffee, free wi-fi and seat-individual touch screen infotainment systems for each seat. Regiojet points out that unlike other operators on the route, its trains operate
without any subsidies.
RegioJet reported a profit of €4m in 2018, when it carried almost 10 million passengers on its services in Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
With ridership forecast to grow by 10% to 15% during 2019, it anticipates ‘further profit growth in the level of millions of euro’ this year.
|
New Staircase For U6 Station On Erlaaer Straße
|
7th August, Vienna.at/John Atkinson |
| A new staircase is to be created at the U6 station on Erlaaer Straße, the new staircase "In der Wiesen" will be opened in 2021. The work will be carried out without
interrupting services. The station will in future be accessible from two side, the second entrance in the "In der Wiesen" area joins the current access point in the Erlaaer Straße.
The new entrance will give thousands of Liesinger residents faster access to the U6 underground line.
During the construction work, one platform will remain accessible to the passengers and the work will take place during ongoing operations.
The platforms will also have a staircase and an elevator. Durnig the course of the construction work, platforms will be completely covered to better protect passengers from the weather.
6,000 new apartments are currently being built in the urban development area "In der Wiesen". The new subway access will ensure that passengers reach U6 faster and do not have to take a detour
to the existing entrance in Erlaaer Straße. Wiener Linien is investing around eight million euros in the conversion or expansion of the station.
"The city is growing and the public transport companies are growing with it. With the second staircase in Erlaaer Straße, the paths of thousands of
residents around the station will be made easier," says Vienna Line Managing Director Günter Steinbauer.
|
Accident On Pinzgauer Lokalbahn
|
6th August, Salzburg24.at/John Atkinson |
| On Monday evening (5th August), a set from the Pinzgauer Lokalbahn dragged a truck about 100 metres along the track.
According to the police, the 34-year-old truck driver had just left a parking lot next to the tracks and struck the track with a tire.
An approaching train was unable to stop despite applying emergency breaking and caught the side of the truck.
Nobody was injured in the accident. Alcohol tests on the truck driver and on the 42-year-old locomotive driver were both negative.
|
Crane Damages Overhead Wires
|
6th August, Vienna.at/John Atkinson |
| On Tuesday 6th August in the afternoon, a truck with a crane struck an overhead wire on the Franz-Josefs-Bahn. A rail replacement service had to be set
whilst the wires were being repaired. The accident occurred between Tulln and St. Andrä-Wördern (Tulln district). A rail replacement service had to be set up for REX trains.
An ÖBB spokesman announced that this had already been in place since 20 July for high-speed rail traffic due to construction work.
|
Krumpe Reopens
|
27th July, dreischeibe-online/John Atkinson |
| On 27.7.2019 Club Mh.6 and the Bischofstettener station friends celebrated the re-opening of a short section of the Krumpe.
After the opening ceremony and the blessing of the vehicles and the route, shuttle services between Ober-Grafendorf and Rammersdorf took place, the Ober-Grafendorf boiler house could also
be visited.
|
Cool Rails
|
27th July, Sonnenseite.com/John Atkinson |
| ÖBB is coloring sections of lines in Vorarlberg white in order to reduce rail temperatures by around five to eight degrees Celsius.
Studies have shown that rails painted white can reduce rail temperatures by around five to eight degrees Celsius. The aim is to prevent the increased heating of the rails due to climate change
under strong solar radiation and to reduce damage in the form of rail distortion.
At the Brazer Bogen near Bludenz, a length of approximately five kilometers has been coloured white.
The first results are now being analysed. The idea for the white rails is not completely new and has already been trialled in Switzerland and Italy,
where the effectiveness of the white colour has already been confirmed in intense sunlight.
ÖBB is currently in the evaluation phase.
If this method proves successful, further sections of the line will be planned using the white rail.
|
Westbahn Wins Court Case
|
26th July, David Ollier |
| Decision in dispute over platform charges
The European Court of Justice issued a ruling on July 10th, (Case C-210/18) that the use of station platforms is included within the ‘minimum access package’ which
EU Directive 2012/34 requires infrastructure managers to make available to all train operators. Westbahn argued ÖBB-Infrastruktur was overcharging for the use of its platforms.
The dispute arose between Westbahn and ÖBB-Infrastruktur regarding the charges, which led Austria’s Railway Supervision Commission to seek a ruling from the court on
whether platforms should be considered as ‘railway infrastructure’ which has to be provided at cost or ‘passenger stations, their buildings and other facilities’
where a profit can be made. This ruling makes clear that charges for the use of platforms must not exceed the cost that is directly incurred as a result of the operation of
the train service. Under the EU directive other ‘service facilities’ can be provided at a price which includes a reasonable profit. The ruling was welcomed by the ALLRAIL
association of new entrants, which said Austria’s national railway had been overcharging passenger operators for seven years. ‘Such hurdles put in place by market dominant rail
incumbents’ should be ‘resolutely eliminated’, ALLRAIL said. |
Overhead Wire Damage Causes Tram Test Delay
|
25th July, ORF |
Image, ORF
| Complications occurred on Thursday at Schwarzenbergplatz during a training trip of the new Flexity tram
of the Wiener Linien. The overhead wire was damaged - the new "Bim" was stranded causing delays on the other
lines. According to a Wiener Linien spokesman, however, the defect had "nothing to do with the new tram" but
could have hit any other set. "The cause is still unknown." The new tram was damaged and had to be towed away
for repair. The incident resulted in an irregular service for several hours. |
First Test Run Of New Cityjet Eco
|
24th July, ORF |
Image, ORF
In Steirmark, ÖBB has tested its first battery-operated train set. The results were positive.
ÖBB stated, "We are currently in the process of collecting the experience gained during the test drives
and subsequently evaluating it. For the second half of the year, we are planning further trips with passengers
in real operation, from which we expect further valuable findings".
Towards the end of the year, the Cityjet eco, which is casually referred to as the "battery train",
will be tested again between Graz and Bad Radkersburg - this time in regular timetable operation.
If all goes well, ÖBB plans to deploy 25 such trains on routes in several federal states in the future.
The prototype of the Cityjet eco has a range of 80 kilometers without power supply. Through technical improvements,
the final version will be able to travel 120 kilometres with a top speed of up to 140 km/h.
|
| DB Signs Agreement With Westbahn |
| 22nd July, drehscheibe-online.de/John Atkinson |
Deutsche Bahn (DB) is accelerating the expansion of its long-distance services. The Group is strengthening its Intercity fleet with the short-term purchase of 17 high-quality double-decker trains,
which are currently in service on the Austrian Westbahn. Most of the vehicles are only two years old and have achieved the highest levels of customer satisfaction.
Berthold Huber, DB Board Member for Passenger Transport, said on the occasion of the signing of the purchase contract with Westbahn Managing Director Dr. Erich Forster,
"We want to strengthen rail transport in Germany and double the number of long-distance passengers. The continuous expansion of the fleet is an essential prerequisite for this.
With the purchase of the trains from Westbahn, we are expanding the space available to our customers by almost 7,000 seats - and at very short notice.
The trains are in excellent condition and mean comfort and reliability for our customers".
The high-quality trains of the Swiss manufacturer Stadler Rail travel at up to 200 km/h and consist of four or six coaches with over 300 or 500 seats.
There are comfortable seating areas and plenty of freedom of movement across two floors. WLAN and sockets at every seat are part of the equipment.
A gastronomic service is also provided. The existing areas for passengers with reduced mobility, luggage and bicycles will be expanded in line with standard DB standards.
DB will receive the first trains as early as December and will operate them as Intercity 2 on the new Dresden - Berlin - Oranienburg - Rostock line as soon as the necessary test
and training runs have been completed.
From spring 2020, the trains will run every two hours in both directions on the new line. DB is thus keeping its promise to better connect the Flächenländer Brandenburg,
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Saxony to the long-distance network. Until the trains are in service, the new line will initially use first generation Intercity units.
| New ÖBB S-Bahn Stop For Innsbruck-Messe |
| 22nd July, Tiroler Tageszeitung/John Atkinson |
Image, ÖBB
After intensive negotiations agreement has been reached for a new S-Bahn station,Innsbruck-Messe, (Innsbruck Trade Fair).
After several years of preparation, all formal requirements for the construction have been met, ÖBB announced on Thursday.
If the award of the contract goes according to plan, the main work will begin as early as next summer with an expected commissioning date of December 2020.
The first preparatory work will be started in the coming weeks. "With the new S-Bahn station Innsbruck-Messe, the course has been set for the next milestone
in the greater Innsbruck area," said Franz Bauer, Director of the Board of ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG.
A particular challenge for those responsible for the project was that the entire station had to be built a viaduct during ongoing railway operations.
"In order to be able to carry out all the work in this short time during ongoing railway operations, it will also be necessary to repeatedly carry out construction work at night",
ÖBB is already asking the local residents for their understanding.
In order to provide the local residents with sufficient information, ÖBB is planning an exhibition of plans and the establishment of an ombudsman's office.
In the run-up to noisy work during the night hours or on weekends, ÖBB will provide timely information by mail.
| Oberösterreich: Train Accident Emergency Exercise |
| 20th July, Vienna.at/John Atkinson |
Image, ©APA/BFK SCHÄRDING/NACHTZUG 2019
On Friday evening, the collision of two passenger trains with 42 injured was simulated during the "Night Train 2019" exercise. 263 emergency forces and a total of 335 persons were involved
in the action in Wernstein am Inn and Schadenberg.
The exercise was possible because the railway line between Passau and Schärding is currently closed until Wednesday due to construction work. In this scenario, organisational and cross-border
cooperation was practised. Fire brigade and Red Cross with forces from Wernstein and the district Schärding as well as Passau (Bavaria), police, clinic Schärding and ÖBB worked hand in hand.
Seven trapped persons had to be freed - by seven fire brigades using four hydraulic rescue devices. In addition to cars, helicopters and fire boats also took over the transport of the injured.
The exercise required the rescue services to gain access to the railway tracks via a narrow access road and steep embankment.
After the first measures, ten policemen did crime scene work and directed the traffic. One of the newly acquired police drones supplied pictures from the air
providing an overview of the situation.
92 paramedics, six doctors as well as six members of the crisis intervention team, including the Bavarian Red Cross, ensured that the injured were quickly cared for and transported away,
as well as providing psychological care for the injured. The scenario also included the establishment of an information centre for those affected and the new patient guidance system
rolled out in Austria.
At the Schärding Clinic, the alarm and emergency plan was activated, eight doctors and twelve nursing staff took up the emergency service for the exercise. Further staff from the clinic
management and administration were requested, while normal operations continued unabated.
The training objective of the action, which had been in preparation for several years, was achieved 100 percent, the trainers noted, although it had been extremely demanding.
All the operational organisations had used observers to document the exercises. Their observations will be included in a joint debriefing. ÖBB emphasized the low probability of accidents,
but nevertheless it was important to guarantee safety standards.
The closed railway line, currently the largest ÖBB construction site in Upper Austria, made such an exercise possible in the first place. In Wernstein, new tracks are being built
and three railway crossings are being abandoned. On Friday, the work, which will last until 2021, reached its climax, a new bridge 40 metres long and weighing 2,500 tonnes was placed
over the Lindenbach, erected in one piece next to the existing old bridge it is now pushed into its final position.
ÖBB, the province of Upper Austria and the municipality of Wernstein are jointly investing 43.9 million euros in the modernisation of the railway station as part of the development of
the Wels - Passau line into a high-speed line.
| Vomperbach Bridge Closure |
| 20th July, ORF |
Due to the modernization of the Vomperbach Bridge, no trains will travel between Fritzens-Wattens and Jenbach stations from July 27 to August 16. S-Bahn customers will have to switch to buses,
long-distance trains will be able to use the Unterinntaltrasse tunnel as will REX trains between Hall and Jenbach.
The railway bridge over the Vomperbach is over 150 years old and is to be removed and replaced by a new one.
The preparatory work for this has been in progress since December 2017, with the new bridge being assembled next to the old one. At the end of July, the old viaduct will be demolished
and the new bridge inserted.
| Car Driver Killed At Crossing |
| 19th July, ORF |
Image, Wilhelmsburg FF
A fatal collision between a car and a train occurred on Thursday evening in Rotheau (Lilienfeld district, Lower Austria. According to police, a 73-year-old Viennese crossed an ungated
railway crossing and apparently overlooked the approaching train.
Despite emitting a warning signal, the train driver could not prevent the collision with the car. Due to the force of the collision, the car was pushed about 80 metres along the tracks.
The driver succumbed to his injuries at the scene of the accident. The train passengers were freed from the interior, but remained unharmed.
The Wilhelmsburg fire brigade was alerted to recover the vehicle. After about two and a half hours, the route was reopened after consultation with ÖBB.
Both the locomotive driver and the emergency services were then given psychological support.
ZB No 2. To Wales
|
| 17th July, Tiroler Tageszeitung/John Atkinson/Stephen Ford |
The ARG has been advised by Günther Denoth that the newly-renovated no.2 (video) will be setting off for these shores
sometime at the end of July.
The steam engine that normally runs between Jenbach and Mayrhofen is travelling to the Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway in Wales. A contract has been agreed between the Zillertalbahn
and the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway (W&LLR)covering a two year loan period.
The Zillertal locomotive will be the oldest locomotive ever to run on the Welsh railway line. The locomotive was built in 1900 and is thus two years older than the original
W&LLR locomotives - "The Earl" and "The Countess" - which were built in 1902 and 1903 respectively for the opening of the train line, both are still in operation.
The Zillertal locomotive is expected to arrive in Wales in late July or early August.
for two years.
| Kühnsdorf Goods Station |
| 15th July, ORF |
Image, ORF
For several years there has been a struggle to come up with a solution to ensure the maintenance of a goods station in Kühnsdorf, Kärnten, when the Koralmbahn opens, it now looks as if one
may now have been found.
In order to be able to load around 70,000 tons of material per year in Kühnsdorf, even after the Koralmbahn has been commissioned, the state of Kärnten is to
contribute around two million euros for a connection to the new railway.
Together with private companies and federal subsidies, the total costs of around six million euros will be covered, says Martin Gruber, Local and Regional Development Officer (ÖVP).
There was a concern that the Koralmbahn would run through Carinthia without generating added value locally.
| Renewed Serfaus U-Bahn Opened |
| 13th July, ORF |
Since this weekend, the rebuilt Serfaus, (Tirol) underground has been in operation. The train is now almost 45 instead of 30 meters long and can transport 3,000 people per hour.
That is almost twice as many as before. The U-Bahn at 1,400 metres above sea level is currently the most modern air cushion railway in Europe.
There are four stations on a track length of 1,280 metres. The distances between the trains could be shortened from ten to nine minutes.
The Zentrum stop was rebuilt and the stop at the church completely rebuilt.
Pictures and video of the Serfaus Dorfbahn.
| Restrictions On Salzburg Public Transport |
| 13th July, Salzburg24.at/John Atkinson |
Due to a total closure on the railway line between Schärding and Passau, there will also be restrictions in Salzburg's local traffic from Monday onwards.
According to ÖBB, there are not enough train paths available. This affects the hourly regional train connections between the provincial capital and Straßwalchen (Flachgau).
Due to the diversion of international trains, there are not enough train paths available on the double-track western line in Flachgau. In the period between next Monday and 24 July,
the hourly regional train connections between the city of Salzburg and Straßwalchen will therefore be cancelled in both directions on weekdays after the rush hour in the morning (from 9 a.m.).
The S2 line between Salzburg and Linz and the regional express trains between Freilassing in Bavaria and Braunau (Upper Austria) will run without restrictions. Long-distance trains are not
affected either, ÖBB announced. For the cancelled local trains, a replacement rail service with buses will be set up for the connection to the Railjet connections in Neumarkt-Köstendorf
in the area between Seekirchen and Straßwalchen.
It is not possible to transport bicycles in the buses. Connections cannot be guaranteed either. ÖBB is expecting an overall increase in the number of passengers.
| Tractor Collides With Train |
| 12th July, ORF |
Image, ÖBB
In Winden am See (district Neusiedl am See) an unusual accident happened on Thursday afternoon. A tractor driver working in a vineyard overlooked an approaching train and collided with it.
The driver was unharmed. The tracks run directly at the end of the vineyard. The 47-year-old driver of the tractor had, according to his own statements, gone back to check his work.
This brought him and his tractor too close to the railway tracks running right at the end of the property. He collided with the train running at the same time on the line towards Neusiedl am See.
There was slight damage to the railcar and the tractor was severely damaged. The alcohol tests on the 47-year-old and the locomotive driver were negative.
Both tractor drivers and train drivers as well as passengers remained unharmed, the National Police Headquarters announced on Friday.
| New Investment In Oberösterreich |
| 12th July, David Ollier |
A new €725m programme of investment in railways has been agreed on 2nd July between the Government of Upper Austria (Land Oberösterreich) and Austrian Federal Railways ÖBB.
The programme includes route modernisation, station upgrading signalling and electrification works which will take place between 2019 and 2030.
ÖBB is to retain ownership of all lines in the region, including branch lines which the local, government had considered taking over,
xcept the and non-electrified 20.5 km single track line between Haiding – Aschach an der Donau route which is to be transferred to Land Oberösterreich on January 1 2021.
The 37 km Mattigtal line from Steindorf bei Straßwalchen to Braunau am Inn will be modernised and electrified, with the 4·1 km to Friedburg electrified in 2021
and the remaining section wired by 2030.
The 66·5 km Hausruck railway from Attnang-Puchheim to Schärding will be modernised, and the 60 km Innviertel line from Neumarkt-Kalham to Ried,
Braunau am Inn and Simbach electrified by 2029.
The 57·6 km Mühlkreis line from Linz Uhrfahr to Aigen-Schlägl will be modernised, including electrification of the 28·8 km as far as Kleinzell.
The 30·1 km line from Wels to Grünau im Almtal will be electrified between Wels and Sattledt by 2030, and will also be used to test alternative traction systems.
The 39·8 km Donauuferbahn from Sankt Valentin to Sarmingstein will be modernised, with the 37·1 km as far as Nicola-Struden electrified.
The Pyhrn line between Linz and Selzthal will be double-tracked between Nettingsdorf and Rohr-Bad Hall (15·7 km).
Governor of Oberösterreich Thomas Stelzer stated ‘Investing in public transport is an investment in a sustainable future and makes an effective contribution to climate protection.
As an economically strong Land, Oberösterreich also needs a strong infrastructure network that meets the increasing demands of freight and passenger traffic.’
| Montafonerbahn To Become 15km Longer |
| 10th July, ORF |
The Montafonerbahn is one of the private railways with the strongest passenger growth in Austria. The line is to be extended by 15 kilometres, at an estimated cost of 284 million euros.
Every year, around 1.5 million passengers travel the 13-kilometer stretch from Bludenz to Schruns. For decades there have been discussions about extending the railway line by
15 kilometres from Schruns to Gaschurn. A feasibility study was presented on Thursday.
The Montafon Railway is important for both locals and tourists, according to Herbert Bitschnau, the representative of the Montafon stand.
Both tourist hotspots are to be served, but the railway should also come as close as possible to the town centres.
According to Bitschnau, the aim is to bring rural areas closer to conurbations. Stops are planned at the valley stations of the Golmerbahn, the Zamangbahn, the Valiserabahn and the Versettlabahn.
The route is to be covered by a tram train. This would have the advantage that narrower radii and higher gradients could be mastered, according to Bitschnau.
In addition, overhead lines are not required everywhere, as certain stretches can be covered by battery operation.
The cost estimate calculated in 2017 is 284 million euro. An important financier would be the state of Vorarlberg. According to mobility state councillor Johannes Rauch (Greens),
the project is basically feasible. However, the necessary detailed work would take another one to two years.
The aim now is to secure the route for the railway, according to state governor Karlheinz Rüdisser (ÖVP). This means negotiations with those owners whose consent is needed for the project.
Opened in 1905, the Montafonerbahn is 13 kilometres long and runs from Bludenz via Lorüns, St. Anton im Montafon and Vandans to Schruns. It was once the first electrically operated,
standard gauge railway of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy.
The Montafonerbahn is owned by the Montafonerbahn Aktiengesellschaft. The main shareholder is the community association Stand Montafon with 54.5 percent of the shares.
| Austrian Passenger Numbers Increase |
| 9th July, ORF |
The number of passengers on the railways increased significantly in the previous year. Austria thus remains the number one rail country in the EU.
The train is particularly popular for shorter distances.
The number of passenger transport passengers in 2018 was 309.9 million, compared with 290.6 million in the previous year. On average, Austrians travelled 1,505 kilometres by train.
The market share of the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) remained large. They carried around 261 million passengers, with competitors such as the Westbahn it was just under 49 million,
according to a press conference of the government authority Schienen-Control on Tuesday.
"Nobody travels as much as the Austrians," said Maria-Theresia Röhsler, head of Schienen-Control. Only in Switzerland is there more rail travel in Europe.
According to Röhsler, the reason for the comparatively high growth of 6.6 percent is primarily the expanded range of local transport services around the conurbations.
| Fatal Accident At Raasdorf |
| 9th July, Rodney Simmonds & Stephen Ford |
Image, Heute.at
Two men died and a third was seriously injured on 9 July 2019 after a VW
Transporter pick-up van crossed onto the Marcheggerbahn in front of a Wien-Marchegg
ÖBB train.
The van, hired by a sub-contractor working on the Marcheggerbahn between
Aspern Nord and Raasdorf during line-doubling and electrification work, was crossing
from the south side to the north side of the line at a light-controlled level crossing close
to Bhf Raasdorf. The vehicle crossed onto the track against the red lights and was hit by
R2586, 17:35 Wien Hbf – Marchegg. The van was pushed 120m sideways down the
track, coming to rest still across the line.
The train consisted of a four-coach CityShuttle set, with Driving Trailer 50 81
80-73 212-5 leading and pushed by a class 2016 diesel.
The two men on the right-hand-side of the vehicle, aged 26 and 37, were
pronounced dead at the scene but the third man, aged 24 and the van driver, was alive
when cut from the wreckage of the vehicle. He was air-lifted by ÖAMTC rescue helicopter
Christophorous 9 to hospital in Wien, where his condition was noted as critical but stable.
No-one on the train was injured, although the driver was severely shocked and
was treated at the scene. Raasdorf fire brigade, summoned by an emergency alert from
ÖBB control, were quickly on the scene and evacuated the train back to the same level
crossing, where local buses, diverted from Bhf Aspern Nord, took them on to their
destinations.
The train, having made an emergency stop beyond the crossing on which the van was crossing
when it was in collision with the train.
The accident happened at just before 18:00 but it took some time to remove the
van from the single line and check over the train, which appeared to be undamaged. The
line was cleared in time for REX 2532 20:15 Wien Hbf – Bratislava hl.st. to pass at 20:34.
| Achenseebahn Update From Herr Mag. Georg Fuchshuber |
| 9th July, Stephen Ford |
Image, Stephen Ford
The second shareholder meeting of the year (the EGM), which was announced in February, took place on Thursday, 27 June. It was decided at the meeting to increase the share capital.
The municipalities of Jenbach, Eben and Achenkirch now own 54 percent of the shares, which means that the majority of the holdings are now back in community hands.
This measure was a condition for the release of a national grant of €1.2mil. The new money settles old debts, allows some track repair work and maintenance measures for the fleet.
Since it would not have been possible to operate in 2019 without this investment, the promised funds were pre-financed by the bank and have already been used by the railway.
It is expected that the Achenseebahn will now be allowed to reapply to be included in the Tirol infrastructure programme for 2019/20. A further shareholder meeting in the autumn will clarify
how the new majority relationship with the Chairmanship of the Supervisory Board and the business policy of the railway will continue.
Achenseebahn AG wants to re-establish itself and this is also reflected in plans for a new colour design - or rather a re-establishment of the original colouring for the passenger rolling stock.
The coaches are to be painted in mint green instead of in the traditional red and white. It is not yet certain, however, that the coaches will be so treated - this depends on the future direction
which the railway takes.
At present the Achenseebahn has only one operational locomotive; this has been caused by the failure of No.1 on the first day of 2019 service and which caused equipment destined for use in No.3
to be diveerted to the errant loco. At present there are only three departures a day from Jenbach but the situation may ease during week commencing 14 July 2019, when it is hoped that
No.4 can be made available for service.
| New Alpine Railway Station In St. Pölten |
| 6th July, ORF |
Image, ORF
NÖVOG has a new centre with the new Alpenbahnhof opening on Friday in St. Pölten. From here, all the companies combined under the NÖVOG umbrella, will be controlled.
The new workshop takes over the maintenance of the up to 100-year-old trains of the Mariazellerbahn and other regional railways; some spare parts will be produced on site, as they no longer
exist in the market. On the siding next to the new building there are a number of old wagons which are used as spare parts warehouses, for example for the Ötscherbär sets.
Line infrastructure vehicles are housed here, there is also a painting hall on site.
Matthias Stadler, Mayor of St. Pölten, Ludwig Schleritzko, Member of the Regional Council for Mobility, and Barbara Komarek, Managing Director of NÖVOG, were at the opening of the
new Alpine Railway Station.
The workshop in St. Pölten is the counterpart to the Laubenbach Mill site, where only the modern sets are serviced. The new building houses the control centre for the entire Niederösterreichische
Verkehrsorganisationsges.m.b.H. (NÖVOG). For the first time, all employees, who were previously divided between three locations in St. Pölten, are now housed in one office building.
The old Alpine railway station was demolished and rebuilt over a period of one and a half years.
The Alpenbahnhof has brought a new identity for the entire company, said Managing Director Barbara Komarek: "Every time we go in here, every time we go into the workshop because we need something,
we get the feeling that we are railways. The almost 15 million euros that the project has cost are also investments for the regions, emphasised Ludwig Schleritzko.
Besides the Mariazellerbahn, these are the Wachaubahn, the Waldviertelbahn, the Schneebergbahn, the Citybahn Waidhofen, the Reblaus-Express and the lifts in Mitterbach am Erlaufsee
(Lilienfeld district) and in Puchberg am Schneeberg (Neunkirchen district). Together with the adjacent ÖBB workshops, the new NÖVOG headquarters will now form a train competence centre
in the state capital.
| Criticism Of ÖBB Line In Flachgau |
| 5th July, ORF |
The environmental assessment procedure for the railway tunnel project in Flachgau has been criticised. The interest group "compatible railway tunnel Flachgau" and its lawyer Wolfgang List
accuse ÖBB of inadequate assessment results. They want to shorten tunnel construction times and significantly improve local residents' and environmental protection.
180 people have signed the citizens' initiative's objections to ÖBB's environmental impact assessment. They see several deficiencies in some areas, especially in noise and pollutant pollution,
says Helmut Nocker, spokesman for the "Initiative for a Compatible Railway Tunnel in Flachgau", "According to what we have learned from the experts, it is intolerable and unacceptable for those
living in the immediate vicinity of this construction site".
According to a geologist, it would also be possible to recycle the excavated tunnel material in the construction industry, so that no landfill would have to be built especially for it.
The Viennese lawyer for the Wolfgang List initiative says that the aim is not to prevent tunnel construction, but above all to find a solution that is compatible with the local population
and the environment and, above all, quick: "Experts have clearly told us that tunnel construction of this kind can be completed in three years using modern tunnelling machines.
We therefore ask ourselves why a project time of 17 years is planned here," says the initiative's lawyer.
| Two Dead In Rail Accident |
| 3rd July, ORF |
Image, ORF
A man and woman were killed in a collision between a freight train and a car on Wednesday
afternoon in Neudorf near Wildon in the Leibnitz district.
The accident happened around 1.50 p.m. on a single-track section of track at a level crossing
controlled by light signals. The train, loaded with ore destined for Leoben-Donawitz,
was heading north when it hit the car.
The car was dragged by the locomotive about 100 metres along the single-track railway bed,
the locomotive driver stated that the car had stopped at the crossing but then started again;
he had no chance of stopping the train in time.
According to the police, the victims were a married couple from the Graz area,
a 32-year-old man and a 29-year-old woman, both must have died immediately. The train driver
remained uninjured, but needs psychological care.
The locomotive suffered minor damage in the front area.
| ÖBB and Oberösterreich To Invest 600m Euro |
| 3rd July, ORF |
ÖBB and the Province of Oberösterreich have agreed to a rail investment package currently
amounting to 600 million euros. All secondary railway lines are to be maintained,
several sections electrified, railway stations modernised and railway crossings abandoned.
The investment agreement was signed on Tuesday, it is claimed to be the largest investment
package in regional rail transport to date. By 2030, 600 million euros will have been invested
in the expansion and modernisation of regional railways.
No line in Upper Austria will be closed, only the Aschacherbahn (Haiding - Aschach)
will be handed over to the province of Upper Austria on 1 January 2021.
Federal Minister Andreas Reichhardt welcomed the infrastructure agreement as a milestone
for public transport in Oberösterreich. All participants emphasized the effective contribution
to climate protection.
Five sections of the line are to be electrified in an environmentally friendly way,
86 stations and stations are to be modernised and made as barrier-free as possible.
161 million euros are to be invested in the closure of railway crossings by 2030.
Investments will be made, among others, in the Westbahn line in the St. Valentin -
Steindorf/Straßwalchen area, the Passauerbahn from Wels to Passau, the Mattigtalbahn,
the Hausruckbahn, the Innviertelbahn and the Donauuferbahn, the Freistadt, Perg, Braunau,
Ried im Inkreis stations and many others.
| Fragrant Wiener U-Bahn |
| 3rd July, Vienna.at/John Atkinson |
There are currently four trial underground trains in service on the U1 and U6 lines in Vienna, which
are equipped to provide different fragrances via the air conditioning systems. During the trial,
passengers will be asked to decide whether they want a fragrance in the subway and
which fragrance they like best.
Wiener Linien is trying to make the underground trains more pleasant, especially on the highly
frequented U6 line. Air conditioning systems will be retrofitted and unpleasant smells
will disappear from the underground trains with the ban on eating.
A pilot project is currently underway in which four underground trains have been equipped with
different scents. This should make passengers feel even more comfortable.
"It is very important to us that the public transport passengers feel as comfortable as
possible with us. This starts with the ongoing expansion of the network, the interval
compressions on many lines, the acquisition of new and modern vehicles or, of course,
the ongoing retrofitting of air conditioning systems in older models.
But a pleasant room climate is also part of feeling good. That is why we are now starting
a new pilot project with fragrance trains. I'm very excited about the passengers' opinions,"
explains Öffi City Councillor Ulli Sima.
In July, the four fragrant subway trains will be put in service. The trains can be recognized
by Blumen-Muter on the outside of the sets. The fragrances enter the passenger compartment
via the ventilation system and are thus distributed pleasantly and evenly.
The different fragrances are:
Purple "Relax" - inner peace and relaxation;
Green "Energize" - Refreshing;
Orange "Fresh White Tea" - invigorating and refreshing;
Pink "Happy Joy" - Positive mood.
Passengers can vote online both for there favourite fragrance or state whether it is even
desireable.
| Floridsdorf Rail Accident |
| 2nd July, ORF |
Image, ÖBB
A rail accident occurred in Floridsdorf on Monday resulting in four light injuries,
an accident commission has to clarify how the collision occured in the area of the
Angerer road.
ÖBB spokesman Daniel Pinka spoke on Tuesday of a "flank ride", an empty City-Shuttle-Express
was touched laterally by an S-Bahn set with 240 passengers on board.
Experts have to judge whether technical or human failure was to blame.
"The priority is to repair the infrastructure in order to be able to resume
single-track train traffic in the evening hours," said Pinka. On Wednesday, ÖBB wants to
re-establish the full and scheduled operation.
According to the daily newspaper "Kurier" (online edition), the S-Bahn train probably caused
the collision. The train is said to have passed a stop signal.
The ÖBB had recently expanded the safety precautions in the area of shunting journeys,
the report said. ÖBB spokesman Pinka did not comment and referred to the accident commission.
| Liechtenstein Rapid Transport Network |
| 2nd July, ORF |
Liechtenstein wants to negotiate again about a three-country rapid-transit railway.
The government has decided to resume negotiations with Austria and ÖBB.
First talks should already be taking place by early July. Recently, there were
discussions about the division of costs.
For years there have been plans to build a S-Bahn between Liechtenstein, Austria and
Switzerland. Under the project name "FL.A.CH", which stands for the abbreviations of the
respective states, the railway is to run from Feldkirch via Liechtenstein to Buchs.
However, Liechtenstein had recently resisted the project due to the cost sharing of an
estimated 90 million euros, however they have since had a change of heart.
The Liechtenstenstein Ministry of Infrastructure was instructed to resume negotiations
on financing with the Republic of Austria and the ÖBB. Under the plans the S-Bahn Vorarlberg
would be connected with the S-Bahn St. Gallen, running half hourly services.
An important change from the point of view of Liechtenstein, the project now includes a railjet
stop in Nendeln for trains from Vienna to Zurich. The goal is to conclude the negotiations
by the end of the year with a fair distribution of costs.
The Vorarlberg state government is pleased about the renewed negotiations.
Governor Markus Wallner says that they will support all talks and help with the
negotiations whenever possible. Transport County Councilor Johannes Rauch von den Grünen
hopes for a start of construction in early 2020. As a first step, financing between the
states will now have to be clarified. For Rauch, "FL.A.CH" is the most important cross-border
railway project between the Oberland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland.
The point is to create a train service serving 8,000 commuters, according to Rauch.
| ÖBB Ticket System Attacked by Hacker |
| 2nd July, Vienna.at/John Atkinson |
The Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) were confronted with a hacker attack on the ÖBB ticket
system. Since Monday, according to ÖBB press spokesman Robert Lechner, numerous artificially
generated requests have been received by the company's customer platform in order to paralyze
it. The railway operation is not affected by this. However, ÖBB's online pages sometimes
react more slowly.
"The artificially generated requests are coming in waves. Yesterday they were even more
noticeable than today," Lechner told the APA. The attacks are unpleasant, but so far under
control. It was "nothing serious", said the press spokesman.
The originator of the attack and their motives are unknown. Lechner ruled out a
connection with the train accident in Vienna-Floridsdorf on Monday evening.
Customer data is not in danger.
| Route Between Uttendorf and Stuhlfelden Closed |
| 1st July, John Atkinson |
Due to a flood, the Pinzgauer Lokalbahn line between Uttendorf and Stuhlfelden is currently
closed until Friday, 05.07.2019.
Between Zell am See and Uttendorf-Stubachtal the trains will run normally,
the traffic in the area of the line Uttendorf-Stubachtal to Krimml will be handled during
this period by buses.
