All Austria articles – Page 6
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NewsWestbahn unveils Kiss 3 double-deck EMUs to celebrate sustainable travel pass
AUSTRIA: Open access operator Westbahn has unveiled the first of 15 third-generation six-car Kiss trainsets. Ordered from Stadler under a €300m full-service contract in October 2019, the double-deck EMUs are due to carry their first fare-paying passengers on September 9. Westbahn announced during a press trip ...
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NewsDesiro EMUs ordered to meet Vorarlberg capacity needs
AUSTRIA: Austrian Federal Railways has awarded Siemens Mobility a contract to supply 21 Desiro ML electric multiple-units for use on local and regional services in Vorarlberg from the end of 2022. The ÖBB supervisory board approved the order on August 16. An order had previously been ...
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NewsÖBB orders 20 more night train sets
AUSTRIA: Austrian Federal Railways has ordered a further 20 seven-car sets of Viaggio Next Level coaches from Siemens Mobility for use on Nightjet overnight services. The order announced on August 10 is the second to be placed under a 2018 framework agreement covering up to 700 vehicles. ...
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NewsKarawanken tunnel reopened
EUROPE: Cross-border rail services have resumed on the Villach – Ljubljana route between Austria and Slovenia, following the completion of a 10-month refurbishment of the Karawanken tunnel. Dating from 1906, the 7 975 m bore had been closed to all traffic from September 7 ...
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In depthCentral & Eastern Europe: Rail at heart of recovery package
Railways across central and eastern Europe stand to benefit as member states submit their national post-Covid recovery plans to the EU in order to access temporary stimulus funds. Toma Bačić provides a snapshot of proposals from five countries.
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NewsCRRC Zhuzhou rolls out double-deck Westbahn EMU
AUSTRIA: The first of four double-deck electric multiple-units being built for use by open access operator Westbahn GmbH has been rolled out for testing by CRRC Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Co in China’s Hunan province.
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NewsBrenner Base Tunnel opening postponed
EUROPE: The target date for opening the 55 km Brenner Base Tunnel to revenue services has been postponed from 2030 until 2032, project promoter BBT SE has confirmed. Admitting that the previous timelines were too optimistic, BBT SE said the revised schedule would take into account ...
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NewsÖBB opens second stage of Wien Süd terminal
AUSTRIA: ‘I am convinced that there will be a renaissance of rail freight in the next few years’, asserted Andreas Matthä, Chairman of the Management Board of ÖBB Holding, at an event marking completion of the second phase of the Wien Süd Freight Terminal on May ...
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NewsVia Vindobona deal promises 4 h Berlin – Wien timing
GERMANY: Plans for a dramatic acceleration of inter-city passenger services between the capital cities of Germany, the Czech Republic and Austria were outlined at the third German Rail Summit held virtually on May 17. Federal Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer highlighted plans agreed by the three countries in ...
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NewsFreight returns to narrow gauge line
AUSTRIA: Freight services are to be reintroduced on the Zillertalbahn narrow gauge line from Jenbach to Fügen-Hart im Zillertal on May 17, under an agreement between operator ZVB, the national railway’s freight business Rail Cargo Austria, the Land of Tirol and wood products company Binderholz. Around ...
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NewsBrenner northern approach alignment selected
EUROPE: The preferred alignment for the cross-border northern approach route to the Brenner Base Tunnel has been announced by Deutsche Bahn, Austrian Federal Railways and Germany’s Ministry of Transport & Digital Infrastructure. Five alignments had been proposed, with the Violet Route option selected following a comprehensive ...
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NewsRosental line electrification gets underway
AUSTRIA: Work has formally begun on a €50m scheme to modernise and electrify the 12·1 km line between Klagenfurt and Weizelsdorf, with completion planned by 2023. Under the scope of the project, Maria Rain station will be expanded, a station built in Lambichl and the line’s ...
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NewsÖBB orders ŽOS Trnava hopper wagons
AUSTRIA: ÖBB’s engineering vehicles subsidiary Rail Equipment has awarded ŽOS Trnava a contract to supply 90 Type Faccns four-axle ballast hopper wagons. ‘After a long selection process and many technical consultations, we were named the winner of the tender with a total ...
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Metro Report InternationalTwo-line automated metro proposed for Graz
AUSTRIA: Proposals for a two-line automated metro network are included in a study into future transport concepts published by the city of Graz. The study undertaken by special purpose company MUM 2030+ found that there were 452 000 passenger journeys per day into the central Graz ...
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NewsNew fleet to make Nightjet ‘the best option for travelling between major European cities’
AUSTRIA: The exterior design and first painted carbody for the fleet of coaches which Siemens Mobility is to supply for Nightjet night train services has been unveiled by Austrian Federal Railways. The couchette vehicles will include ‘mini-suites’ offering more privacy for lone travellers. During ...
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Metro Report InternationalAutomatic Track Machine Oscillator rail grinder tested on Wien tramway
AUSTRIA: The capital’s transport operator Wiener Linien is testing an Automatic Track Machine Oscillator tramway rail grinder, which was developed by Plasser & Theurer in collaboration with industry partners, university academics and infrastructure operators as part of the Shift2Rail research programme. ATMO is the result of ...
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NewsWestbahn cutbacks in prospect as public service contract ends
AUSTRIA: More than half of Westbahn’s inter-city passenger services between Wien and Salzburg may be withdrawn within the next few days, unless agreement is reached to continue the interim support provided by the government for operations during the Covid-19 pandemic. Affecting both Austrian Federal Railways and ...
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NewsStadler to supply fire-fighting and rescue trains
AUSTRIA: ÖBB Infrastruktur has awarded Stadler a framework contract for the supply of up to 20 fire-fighting and rescue trains worth €240m, with a €60m firm order for an initial five to enter service by mid-2024. The trains will be used to respond to emergencies in the ...
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Metro Report InternationalWien metro tunnelling to begin in February
AUSTRIA: A 50:50 consortium of Porr and Strabag has been selected to build 7 km of tunnels and four stations for the southern extension of Wien metro line U2.
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Metro Report InternationalSalzburger Lokalbahn extension approved
AUSTRIA: Salzburg city council has approved the long-planned extension of the Salzburger Lokalbahn from its underground terminus alongside the main railway station to Mirabellplatz in the city centre. Planning is expected to start in 2021, with a view to starting construction in 2023. Design work is expected ...