AUSTRIA: A financing agreement for rail infrastructure enhancements in the region around Wien has been signed by the Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation & Technology, the city of Wien and Austrian Federal Railways.
The overall aim is to further increase the already high 74% market share of public transport and active travel.
The funding package running to 2034 is worth €2·4bn, of which €144m will come from the city of Wien and the rest from the federal government. The total includes €642m directly related to local travel within Wien, with the remainder including modernisation and enhancement measures outside the city boundary and for the benefit of longer distance traffic.
A major part of the programme is the upgrade of the infrastructure, track and signalling on the S-Bahn route between Floridsdorf and Meidling by 2027 to support 2½ min headways.
The Meidling – Mödling route is to be quadrupled in 2027-34, and new stations built at Benyastraße and in the Brunn Europaring area.
The last single track section of the Pottendorf line in the Meidling area will be doubled, and Pottendorfer Strasse level crossing eliminated.
There will be double tracking between Hütteldorf and Penzing, and a new S45 station built at Baumgarten.
‘With the expansion and modernisation of rail infrastructure in the Wien area, we are making public transport even more attractive. Together with the KlimaTicket — an inexpensive ticket for all public transport throughout Austria — we are creating the best conditions for regular travel by train. This is an important contribution to even better climate protection’, said Climate Protection Minister Leonore Gewessler when the agreement was signed on April 19.
