AUSTRIA: The planned opening of the Wien metro Line U2 extension south to Matzleinsdorfer Platz has been pushed back from 2028 to 2030, after ground conditions provided more challenging than expected.
Extensive soil surveys were carried out before construction work began, with more than 3 000 drillings up to 60 m deep at 250 test sites.
Despite this, the section near Reinprechtsdorfer Straße station has proved especially difficult, with the surrounding soil not behaving as expected and requiring additional engineering measures. The project’s original €2bn cost is expected to increase by around 15%.
‘Three years of U2xU5 construction have brought to light the technical challenges of Wien soil in all its diversity’, said Gudrun Senk, operator Wiener Linien’s Managing Director for technical matters. ‘Although we expected difficult conditions, the earth movements and water ingress that occurred on this scale were exceptional and unforeseeable.’
The work is part of the U2xU5 Linienkreuz metro expansion project. The original section of U2 closed beyond Schottentor in May 2021. The line is to be diverted into new platforms at Rathaus, and extended south to Matzleinsdorfer Platz with 4·4 km of new alignment serving five stations.
The original U2 alignment from Karlsplatz to Rathaus will become new line U5, with a 0·6 km extension north to Frankhplatz still on schedule to open in 2026.
Both lines will be fully automated.
