AUSTRIA: The Wien municipality has announced plans to create an S-Bahn ring from 2032 by combining two services and upgrading a freight-only line for passenger use.
The orbital service would be formed from the existing S80 and S45 services; S45 trains would be extended from Handelskai to Praterkai. Interchange between S45 and S80 would be provided at Hütteldorf and Praterkai. There would be four trains/h per direction.
The extension of S45 from Handelskai to Praterkai would use the existing freight-only alignment parallel to the River Danube. This will require upgrading to enable use by frequent passenger services, and alternative routes for freight traffic are also expected to be required. Two new stations would be created at Reichsbrücke and Donaumarina.
The city of Wien and Austrian Federal Railways undertook an 18-month feasibility study involving independent transport planning specialists to assess how an orbital S-Bahn service could be developed. The results were presented on December 15, when the city council and ÖBB declared the project feasible. The study also examined a single-line option but this was deemed less viable.
The extension of the S45 from Handelskai to Praterkai is also being studied for possible inclusion in ÖBB’s Zielnetz 2040 plan.
Launch after 2032
Implementation of the orbital route is only expected from 2032 to avoid conflict with a raft of other improvements planned for the Wien S-Bahn network before then. These include schemes to upgrade the cross-city S-Bahn core that links Floridsdorf with Meidling and the four-tracking of the Meidling – Mödling corridor.
Another key scheme is the upgrading of the Hütteldorf – Meidling route, where work will include double-tracking between Hütteldorf and Penzing, plus the reconstruction of Hütteldorf station and the addition of another at Baumgarten. Together, these interventions would provide greater robustness for the planned ring service, according to the project promoters.
