Austria’s Minister of Climate Protection, Leonore Gewessler, the Vienna’s Mobility City Councilor Ulli Sima and the ÖBB-Infrastruktur Board member Judith Engel launched the modernisation programme for Vienna S-Bahn network in a groundbreaking ceremony held at the Handelskai S-Bahn station.
“Travelling by public transport is more popular than ever before. To ensure that the offer is appropriate, it is important that public transport is continually expanded and remains attractive. The investments in public transport have long-term added value and are an important contribution to climate protection for the whole of Austria,” the Climate Protection Minister Leonore Gewessler said.
ÖBB-Infrastruktur will upgrade the rail infrastructure on the 13 km Meidling – Floridsdorf S-Bahn line (S1 or Pink Line), will renew the buildings and supporting structures and digitalise the train control system for greater reliability in the system.
The main S-Bahn route in the city runs from Vienna Meidling in the south and Vienna Floridsdorf (S1 or Pink Line) in the north of the city. Individual sections of the Vienna S-Bahn main line have been used for around 150 years and a comprehensive upgrade is essential to deliver better services. The line is used by 700 trains daily ensuring the mobility of 250,000 passengers each day, being the busiest local transport route in Austria.
In order to continue to bring passengers reliably and comfortably to their destination, the route and the structural engineering facilities will be comprehensively modernised by the end of 2027.
The work covers track replacement, new switches and overhead lines, as well as the construction of new parking and other facilities that will ensure safe and punctual rail operations in the long term.
By extending platforms to 220 metres it will be possible to use modern and longer local trains in the future offering more seats and therefore more comfort for rail passengers. As a result, the number of seats available will increase by 40 percent by 2028.This makes public transport even more attractive, which makes switching to sustainable rail more attractive.
Along the line, the structures and supporting structures will be modernised such as viaducts, bridges, tunnels and retaining walls.Because the forecasts show that the Vienna S-Bahn main route will continue to be the number one S-Bahn route.
“The expansion of climate-friendly mobility – walking, by bike or by public transport – is a key concern for the growing climate model city of Vienna. Vienna already has an excellent modal split and the lowest car density in Austria. We should continue in this direction! We want to be climate neutral by 2040 and are therefore massively expanding the public transport network and cycle paths – we also want to improve the offering for commuters in particular. The modernisation of the Vienna S-Bahn main line, including climate-friendly conversion of the station surroundings, is a very important building block for further climate-friendly development and the high quality of life in our city!” Ulli Sima said.
The line will be equipped with ETCS Level 2, which controls the direction and speed of trains as well as their distances from one another. This creates the technical prerequisites for a more frequent service of 2.5 minutes during rush hour in Vienna and shorter waiting times. Delays can be made up more easily and disruptions are reduced and the maintenance work and the associated restrictions for passengers will be reduced.
From 2023 until 2026, the work will be carried out on the Floridsdorf – Praterstern section with the first construction starting at Wien Handelskai and Wien Traisengasse. The platforms in the stations will be extended to 220 meters and the traffic will be closed in July and August 2024, 2025 and 2026.
From 2025 until December 2027, the work will be implemented on the section between Praterstern and Vienna Meidling. The buildings and supporting structures along this section will be modernised and renewed while the viaducts, bridges, retaining walls and rail infrastructure will be upgraded to be ready for tomorrow’s traffic volumes.Between September 2026 and October 2027, route closure is required.At the end of 2027, the final improvements to the track systems will take place in the section from Vienna Rennweg to Vienna Meidling.
Some extensive construction work cannot be carried out while the railway is in operation. They are bundled and processed in as short a time as possible requiring route closure. Where possible, these take place in the summer months with fewer passengers. A 14-month closure from September 2026 to October 2027 is necessary for the main construction work between Vienna Praterstern and Vienna Central Station, ÖBB says.
In addition, platforms are also being extended and park areas and facilities are being built on the Northern Railway, the Northwestern Railway and the Southern Railway. Overall, the upgrade will result in an upgrade of 170 km of tracks. With state-of-the-art facilities and systems, the S-Bahn quality and reliability will increase in the entire rail system in the eastern region.
“By digitizing Vienna’s main route, we are creating the conditions to transport even more passengers safely, punctually and comfortably across Vienna in the future. The upgrade of the Vienna S-Bahn leads to closer intervals, shorter waiting times and satisfied passengers. Because the better our public transport service is, the more people will switch, which means less car traffic and a healthier environment for everyone,” Judith Engel said.
The modernisation of the Vienna S-Bahn network is part of a EUR 2.4 billion investment by 2034 agreed by the City of Vienna, ÖBB and the Ministry of Climate Protection and Mobility in 2022.
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