Austrian railway news – Page 5
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NewsAustrian Federal Railways announces framework agreement for 540 EMUs
AUSTRIA: ÖBB has selected Siemens Mobility as the winner of a framework contract covering the supply of up to 540 electric multiple-units. The 10-year agreement announced on August 31 is potentially worth more than €5bn. The single-deck EMUs will be based on the manufacturer’s Mireo family, ...
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NewsTrans-Alpine capacity crunch emerges amid Gotthard Base Tunnel repairs
SWITZERLAND: The Gotthard Base Tunnel and Brenner Pass trans-Alpine rail routes were closed for much of August. Although both have now at least partially reopened, operators are again being forced to assess how best to manage unexpected disruption. Toma Bačić reports.
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NewsAustrian ETCS roll-out advances
AUSTRIA: ÖBB-Infrastruktur and Siemens Mobility have commissioned ETCS Level 2 on the Linz – Wels – Vöcklabruck and Wels – Haiding routes as the first project under a 2021 framework agreement for a roll-out on main routes across the country. This will involve installing a total ...
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NewsÖBB confirms southeastern link to Wien airport
AUSTRIA: ÖBB Infrastruktur presented a final set of plans on July 15 for a 26 km long link from Bruck an der Leitha southeast of the capital to Wien airport. This would enable more long-distance and regional trains to serve the air hub.
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NewsÖBB unveils Tirol Cityjet EMU
AUSTRIA: The first of 20 Cityjet Class 4748 electric multiple-units for use by Austrian Federal Railways in Tirol has been completed. The EMUs from Siemens Mobility’s Desiro ML family are scheduled to enter service on the route between Innsbruck and Kufstein from October, with other routes ...
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NewsÖBB selects Stadler to supply battery trains for partially electrified routes
AUSTRIA: Austrian Federal Railways has selected Stadler for a framework contract to supply up to 120 battery-electric multiple-units to replace diesel traction on partly electrified routes. The 10-year framework agreement announced on July 21 is worth up to €1·3bn. It is to be signed later this ...
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NewsÖBB orders first double-deck Railjet trains as passenger traffic booms
AUSTRIA: Austrian Federal Railways has awarded Stadler a firm order to supply the first double-deck vehicles for its Railjet long-distance fleet, along with additional electric multiple-units for Cityjet local services. The €600m firm order for 35 Kiss EMUs signed on July 6 has been placed as ...
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NewsTirol endorses Zillertalbahn hydrogen project
AUSTRIA: The Tirol provincial government has formerly endorsed proposals to convert the 760 mm gauge Zillertalbahn to hydrogen traction, whilst acknowledging that conventional overhead electrification would have been cheaper. The Land has commissioned further work on development of the concept, including a project structure and implementation ...
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Metro Report InternationalA ‘leap into the future’ as Wien’s first Series X metro train enters service
AUSTRIA: Wien ‘is taking a big leap into the future of digitalised transport’ Siemens Mobility’s CEO of Rolling Stock Albrecht Neumann said when the first of 34 Series X metro trainsets entered passenger service on June 16. ‘Innovations like the new passenger information system with real-time ...
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NewsPlasser & Theurer unveils ÖBB electric maintenance vehicles
AUSTRIA: The first of 56 electric-battery modular maintenance vehicles ordered by Austrian Federal Railways has been unveiled at Plasser & Theurer’s factory in Linz.
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In depthAustria: A transport network for everyone
Emerging EU legislation on accessibility will put stronger regulatory requirements on public transport operators to ensure their services are open to all. Faced with a mix of modes including a large legacy tramway, Wien operator Wiener Linien is making steady progress towards meeting this challenge. Toma Bačić reports.
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NewsIntermodal rail freight service to bring Ukraine into the European logistics chain
EUROPE: Rail Cargo Group used the Transport Logistic trade show in München on May 9 to announce an intermodal freight service linking Kyiv and Lviv with Budapest and Wien. Austrian Federal Railways’ freight subsidiary said this would be the ‘first regular, high frequency intermodal connection’ between ...
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NewsCouchette coach refurbishment contract awarded
AUSTRIA: Austrian Federal Railways has awarded Škoda Group a contract to modernise six couchette cars for Nightjet overnight services, with an option for 28 more. Škoda said the modernised coaches would feature ‘comfortable’ beds, modern lighting and updated toilets as well as an accessible compartment. The ...
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In depthInterview: Rail Cargo Austria adapts to a challenging environment
Ongoing disruption to global supply chains and the war in Ukraine have impacted on Rail Cargo Group in recent months, but the ÖBB freight operator sees emerging opportunities in southeast Europe, as Chief Executive Officer Clemens Först explains to Toma Bačić.
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NewsGepard Express to take over Brno – Wien Airport service
EUROPE: Brno city council has selected local minibus and tour train operator Gepard Express to operate a subsidised daily train service to Wien airport from June 11 until the December 2025 timetable change.
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NewsJoint venture offers rail asset digitisation by drone
AUSTRIA: SmartDigital Group and Plasser Group’s Digital Railway Solutions have formally established the Dynamic Rail Utilities Monitoring joint venture which will use unmanned aircraft and AI to build digital models of rail infrastructure assets. ‘With SmartDigital we are able to digitise a route from the air ...
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NewsUkrainian wagon builder targets international expansion
AUSTRIA: Ukrainian company TAS Group has acquired a 40·03% stake in lightweight modular wagon development joint venture TransANT as part of its strategy of expansion into the international market. This reduces steelmaker Voestalpine’s stake in the Linz-based joint venture from 80·2% to 48·1% and ÖBB Rail ...
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NewsÖBB orders more Desiro ML EMUs
AUSTRIA: Austrian Federal Railways has awarded Siemens Mobility an order to supply a further 27 Desiro ML electric multiple-units. Entry into service is planned from 2025. The national operator has previously ordered a total of 246 Desiro ML trainsets, including 200 delivered under a 2010 framework ...
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Metro Report InternationalInnsbruck tramway extension opens
AUSTRIA: The Innsbruck tram network is to be extended west from Technik-West to Völs by 2030 at the latest, the Land of Tirol’s transport portfolio holder René Zumtobel said at the opening of an eastern extension of Line 5. The Land has invested €30m in the ...
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Metro Report InternationalBadner Bahn LRVs enter service as more ordered
AUSTRIA: ‘Accessibility, air-conditioning and more seats than before are just a few of the major improvements’, said Wiener Lokalbahnen Managing Director Monika Unterholzner at a presentation of the Alstom light rail vehicles which are entering service on the Badner Bahn inter-urban light rail line. ‘The new ...