Austria - General Information

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Country Name

Austria (Österreich)

National Railway System

National Railway Operator

Österreichische Bundesbahnen (ÖBB).

Language

German, which differs in certain respects from the version spoken in Germany. One notable difference which can often be seen in timetables is that the month of January is Jänner rather than standard German Januar.

Currency

Euro

UIC code

numeric 81; alpha A.

Timetable

Journey Planner

ÖBB 'Scotty' Journey Planner

Actual Train Times

ÖBB Train radar

Downloadable Timetable

Individual tables can be downloaded here - the route plan under Bahnnetz gives table numbers.

Printed Timetable

ÖBB no longer publish a complete printed timetable, but do issue timetable booklets for each route (usually available only in the area in question). Table numbers can be found from the downloadable timetable under Bahnnetz.

Engineering Information

This page provides a pictorial map for each month by Region giving the locations and dates of engineering work on the ÖBB network.

In the summer months many sections of line can be closed, with bus replacement services operating, for several weeks: it pays to check the ÖBB 'Scotty' Journey Planner carefully.

Bus Information

The ÖBB 'Scotty' Journey Planner can also be used to plan bus journeys. The Journey Planner provides a complete database of all means of public transport in Austria.

Maps

Printed Maps

Web-based Maps

  • An overall system map is provided at ÖBB Netzkarte.
  • Sporenplan has a number of on-line schematic track diagrams. Click on "Sporenplannen" on the left hand side for a map showing the countries covered.
  • Thorsten Büker's maps of Austria [1] and Vienna[2]. Both updated December 2022
  • Maps and Plans - Austria

Infrastructure

Infrastructure Authority

Infrastructure is owned and managed by a public authority, ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG.

Network Statement

The Network Statement page gives access to the latest network statements.

Gauge

ÖBB is entirely standard gauge. Various Other Railways are narrow gauge, as noted below.

Electrification

15 kV 16.7 Hz. The electrification systems used by Other Railways are noted below. The following cross-border routes with Hungary are electrified at the Hungarian standard 25 kV 50 Hz:

  • between Ebenfurth and Deutschkreutz via Sopron (Ebenfurth station area can be switched between the two voltages);
  • between Neusiedl am See (exclusive) and Fertöszentmiklós (the electrification boundary is a few hundred metres south of Neusiedl station).

Rule of the road

Right-hand running, but with a few exceptions. Most double track lines are signalled for reversible working. Many lines in the east of the country were left-hand running in the past, a hangover from the days of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

The Wien - Graz line was left-hand running, but after Payerbach-Reichenau - Mürzzuschlag - Bruck a d Mur was converted to right-hand running at the December 2019 timetable change, only Bruck a d Mur - Graz - Leibnitz remains and ÖBB intends to convert this by the time the Koralmbahn opens in full. The only other line with left-hand running is Wien FJB - Tulln an der Donau - Absdorf-Hippersdorf, an isolated section of double track which will probably remain left-hand running.

Distances

The best source is the “Eisenbahnatlas Österreich”; see #Printed Maps.

Other Railways

Many of these are government (regional or local) owned, rather than owned by private companies. Table numbers in the Fahrpläne Österreich are shown in brackets and can also be found from the online timetable pages under Bahnnetz.

  • Niederösterreich Bahnen
    • St. Polten Hbf – Mariazell Mariazellerbahn (115) (760mm gauge) Electrified at 6.6 kV 25 Hz.
    • Waidhofen an der Ybbs Bahnhof – Waidhofen an der Ybbs Pestalozzistraße Citybahn Waidhofen (132) (760mm gauge)
    • Puchberg am Schneeberg – Hochschneeberg Schneebergbahn (523) (Metre gauge, rack operated)
    • Gmünd NÖ – Groß Gerungs Waldviertelbahn (801) (760mm gauge)
    • Gmünd NÖ – Litschau and Heidenreichstein Waldviertelbahn (802) (760mm gauge)
    • Krems an der Donau – Emmersdorf an der Donau Wachaubahn (811)
    • Retz – Drosendorf Reblaus Express (941)
  • Raab-Oedenburg-Ebenfurter Eisenbahn AG: An international railway in joint Austrian and Hungarian ownership, better-known by its Hungarian name, Győr-Sopron Ebenfurti Vasút (GySEV). Raab and Oedenburg are the German names for Győr and Sopron respectively. The line from Ebenfurth to Sopron is electrified at 25 kV 50 Hz and used by dual-frequency GySEV trains between Sopron and Wien Hbf. GySEV also owns the line between Sopron and Győr, which is entirely in Hungary and electrified at 25 kV 50 Hz.
    • [Wien Hbf –] Ebenfurth – Sopron [– Deutschkreutz] (512)
    • GySEV also operated the line from Neusiedl am See to Fertőszentmiklós (731) until December 2020 when ÖBB took over operation of this line, which is owned by Neusiedler Seebahn GmbH (NSB). This was in exchange for GySEV becoming the sole operator on Wien – Ebenfurth – Sopron instead of sharing operation with ÖBB.
  • Steiermarkbahn (StB) (Steiermarkbahn und Bus GmbH):
    • Gleisdorf – Weiz Nord (531)
    • Feldbach – Bad Gleichenberg (532) Electrified 1800 V dc. A daily service ran until 31 December 2020; a weekend-only service continues to run in summer, autumn and over the Christmas/New Year period.
    • Peggau-Deutschfelstritz – Übelbach (540) Electrified 15 kV 16.7 Hz
    • Unzmarkt – Tamsweg Murtalbahn (630) (760 mm gauge)
    • Mixnitz – St Erhard (760 mm gauge) Electrified 800 V dc. This line is owned by RHI Magnesita N.V., but managed by StB. Occasional special passenger trains operate.
  • Stern & Hafferl Verkehrsgesellschaft m.b.H.:
    • Linz Hbf – Peuerbach and Neumarkt-Kallham LILO (143) Electrified 800 V dc, operated by dual-system EMUs into Linz Hbf on 15 kV 16.7 Hz
    • Lambach – Vorchdorf-Eggenberg (160)
    • Vorchdorf-Eggenberg – Gmunden Bahnhof (161) (metre gauge) Electrified 800 V dc
    • Vöcklamarkt – Attersee (180) (metre gauge) Electrified 800 V dc
  • Westbahn (Westbahn Management GmbH): Wien Westbahnhof – Salzburg Hbf – München Hbf / Innsbruck Hbf (100, 101). The first open access operator in Austria; runs a generally half-hourly semi-fast service between Wien and Salzburg, with certain trains extended to München and Innsbruck. From December 2023, one train pair is extended to Bregenz.
  • Wiener Lokalbahnen AG: Wien Oper – Baden Josefsplatz Electrified, 800 V dc. A long-distance tramway ("inter-urban" in north American parlance), connected to the Wien tram system. Owned by Wiener Stadtwerke AG.

Tourist Lines

Listing current at August 2022.

Various lines listed under Other Railways, above, are wholly or largely tourist operations but are not repeated here. Some of the following lines are commercial operations but most are supported by preservation societies.

  • Abenteuer Erzberg (900 mm gauge, underground mine railway) (note: can be reached by Erzbergbahn)
  • Achenseebahn AG: Jenbach – Achensee Seespitz (metre gauge, rack operated).
  • Eisenbahnclub Mh.6: Ober Grafendorf - Haag-Kleinsierning (760 mm gauge). A short section of the former line to Mank, reopened in 2021-22.
  • Erzbergbahn (Verein Erzbergbahn): Vordernberg Markt – Erzberg (Erzberg - Eisenerz out of service since 2010 because of storm damage)
  • Feistritztalbahn (Feistritztalbahn Betriebsges.m.b.H.) : Birkfeld – Anger – [closed onwards at present to] - Weiz (760 mm gauge) Operated in conjunction with Club U44. See also Recent Changes, below.
  • Gurkthalbahn: Treibach-Althofen – Pöckstein-Zwischenwässern (760 mm gauge)
  • Höllentalbahn (Österreichische Gesellschaft für Lokalbahnen): Payerbach Lokalbahn – Hirschwang (760 mm gauge)
  • Klagenfurt museum tramway (Lendcanaltramway Klagenfurt) (Nostalgiebahnen in Kärnten): (metre gauge)
  • Liliput-Bahn (Liliputbahn Prater G.m.b.H.): Wien's historic 15 inch gauge line - ca. 3.9km circuit in Prater park. Also operate separate Donaupark line.
  • Museumsbahn Ampflwang-Timelkam (Österreichische Gesellschaft für Eisenbahngeschichte (ÖGEG)): Ampflwang – Timelkam
  • Museums-Lokalbahnverein Zwettl: Zwettl – Schwarzenau
  • Museumsbahn Weinviertel: Bad Pirawarth – Sulz-Nexing
  • Museumstramway Mariazell-Erlaufsee: Mariazell – Erlaufsee
  • Pferde-Eisenbahn (Pferdeeisenbahn Museum & Gaststätte, Rainbach i.M.): (1106mm gauge; short horse-drawn tramway)
  • Regiobahn: [Wien Praterstern –] Korneuburg – Ernstbrunn
  • Rheinbähnle (Rhein-Schauen Museum und Rheinbähnle): Rheinmündung – Lustenau (750mm gauge, 750V dc) (see route map – former maintenance railway of Internationale Rheinregulierung)
  • Rosenthaler Dampfzüge (Nostalgiebahnen in Kärnten): [Rosenbach –] Weizelsdorf – Ferlach
  • Schaubergwerke Kupferplatte: Jochberg, Kitzbühel (600 mm gauge, underground mine railway)
  • Schwazer Silberbergwerk (Schwazer Silberbergwerk Besucherführung GmbH): Schwaz/Tirol (narrow gauge, underground mine railway - Die Grubenbahn)
  • Stainzer Flascherlzug: Stainz – Preding-Wieselsdorf (760 mm gauge)
  • Steyrtalbahn (Österreichische Gesellschaft für Eisenbahngeschichte (ÖGEG)): Grünburg – Steyr Lokalbf (760 mm gauge)
  • Taurachbahn: Mauterndorf – St Andrä Andlwirt (760 mm gauge)
  • Wälderbähnle (Bregenzerwaldbahn-Museumsbahn Betriebsges.m.b.H): Bezau – Schwarzenberg (760 mm gauge)
  • Ybbstalbahn Bergstrecke (Niederösterreichische Lokalbahnen Betriebsges.m.b.H. (NÖLB)): Kienberg-Gaming – Lunz am See [- Göstling an der Ybbs] (760 mm gauge)
  • Zayatalbahn (Verein Neue Landesbahn): Mistelbach – Hohenau; the section between Prinzendorf and Neusiedl-St. Ulrich (7.5 km) is currently closed but intended to be reopened.
  • Zayataler Schienentaxi (Verein Neue Landesbahn): Mistelbach Interspar – Asparn an der Zaya – Grafensulz. The line between Asparn and Grafensulz is also used by the Weinvierteldraisine - see below

Rail cycling is possible on a number of lines:

  • Mostviertler Schienenradl: Lunz am See – Klein Großau (760 mm) (relocated from Ruprechtshofen – Wieselburg an der Erlauf in 2019. Now connects with Ybbstalbahn Bergstrecke - see above)
  • Sonnenland Draisinentour: Neckenmarkt-Horitschon – Oberpullendorf
  • Weinvierteldraisine: Ernstbrunn – Grafensulz – Asparn an der Zaya. The line between Grafensulz and Asparn an der Zaya is also used by the Zayataler Schienentaxi – see above)

Metro

Wien has a third rail U-Bahn (much of which is above ground) and several sections of overhead-electrified U-Bahn tramway with metro characteristics. A track plan is available on the Gleisplanweb site.

Trams/LRT-Systems

Gmunden, Graz, Innsbruck, Linz, Wien (which extends via the Wiener Lokalbahnen into Baden). The Wien system was the largest European network outside Russia but has now been overtaken by Berlin. As of December 2023 Wien has 176.9 route km and Berlin 198.5

Track plans for the systems of Gmunden, Graz, Linz, Innsbruck and Wien are available on the Gleisplanweb site.

See also Austria - Tram services over obscure routes

Recent and Future Changes

Recent changes

Openings

The following lines (re-)opened on 10 December 2023

511 Münchendorf – Wampersdorf (Pottendorfer Linie) New Ebreichsdorf bypass, replacing original route
620 [Klagenfurt –] Grafenstein – Wolfsberg via the Koralmbahn Mainly brand new line with some reopened sections of existing and new route, closed since 2 April 2023
620 Mittlern – Bleiburg – Wiederndorf-Aich Reopened section of original line, forming a loop through Bleiburg, with new connection at the north end. Original line closed since 11 December 2022

The following line opened on 13 December 2021

401 Hard-Fussach (Abzw Lauterach West) – Wolfurt (Abzw Lauterach Süd) Four SSuX peak-hour train pairs between Feldkirch or Dornbirn and Lustenau. On 12 December 2022 this was increased to six pairs and trains extended to St. Margrethen (CH).

The following line opened on 7 September 2020

620 Völkermarkt-Kühnsdorf – St Michael ob Bleiburg A section of the future Koralmbahn replacing part of the existing Drautalbahn route, with temporary connection to the old line at its east end

in the "heritage/museum" sector:

On 24 March 2023 the Verein Neue Landesbahn ran the first passenger train on the reopened Zayatalbahn from Mistelbach Lokalbahnhof as far as Bullendorf and on 30 September 2023 the first train will run to Prinzendorf. At the other end of the line, freight trains have run from Hohenau as far as Neusiedl-St. Urich since 1 July 2022. The society intends to open the remaining middle section of the line (7.5 km) which will allow trains to run throughout.

Following a EUR 5 million investment by Land Tirol, the Achenseebahn metre-gauge rack line from Jenbach to Achensee reopened on 30 April 2022. The line had been at serious risk of closure and had not operated since the end of the 2019 season.

A heritage operation run by Eisenbahnclub Mh.6 commenced running on 7 August 2021 on a 1.3 km-long section of the 760 mm gauge Ober Grafendorf to Mank line, known as the Krumpe, between St. Margarethen-Rammersdorf and Haag-Kleinsierning. From 7 May 2022 public services started running through on certain dates from the depot "Heizhaus" in Ober Grafendorf via Ober Grafendorf station to Haag-Kleinsierning.

The Eisenbahnmuseum Strasshof has reopened the 8.8 km line between Bad Pirawarth and Sulz-Nexing (the former Sulz Museumsdorf station) as a heritage railway. Services run on Saturdays and Sundays during the season. The first day of service was 1 August 2021.

Weizelsdorf to Rosenbach, which latterly had one very early morning train in one direction only, was closed in December 2016. It was purchased by Land Kärnten in 2020, and trains are now permitted to run through to and from ÖBB tracks at both ends. Occasional special trains started to operate from July 2021, and a motor-draisine operation known as Carnica Draisinenexpress started to run between Ferlach, Weizelsdorf and Feistritz im Rosental in July 2023.

Permanent closures

The following line closed on 10 December 2023

512 Gramatneusiedl – Wampersdorf The three evening REX services to Deutschkreutz that ran this way no longer run so the line reverts to being diversionary only

The following line closed on 1 July 2023

511 Münchendorf – Wampersdorf (Pottendorfer Linie) Replaced by new Ebreichsdorf bypass line in December 2023

The following line closed on 2 April 2023

620 Grafenstein – Mittlern (Drautalbahn) Remaining section of old route, replaced by the Koralmbahn in December 2023. Closure includes temporary connection to Koralmbahn, opened on 2 September 2020

The following line closed on 12 December 2022

620 [Bleiburg –] Bleiburg Stadt – St. Paul im Lavanttal - St. Paul (site of new station) Replaced by a connection between Bleiburg Stadt and the Koralmbahn in December 2023

The following line closed on 1 January 2021

532 Feldbach – Bad Gleichenberg (Steiermarkbahn) A weekend-only service continues to run in summer and autumn, also over the Christmas/New Year period

The following line closed on 13 December 2020

132 Waidhofen an der Ybbs Pestalozzistraße – Gstadt A further cutback of the rump of the narrow-gauge Ybbstalbahn, now known as the Citybahn. The new terminus of Pestalozzistraße is a new station about 300 m beyond the existing Vogelsang station.

The following line closed on 24 August 2020

620 Völkermarkt-Kühnsdorf – St Michael ob Bleiburg Replaced by a section of the future Koralmbahn

The following lines closed on 14 December 2019

133 Sarmingstein – St Nikola-Struden
152 Haiding – Aschach an der Donau Services are intended to resume over the Eferding – Aschach section. See Planned (re-)openings below.
912 Gänserndorf/Obersdorf – Groß Schweinbarth – Bad Pirawarth

Temporary closures

The Tauerntunnel (Böckstein to Mallnitz) on the Schwarzach St Veit to Villach line will be closed for engineering work from 18.11.2024 until 04.07.2025

The Pinzgauer Lokalbahn between Zell am See and Krimml was seriously damaged by flooding on 16 July 2021 and the section between Niedernsill and Krimml is unusable. Trains continue to run to the normal timetable between Zell am See and Niedernsill, with bus replacement beyond there. Niedernsill to Mittersill was due to reopen on 12 December 2023; however further flooding on 29 August 2023 between Niedernsill and Uttendorf has delayed this reopening until May 1 2024. Work is on target to reopen to Krimml in December 2025

In the "heritage/museum" sector:

The Weiz – Oberfeistritz – Birkfeld tourist line (Feistritztalbahn) was temporarily cut back from the beginning of 2020 to Krottendorfer Hauptstraße (about 1 km from Weiz) to allow construction of a new bypass road. Since then services have only operated on short sections south of Birkfeld. In the 2023 season, trains ran between Birkfeld and Anger. A date for further reopening is not known. When the line does reopen throughout, the Feistritztalbahn station will be on the east side of Weiz Bahnhof, rather than in the forecourt on the west side as previously.

Other changes

Electric services between Klagenfurt and Weizelsdorf commenced on 11 December 2022.

The Gänserndorf to Marchegg line was electrified in 2020. From the December 2020 timetable change, one of the two S1 services per hour from Wien Meidling to Gänserndorf has run through to Marchegg via this route, replacing the local shuttle service which was operated by a diesel railcar.

Arnoldstein to Hermagor was electrified from the December 2019 timetable.

Reutte in Tirol to the German border was electrified from the December 2019 timetable, and the 2 km from the border to Pfronten-Steinach was completed by the end of 2021.

Older Changes

For details of older changes dating back to the year 2005 see Austria - Older General Information.

Projects under way or planned

Planned (re-)openings

Information (in German) about ÖBB's major infrastructure projects an be found at their website.

The major project to improve service between Wien, Graz, Klagenfurt, Villach and Tarvisio [IT], the Südstrecke project, was due for completion in 2026.

However, the planned opening of the Semmering-Basistunnel between Gloggnitz and Mürzzuschlag has been postponed to 2030 following an evaluation of geological, structural and technical issues connected with the Grassberg fault zone. The estimated cost has also increased from €3·5bn to €3·9bn. As at April 2022 about 23 km of the 27·3 km twin-tube tunnel has been bored, and 7 km lined with a concrete inner shell.
Work continues on the Koralmbahn element, to link Klagenfurt and Graz. This section of line is expected to be open fully in December 2025, when the 32.8 km Koralmtunnel section is opened for traffic. The two tunnel bores were broken through in 2018 (south) and 2020 (north) respectively, and the first test train ran on 12 June 2023.

Preliminary work has started on quadrupling the main line between Linz and Wels. This will involve a deviation and a station at Linz airport. Completion is due in 2026 at which point there will be two 230 km/h fast lines and two 160 km/h slow lines between Linz and Wels, all equipped with ETCS Level 2 in-cab signalling.

The current line from Oftering through Hörsching and Pasching stations will close. Hörsching station will not be replaced but there may be a new Pasching station on the new alignment. There will be a flyover in the vicinity of Marchtrenk station taking the slow lines over the fast lines. Marchtrenk station will be rebuilt slightly nearer to Wels. The Linzer Lokalbahn's parallel line will have to be relocated in the Leonding area. These works have fallen behind schedule, not least because of court cases challenging planning permission for the works, all now resolved. The works will now be completed in three stages:

  • December 2026 remodelling of west end of Linz Hbf complete.
  • Marchtrenk to Wels will be completed in December 2027 although the relocated Marchtrenk station is planned to open with the timetable change on 10 December 2023.
  • Linz to Marchtrenk including the airport station will not be finished until 2031.

Work has started on rerouting and extending Wien U-Bahn Line U2 and transferring part to a new line U5. Details of the project (in German) are here. Line U2 will be extended from the existing Schottentor station via Pilgramgasse to Matzleinsdorfer Platz S-Bahn station by 2028, and to a new terminus at Wienerberg between 2032 and 2035. Line U5 will take over the existing section of Line U2 between Karlsplatz and Rathaus by 2026, including a one-stop extension to Frankhplatz. By 2035, the U5 will be extended to Hernals, where it will connect with the S45 Vorortelinie service.

On 1 January 2024, Schiene OÖ GmbH took over operation of the Haiding – Aschach a d Donau line from ÖBB. This line was closed to passengers in December 2019 but is still used for freight. It is planned to electrify the 8 km section from Eferding to Aschach, which will enable the introduction of regular-interval S-Bahn services, operated by Linzer Lokalbahn ("LiLo"). This will give Aschach an infinitely better service than the extremely sparse service of one or two trains per day that it had latterly under ÖBB.

In 2020 ÖBB announced plans to electrify the lines from St Pölten via Traisen to Hainfeld and Freiland. This includes reopening to passengers of the section from Schrambach to Freiland, where a new rail/bus interchange for services up the two valleys beyond Freiland to Türnitz and St Aegyd am Neuwalde/Kernhof will be constructed.

A letter of intent was signed in March 2019 by the Ministry of Transport to extend the Salzburger Lokalbahn into the city centre (Mirabellplatz). Construction work is due to start in 2023.

Other projects

It was decided in February 2020 to electrify the privately operated 760 mm narrow gauge Pinzgaubahn (Zell am See – Krimml). This project has been delayed by the flood damage sustained by the line in July 2021 — see Temporary closures above.

The plan to convert part of the Murtalbahn (Unzmarkt – Tamsweg) to standard gauge and electrify it has been abandoned. However the line will be reconstructed, with four realignments. Unzmarkt - Murau will be done in 2025-2028 and Murau - Tamsweg in 2028-2030.

Electrification of the Graz-Köflacher Bahn (GKB) is planned: Wettmannstätten – Wies-Eibiswald by 2025/26, to support electric services on the Koralmbahn, and by 2028 for the remainder.

Following the abandonment of plans to convert part of the isolated Linz Urfahr – Rottenegg – Aigen-Schlägl line as far as Rohrbach to tram-train operation, it is now planned to retain the whole line and link it to Linz Hbf by a new heavy-rail S-Bahn line, although no progress has been made on this proposal.

In 2020 ÖBB published plans to electrify 500 route-km of lines by 2030. Those not mentioned above are:

Likely to go ahead:

  • 112 Herzogenburg – Krems a d Donau
  • 120 Pöchlarn – Scheibbs
  • 130 St. Valentin – St. Nikola-Struden scheduled to be completed for the December 2027 timetable
  • 151 Neumarkt-Kallham – Abzweigung Mining (Braunau am Inn) scheduled to be completed for the December 2027 timetable
  • 190 Steindorf – Braunau am Inn (Simbach) scheduled to be completed for the December 2025 timetable

May go ahead:

  • 530 Graz Ostbahnhof – Szentgotthárd (HU)

Less likely to go ahead:

  • 524 Wiener Neustadt – Loipersbach-Schattendorf [– Sopron (HU)]

Freight only:

  • Zeltweg – Pöls

Threatened passenger lines

The 49.9 km Fehring to Hartberg section of the Thermenbahn to Friedberg, connecting through to Wiener Neustadt (KBS 520) is planned for closure to passengers by 2026 or 2027.

Special notes

Tourist railways up mountains are often of limited capacity, but subject to high demand, particularly at holiday periods and during the winter sports season. In such cases it may be necessary to wait some time before being able to board a train, so it is best to arrive at the railway as early in the day as possible. When booking a trip it is often necessary to reserve a seat on a specific train down the mountain. Once the railway’s capacity to bring people back down the mountain is fully booked, no more can ascend, unless they are staying at a summit hotel.

See also