Expansion of the Vienna Connecting Railway: No Construction Start This Year After All

The expansion of the so-called connecting railway in Vienna, which is the route between Hütteldorf and Meidling, is being postponed. As ÖBB announced on Friday, contrary to the original plan, there will be no construction start this year. The reason for this is delays caused by appeal procedures. The modernization was supposed to enable a 15-minute interval for the rapid transit. Now, another delay spanning several years is on the horizon.

Schedule Already Changed in the Past

The project is no longer on track anyway, and the schedule has already had to be changed repeatedly. According to ÖBB, a legal appeal procedure has been pending before the Federal Administrative Court for more than three years. Contrary to previous assessments, the court has not lifted the suspensive effect of complaints, it was stated. Therefore, ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG must now withdraw all preparations for a construction start this year. This also affects a tender package worth around 30 million euros.

The project schedule must now be re-evaluated in coordination with other projects. "When and how the project will be implemented cannot be said at this point in time," it was emphasized in the announcement. In the "worst case," a delay of several years is on the table.

Only Maintenance Measures Soon

Only maintenance measures will be implemented soon. In the event of a longer delay, it may also be necessary, according to ÖBB, to renovate the Vienna River bridges. This could lead to total costs of 100 million euros, which would also require examining whether the connecting railway project would be financially feasible if delayed, it was warned.

The core of the dispute is the section of the route after crossing the Wiental and the western entrance, which is to be elevated. According to ÖBB, this section is 800 meters long. The project opponents aim to achieve, through their resistance in the environmental impact assessment process (EIA process), among other things, that the route is lowered. However, according to ÖBB, this is not technically feasible, as a tunnel under the Wien River would be disproportionate due to the immense costs.

Vienna's City Councillor for Transport, Ulli Sima (SPÖ), expressed little delight in a reaction. The consequences for the people of Vienna and for the mobility transition are massive, she lamented in a statement. "We need this connection to offer climate-friendly mobility with an attractive 15-minute interval. This connection would also help us relieve the heavily frequented U4. Honestly, I lack understanding as to why the court's decision is taking so long," she noted.

One of Vienna's Most Important Infrastructure Projects

The President of the Vienna Chamber of Commerce, Walter Ruck, also lamented: "The fact that there is still no court decision is more than regrettable. One of Vienna's most important infrastructure projects remains on hold." Strengthening the Vienna metropolitan region requires a contemporary expansion of infrastructure. This makes Vienna more efficient and brings value creation as well as jobs, he pointed out.

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(APA/Red)

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