ÖBB breaks record: over half a billion passengers in 2025!

ÖBB breaks record: over half a billion passengers in 2025!

The Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) have reached a remarkable milestone: for the first time, more than 511 million passengers were transported in 2024. How 5min.at reports, ÖBB CEO Andreas Matthä says that this success in the transport sector reflects the ongoing enthusiasm for buses and trains. In order to meet this trend, ÖBB is planning to invest over 6.1 billion euros in modern trains by 2030, with the prospect of putting around 330 new vehicles on the rails.

The increase in local and regional transport is particularly noteworthy, with 254.3 million travelers recording an increase of 10% compared to 2023. The main reasons for this are the reduction in home office regulations and increased use for travel and excursions. In long-distance transport, the numbers remained stable at 46 million passengers, despite weather-related restrictions. Vienna.ORF.at highlights that night transport has also become more popular: last year, over 1.5 million people used the ÖBB Nightjets, which travel on popular routes such as Vienna-Hamburg or Vienna-Rome. The high demand is also being strengthened by the introduction of new, modern night trains.

Growth and innovation in rail transport

As the ÖBB CEO further adds, passenger numbers have shown a clear upward trend of over 20% since 2019. Cross-border traffic is also continually increasing. A further increase in passenger numbers is expected for 2025, especially with the planned commissioning of the Koralmbahn in December, which will significantly expand the travel offering on the important southern route. The ÖBB is not only an essential part of public transport in Austria, but also a pioneer in terms of innovation and quality in rail transport.