ÖBB framework plan causes disappointment: important projects postponed!

ÖBB framework plan causes disappointment: important projects postponed!

The ÖBB's recent decisions to reorganize the master plan are causing great unrest in Lower Austria. Austria reports that central rail projects are not only postponed, but in many cases also completely canceled or not taken into account. The impact on regional mobility is serious.

By 2030, the budget for rail expansion is to be reduced from 21.1 billion euros to 19.7 billion euros. This results in important projects in the region being postponed for years. For example, the connection between the Eastern Railway and the Airport Expressway will now only be realized in 2028, although it was originally planned for 2026.

Postponements and deletions

A particularly striking example is the new construction of the airport bridge between Vienna and Bruck an der Leitha, the completion of which has been postponed to 2035. The expansion of the Northern Railway towards the state border and the four-track section between Meidling and Mödling are also a long time coming. The electrification of the Erlauftalbahn and the modernization of the Puchberg Railway have also been delayed until 2033, while electrified operations between Herzogenburg and Krems will not be possible until 2040.

ÖBB boss Andreas Matthä emphasizes the urgency of investing in rail infrastructure. But the political reactions to the new framework plan are anything but positive. Udo Landbauer from the FPÖ describes the plan as an “attack on people in rural areas”. In particular, the uncertainty caused by the delay of the Puchberger Bahn is causing concern among residents.

Political reactions and effects

Green Party politician Georg Ecker speaks of a fatal step backwards in transport policy. What is particularly dramatic is the fact that important projects such as the Northwestern and Laaer Ostbahn are completely missing from the new framework plan. Confidence in a reliable future of mobility in Lower Austria has fallen sharply as a result of these developments.

However, ÖBB emphasizes that some projects such as the electrification of the Mattersburg Railway and the expansion of the S-Bahn network around Vienna will be continued. This could at least offer those affected in the region a small glimmer of hope.

Background and planning

The framework plan is drawn up in coordination between the ÖBB Infrastructure AG and the Federal Ministry for Climate Protection. This target network, which specifies long-term developments of the rail network, is to be implemented gradually through a prioritized selection of projects based on cost-effectiveness analyzes and traffic forecasts.

The target network 2025+, which was defined by ÖBB more than a decade ago, currently applies. Key priorities include creating the infrastructural requirements for an integrated regular timetable and expanding route capacity on the main network in order to shift traffic from road to rail. A new technical draft for a possible target network for 2040 is already available, but given the current cuts, it casts a dark shadow over the future of transport planning in Lower Austria.