Zillertalbahn in the crisis: Mayor complains about the lack of information!

Zillertalbahn in the crisis: Mayor complains about the lack of information!

Zillertal, Österreich - The future of the Zillertalbahn is on the brink! In April 2024, the dream of an environmentally friendly hydrogen track in the Zillertal was buried at the test bench of the Vienna University of Technology. The university's technicians recommended clearly battery -driven trains as the most economical and most sensible solution. The state of Tyrol's decision fell on battery brackets, which, however, led to resentment among local decision -makers. Mayor Alexander Tipotsch from Hippach and the chairman of the Zillertal Arena Tourism Association, Ferdinand Lechner, said that information about the project's progress is missing and that it is not included in the decision -making process.

problematic decisions and new ways

The state government has so far been convinced that the hydrogen solution is a "conscious decision for innovation", as Governor Anton Mattle noticed at the time. However, the evaluation pointed out considerable additional costs of up to 180 million euros, which would be incurred when switching to hydrogen compared to classic trains. These figures led to the original decision being revised after the responsible technology board had to withdraw due to allegations of plagiarism. This turn focused on the battery variant, which is now officially regarded as a promising replacement for the hydrogen track, as announced by state representatives Josef Geisler and René Zumtobel.

The new plan provides for the first battery train to be put into operation on the 32 -kilometer route between Jenbach and Mayrhofen by 2030. Support from the state and federal government is required to finance this measure, which has already been agreed in a declaration of intent. There should be a loss of infrastructure until the tendering process in the summer of 2024. According to the state government, a hybrid variant, in which the battery brovets are partially charged via overhead lines, is also a possible option that is still being examined.