Western railway line after flooding - 230 km/h possible!

Western railway line after flooding - 230 km/h possible!

Tullnerfeld, Österreich - After three months of standstill, the trains roll again on the western route. The "Austrian Federal Railways" (ÖBB) put the central rail connection between Vienna, Tullnerfeld and St. Pölten, which is considered one of the heavily frequented routes, back into operation on June 6, 2025. The first Cityjet Express 5 started at 4:48 a.m. The route can be used again at a top speed of 230 km/h after the massive damage caused by a flood of the century in autumn 2022.

The flood had led to serious impairments of the rail network, which led to the temporary closure of the western route. Commuters had to adjust to a half -hour extension of travel. The preliminary restart took place in December 2023, but from May 12, 2024 there was a new route closure that resulted in extensive construction work.

extensive repair work

The restoration required a three -week construction phase in which critical infrastructure elements were revised. These include the Atzenbrugger Tunnel, the Lainz tunnel and the Tullnerfeld train station. Among other things, care was taken to ensure that temporary constructions are replaced by permanent facilities. In order to minimize the risks of future flood events, 2,000 distribution boxes were positioned higher and mobile flood protection devices were installed in the Lainz tunnel.

The Tullnerfeld train station was also improved and the platforms were extended to around 420 meters. For the restoration, 200 mobile phone antennas and 250 kilometers of cable strands were also laid. The rail connection is therefore available every day, around 550 passenger and freight trains, which represents a significant improvement in the previous situation.

background to the flood situation

As the ÖBB reported in September 2024, extreme storms led to considerable damage to the rail infrastructure, whereby the Tullnerfeld train station and the Atzenbrugger tunnel in particular were badly affected. In the tunnel, the water stood up to one meter high, which had the fire brigade pumped out. The attendant of ÖBB-Infrastructure AG, Judith Engel, described the situation as catastrophic at the time. The damage assessment only started after the extensive clean -up work that lasted for months.

The flood has significantly impaired planning and operating the railway line. For example, many areas of the station were unusable, and the lifter were out of operation. In view of these challenges, the DB Engineering & Consulting, in cooperation with the Institute for Hydration and Water Management at RWTH Aachen, is planning a research project that deals with the resilience of the rail against climate extract. This project was launched in response to the flood damage in 2021 and aims to strengthen the rail infrastructure in the coming years.

The quick restoration and continuous improvement of the railway line are not only crucial for the commuters, but also for the efficient connection of the regional economy. The rail connection between St. Pölten and Vienna can now be driven through in about 30 minutes, which significantly improves mobility in the region.

Further information on the flood situation and the consequences can be found in the reports of Kosmo , ÖBB and DB Engineering & Consulting .