Our plan for the further development of the railway in Austria
The "Overall Transport Scheme" formulates objectives and strategies for a comprehensive transport policy up to 2025. Target Network 2025+ is a comprehensive overall concept with specific implementation measures for rail infrastructure in Austria. It provides answers to the challenges of tomorrow's transport policy and is implemented through framework plans and clear funding. Target Network 2025+ is our plan for a modern, efficient infrastructure and the basis for environmentally-friendly mobility for the next 100 years. It contains investment in expansion and modernisation beyond the year 2025. Target Network 2025+ is being implemented in several stages. The main foci for investment are demographic and economic factors. These are based on the Transport Prognosis 2025+ compiled by the institutes and universities.
Tackling the climate crisis
Rail is one of the most environmentally friendly means of transport. The expansion of climate-friendly rail plays a key role in the battle against the climate crisis. The planned investment in railway projects, amounting to more than 18 billion euro, is anchored in ÖBB's 2022–2027 framework plan (German). This is a clear signal in the battle against the climate crisis.
Blog post on the framework plan 2021–2026 (German)
Sensible investment
A modern infrastructure is the prerequisite for more and faster rail traffic. The concept behind the strategy is based on the Transport Prognosis 2025+ with increasing volumes of traffic. We want to put this forecast growth in traffic on the rails. Therefore, we must make sure today that the railway is even more efficient tomorrow. Today we are laying the cornerstone for more capacity on the rails. This should strengthen the market position of rail through more trains, shorter journey times and modern stations and terminals. Investment based on the target network creates the prerequisite for synchronised scheduling in passenger traffic with stable, punctual travel times, supports the shift of freight traffic on to rail and thus contributes to the reduction in CO2 emissions. In this way we make the railway even more attractive and efficient for our customers and ensure that we can cope with the forecast demand for freight and passenger traffic.
More traffic on our rails
Where large numbers of people and large quantities of freight have to be moved, the railway has huge advantages. It is worthwhile to support and further develop these railway lines by investing in the infrastructure. Conversely, investment is reduced, where only small numbers of people and small quantities of goods can be moved, because there is no potential for a further traffic shift. For several railway lines of strongly regional character, a take-over by the respective state is sought in the medium term, as attested by good examples in the recent past.
Clear commitment to rail
Every year the Federation invests almost 3 billion Euros in expanding and modernising the route network and the railway stations - an amount larger than ever before. For this reason investment in the railway is twice as high as in roads. One hundred railway stations are being modernised or newly constructed and made accessible, substantial portions of the existing rail network and noise abatement are being improved and park and ride facilities constructed. The objective is, to further improve the quality of travel on local traffic and on commuter routes. Of course, as well as restructuring existing stock, the hub of the programme is the expansion of the major transport axes, such as the Western Route, the Southern Route or the Brenner Axis. All these projects are included in the Framework Plan and are part of the European Network.
Passengers benefit from environmentally-friendly, affordable mobility
- Some 30 per cent more trains and train kilometres
- A wider range of rail connections in express traffic along the major axes between cities depending on need
- Better, more stable range of services for commuters around the conurbations
- More freight traffic shifted by rail
- Shorter journey times, higher speeds and more comfort due to routes with modern equipment and fewer lines subject to speed restrictions
- Basis for synchronised scheduling with well-linked connections without long waiting times.
- Some 100 attractive, new or modernised railway stations throughout Austria
- "Design for all" - barrier-free mobility for all passenger groups: By 2027 90% of our passengers should be able to use barrier-free railway stations.
- Modern technologies support the digitalisation and automation of train production
The whole country benefits
- Additional employment and value creation during implementation and thereafter
- Safer and more environmentally-friendly traffic, for instance due to fewer HGV's on the roads
- Efficient use of public resources
