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How Vienna plans to expand its tram and park & ride systems for commuters

Amanda Previdelli
Amanda Previdelli - [email protected]
How Vienna plans to expand its tram and park & ride systems for commuters
One of the famous Viennese trams. (Photo by Árpád Czapp on Unsplash)

In efforts to give commuters and travellers more flexibility, Austria's capital is expanding its transport services. Check out what is coming in the future.

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A new tram between Vienna and Lower Austria is on its way, Vienna's Mayor Michael Ludwig (SPÖ) and governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner (ÖVP) announced on Friday.

From 2025, tram line 72 will run from Simmering district to Schwechat, the city where Vienna's International Airport is located. However, the line will end a few kilometres away by Europaplatz. 

READ ALSO: The best commuter towns if you work in Vienna

The Vienna-Schwechat-Bim is expected to transport around 4,500 passengers daily, Ludwig said. The line is part of a larger plan to give more climate-friendly transport possibilities for people coming to the Austrian capital, including visitors and the more than 300,000 daily commuters, many from Lower Austria.

According to City Councilor Ulli Sima, the total distance of the line will be 6.4 kilometres. Some 2.75 kilometres will be newly built, 1.75 kilometres of which in Lower Austria.

The SPÖ mayor also announced that the Park & Ride system will be expanded. Drivers can leave their vehicles by the car parks within city limits for a very low price and then hop on Vienna's public transport system. 

By 2024, 3,000 car parking spaces will be added, the mayor said.

This will significantly affect car users visiting Vienna since the capital's parking system has changed. From March 1st, almost the entire city is a "short-term" zone, meaning parking is only possible in public streets with a resident's parking permit or a ticket for two-hour parking.

READ ALSO: Five underrated towns you can visit in a day from Vienna

Vienna's Park and Ride garages are among the best alternatives for travellers arriving by car, costing around € 3.60 per day and close to underground line connections. 

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"With this package of measures, we are taking the right step towards promoting climate-friendly mobility in the eastern region", Ludwig said.

Planning is "largely completed", the mayor said. The necessary investments will be around € 29 million, with negotiations with the federal government still taking place. 

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