S-Bahn upgrades: What Vienna commuters should know about upcoming disruption
Vienna's public transport network will undergo a massive upgrade, with new stations, repairs, and modernisation. But this will also lead to disruption for commuters in upcoming years.
Observers say that Vienna has one of the best public transport systems in the world.
But some lines are 150 years old and the population of Austria’s capital city is steadily growing – more than anywhere else in the country - and so the S-bahn is seeing a major ugrade, with 170km of the network being upgraded, repaired and extended.
So what exactly is happening?
There is a modernisation of the “Stammstrecke” main line, which was first opened in 1962. The line carries around 250,000 a day, making it the most popular local transport network in Austria. An upgrade will allow for a shorter, 2.5-minute interval during rush hour, as well as shorter waiting times. Repairs and upgrades will take place between the Meidling and Floridsdorf stations, which connect central Vienna from north to south.
This means that various points will be closed, though not all at once, with the S-Bahn network staggering closures to reduce disruption. Still, if you are between Floridsdorf down to Praterstern station, you will be inconvenienced for quite a while. They will be closed in July and August 2024, 2025 and 2026.
Many of the train station buildings will be repaired from August 2025 to 2027.
Wien Mitte down to Hauptbahnhof will be closed from September 2026 till Oktober 2027. After that two stations from Hauptbahnhof to Meidling will be closed for just November and December.
Timeline of repairs and disruptions to Vienna's S-Bahn. Image: S-bahn.wien.
There will also be 40km of new lines at the ends of the Nordwestbahn extending out till Unterretzbach, Nordbahn past Gänserndorf and the Südstrecke out till Payerbach-Reichenau, giving residents of the suburbs better access to the city.
A map of the "Stammstrecke". Image: S-bahn.wien.
There will also be 51 platform extensions, 60km of new overhead lines and 9 new parking facilities.
You can get more information on the upgrade here.
Comments
See Also
Observers say that Vienna has one of the best public transport systems in the world.
But some lines are 150 years old and the population of Austria’s capital city is steadily growing – more than anywhere else in the country - and so the S-bahn is seeing a major ugrade, with 170km of the network being upgraded, repaired and extended.
So what exactly is happening?
There is a modernisation of the “Stammstrecke” main line, which was first opened in 1962. The line carries around 250,000 a day, making it the most popular local transport network in Austria. An upgrade will allow for a shorter, 2.5-minute interval during rush hour, as well as shorter waiting times. Repairs and upgrades will take place between the Meidling and Floridsdorf stations, which connect central Vienna from north to south.
This means that various points will be closed, though not all at once, with the S-Bahn network staggering closures to reduce disruption. Still, if you are between Floridsdorf down to Praterstern station, you will be inconvenienced for quite a while. They will be closed in July and August 2024, 2025 and 2026.
Many of the train station buildings will be repaired from August 2025 to 2027.
Wien Mitte down to Hauptbahnhof will be closed from September 2026 till Oktober 2027. After that two stations from Hauptbahnhof to Meidling will be closed for just November and December.
There will also be 40km of new lines at the ends of the Nordwestbahn extending out till Unterretzbach, Nordbahn past Gänserndorf and the Südstrecke out till Payerbach-Reichenau, giving residents of the suburbs better access to the city.
A map of the "Stammstrecke". Image: S-bahn.wien.
There will also be 51 platform extensions, 60km of new overhead lines and 9 new parking facilities.
You can get more information on the upgrade here.
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.