ÖBB passengers furious:

“Every second train is canceled on my route”

The ÖBB vehicle fleet will be reduced by Easter. Vienna commuters are particularly affected.

(Bild: P. Huber)

Passengers at Vienna's Floridsdorf station are very angry. ÖBB trains are being canceled in rows, and intervals have been thinned out until Easter.

Since Monday, Vienna commuters have been confronted with a drastic reduction in local transport services, affecting a total of 50 connections. Every minute, an announcement is made at Floridsdorf station during the "Krone" local inspection that a train is canceled or delayed. "There's no such thing, I'm late for work," says Sanela Lekic.

15 missing railcars 
Nina Wally, on the other hand, is not surprised: "Every second train on my main line is canceled." Now things are getting even worse, as fewer trains have been running in the eastern region since Monday. According to ÖBB, the reason for the cancellations is a lack of 15 railcars due to delivery delays. The "Krone" asked those waiting on the platform. 

(Bild: Klemens Groh)

Soundbites from dissatisfied ÖBB passengers:

On my main line, every second train is canceled, as is the case right now. I have to plan more time in the morning if I want to get to work on time.

Nina Wally

I was recently in India, and compared to the public transport network there, ours is excellent. However, I don't often travel by train, but usually by car.

Roland Schröck

I come from the doctor's and now have to wait half an hour for the train because mine has been canceled. That's very annoying, but I don't have a car and have to rely on the train.

Helga Ira

I commute from Vienna to Deutsch-Wagram from Monday to Saturday. Now my train has been canceled and I'm late for work. Unfortunately, that happens quite often.

Sanela Lekic

Bild: Zwefo, Krone KREATIV

Restrictions until Easter
Specifically, there will be reductions on two lines. The S3 will run 84 instead of 102 times a day between Korneuburg and Floridsdorf. On the R40, 116 instead of 108 trains will be in operation. The restrictions are to remain in place until Easter.

SPÖ: "Anti-advertising for local public transport"
In a decisive reaction to the latest cuts to the rail services in the eastern region, Erich Valentin, SPÖ local councillor and chairman of the mobility committee, accuses ÖBB and the responsible federal ministry of "anti-advertising for local public transport". "The decision to reduce the timetable so massively is in stark contrast to the political efforts to promote the switch to public transport. It is a paradoxical signal: on the one hand, the population is being encouraged to switch to public transport, while on the other, the necessary services are being restricted," criticizes Valentin.