In Flachgau

Railroad tunnel project faces next hurdle

ÖBB is planning a railroad tunnel on the western line in Flachgau.(Bild: Scharinger Daniel)

The environmental assessment documents for the railroad tunnel through Flachgau will soon be published. The municipality of Köstendorf is already raising concerns in advance, for example regarding noise and dust pollution.

The public launch of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the ÖBB Flachgau tunnel is imminent. It should be ready in just a few weeks. "Once the EIA has been published, things will get moving again," Köstendorf's mayor Wolfgang Wagner is convinced. ÖBB itself expects the public consultation to take place before the summer. However, the decision lies with the ministry.

The rail tunnel through Flachgau is to be more than 16 kilometers long.(Bild: Tschepp Markus)

(Bild: Tschepp Markus)

Wagner has already made some demands that have not been given enough consideration in the process so far. For him, the limit values for the various types of pollution, such as noise, dust and traffic, need to be recorded and defined. It would also be important to monitor the values during the construction phase. "I think that's essential," says the mayor. For him, this would also require an ombudsman, independent of the railroad, to mediate directly between construction companies and those affected.

Securing the water supply one hundred percent
Wagner also sees problems with the water supply. A ring main should be built to fully secure this. "Then there would no longer be a problem. But this also needs to be clarified in advance and not when it's too late," says Wagner, who reports a good basis for discussion.

As reported, the municipality had already officially objected to 13 points in the EIA process at the beginning of January. However, this was purely about the completeness of the documents. With the public circulation of the documents, points can be objected to by citizens' initiatives, for example.