Zillertalbahn

Patience soon runs out when it comes to the drive question

The red diesel trains will be history at some point, but the details are still open.

(Bild: Birbaumer Christof)

Battery drive or combined with an overhead line (hybrid)? The Zillertalbahn is waiting impatiently for a decision. At the Annual General Meeting, it became clear once again that patience is already being stretched to the limit.

How could it be otherwise? The General Assembly of the Zillertalbahn on Monday was dominated by the question: Which drive system is the future? As reported, the hydrogen variant favored for years was deemed too expensive.

2.5 million for failed hydrogen planning
"We have wasted a lot of time, there is a lot of impatience," said Supervisory Board Chairman Franz Hörl. The company alone "squandered" around 2.5 million euros on hydrogen planning - until it was stopped by the state. "The trend is now towards hybrid propulsion," Hörl referred to the experts at the Vienna University of Technology.

The Zillertalbahn managers with Andreas Lackner, Dietmar Wallner, Franz Hörl and Alexander Tipotsch (from left).

(Bild: Andreas Moser)

Sections with overhead lines?
This means that the trains run on batteries, which are recharged on sections using overhead lines (preferably outside the local areas) during operation. Plan B: pure battery operation with much heavier trains, charging takes place at the terminus stations in Jenbach and Mayrhofen.

20 million euros for maintenance of the old system
Painful: because the solution is delayed, around 20 million euros will have to be invested in the maintenance of the diesel systems (consumption around 900,000 liters per year).

We are now talking more about the year 2030.

Aufsichtsratsobmann Franz Hörl zum Zeitplan für die Inbetriebnahme des neuen Zuges

Zillertalbahn CEO Andreas Lackner outlines the next steps: "Two state working groups, one for the future vehicles and one for the infrastructure, will put their proposals on the table by the end of the year." New trains as early as 2027 have long been unrealistic. "We're more likely to be talking about 2030 now," sighed Hörl.

Balance sheet year 2023 with significant growth in some cases
At least the 2023 financial year was encouraging: domestic ticket sales increased by 2 percent to more than 400,000. In total, there were around 3.2 million journeys, an increase of 10 percent. In the end, a small annual surplus of 45,000 euros remained.