ÖBB too optimistic?

Experts: Western line could even be closed for a year

When will the barriers disappear? Experts make gloomy predictions.

(Bild: APA Pool/APA/HELMUT FOHRINGER)

Bad news for commuters: railroad construction engineers doubt that trains will soon be able to resume their journey on the severely damaged high-speed line between St. Pölten and Vienna.

The flood disaster has had a massive impact on the western line. Thousands of commuters who were used to getting to their workplace quickly will have to switch from rail to car again. According to ÖBB, the repair work will take several months. According to railroad construction experts, a downtime of up to a year is even possible before the high-speed line between St. Pölten and Vienna is back in full operation.

Technicians are particularly concerned about the Atzenbrugg tunnel. The entire electrical technology there, including the emergency system and ventilation system, has to be replaced, which is why ÖBB boss Andreas Matthä spoke of "speed dating" at the international transport technology trade fair InnoTrans in Berlin with regard to the ongoing negotiations with component suppliers.

Nevertheless, according to proven experts, it will take two to four months for the parts to be delivered. Two to four months should be allowed for the installation work, including the question of whether the electronics need to be mounted significantly higher than before in order to avoid a total loss in the future. And another two to four months would be needed for the so-called adjustment drives.

Tests up to 300 km/h
This involves testing whether each switching point responds correctly. Trains therefore travel through the tunnel at different speeds - 20, 40, 60, ... km/h - in order to subject the sensitive electronics to a practical test. ÖBB tests at speeds of up to 300 km/h - the western line, which was planned in the early 1990s, was designed for this speed.

Did the planners not have flooding on their radar back then? Would an elevated route have been an alternative?

Water in the tunnel basin
Railway construction expert Norbert Ostermann, former head of the institute at the Vienna University of Technology, says no. The project planning 35 years ago was extremely detailed and meticulous. "All interest groups were involved: The federal government, state, municipalities, even hunters and the fishing industry." There was also a comprehensive environmental impact assessment.

The Atzenbrugg tunnel is one of the few tunnels that has a trough and therefore a low point - "with troughs, the water runs in from both sides when it comes." The trough was chosen out of consideration for the local population. "But if another disaster happens, such as a dam bursting, an engineer can't know that." Consideration was given to the population. Of course, a different route would have been found for an unpopulated area.

And what does ÖBB say to the question of whether the previous assumptions regarding the reopening of the so-called new western line were too optimistic? A spokesperson explains: "As the damage survey has not yet been completed, it is not yet possible to make a serious forecast.