High amount of damage

Vienna: Consequences of the floods still clearly noticeable

According to Wiener Stadtwerke, it is still dealing with the consequences of the event.

(Bild: Wiener Linien / Jakob Schönfeldinger )

The federal capital was also severely affected by the floods in September. A 1000-year flood event was even recorded on the Vienna River. According to Wiener Stadtwerke, it is still dealing with the consequences of the event. For example, construction work for the extension of the subway network was affected.

The Stadtwerke subsidiary Wiener Lokalbahnen Cargo is also suffering from the after-effects of the flood. In principle, Stadtwerke General Director Peter Weinelt and his deputy Monika Unterholzner expressed their satisfaction on Thursday with the way the floods in the city had been dealt with. "We didn't get away without damage, but we got off relatively lightly," said Weinelt in an interview with media representatives. Energy plants and waste incineration plants were in continuous operation, for example. Public transport was also able to resume operations quickly.

360 damages to Vienna's grids
According to Weinelt, it is still difficult to say how high the total amount of damage is. Excluding Wiener Linien, it would probably be in the high single-digit millions, Weinelt explained. The damage that had to be repaired included around 360 at Wiener Netze. In most cases, fallen trees that had damaged power lines had to be removed.

400 sandbags installed
A total of 1600 households were affected by power outages. It was emphasized that the gas supply was secured at all times. According to Stadtwerke, securing the subway network was also time-consuming. This was carried out at more than 30 critical points. 12.9 tons of dam beams and 400 sandbags were installed.

20,000 cubic meters of water pumped out
According to Stadtwerke, the fact that Wiener Linien is not yet able to estimate the extent of the damage is mainly due to the water ingress in the Pilgramgasse construction site - where the U2 will meet the U4 in a few years' time. 20,000 cubic meters of water had to be pumped out there, and numerous vehicles and equipment belonging to the construction companies working there were damaged. It is estimated that the damage amounted to millions of euros.

According to the municipal utilities, it is not yet clear whether the flooding of the shaft will cause delays. It was only announced in the summer that, for technical reasons, the extension of the U2 will not go into operation at the end of 2028 as planned, but not until 2030.

Countless liters of water had to be pumped out of the Vienna subway.

(Bild: Wiener Linien / Jakob Schönfeldinger )

Incidentally, there is still no exact date for the reopening of the U2 main line from Schottentor to Karlsplatz. Technical problems were also responsible for a delay there. 

Cargo only active to a limited extent
When it comes to the consequences of flooding, Stadtwerke is not only affected by the consequences in Vienna - but also by the restrictions on rail traffic, for example. According to Monika Unterholzner, Wiener Lokalbahnen Cargo (WLC) is currently only able to operate to a limited extent, which is mainly due to the closures and detour on the western line.

Even now, the company has not yet reached the level it was at before the extreme weather. Capacity is still 25 percent lower, explained Unterholzner. The WLC calls at destinations throughout Europe, such as ports on the North Sea.