Before the referendum

The never-ending story of the Salzburg subway

Tracks through the center of Salzburg? It had been done before. For the tramway from 1886 to 1953.

(Bild: Repro: WOLFGANG WEBER)

After more than 40 years of discussion about the underground extension of the local line, today there is a public consultation. The arguments in the debate have been repeated again and again over the decades.

Many people in Salzburg who are now voting yes or no to the S-Link were not even born yet. At the beginning of the 1980s - more than forty years ago - the discussion about an underground local railway extension from the main station towards the city center began.

The wind changed countless times, the mood fluctuated from the euphoric "something is finally happening" to the sad "subway dreams are over" and back again. It is quite possible that the mood will continue to swing back and forth even after the public consultation.

Tracks through the center of Salzburg? It's been done before. For the tramway from 1886 to 1953.

(Bild: Wolfgang Weber)

The first concrete plans were made at the end of the 1980s and are still the basis today.

(Bild: Tröster Andreas)

The first concrete plans were made at the end of the 1980s and are still the basis today.

(Bild: Tröster Andreas)

Since 1996, the local line has ended under Südtiroler Platz.

(Bild: Tschepp Markus)

Arguments from both camps have hardly changed
The "Krone" has been following the discussion since the beginning. A look at the archives shows: Surprisingly little has changed in the arguments of supporters and opponents over the decades. Back in August 1989, a commuter from Bergheim said of the subway plans: "Salzburg has long been in need of traffic relief." The "Krone" headline at the time read: "Commuters from Flachgau demand a local subway train to the city center."

In the fall of 1996, the first mini-stage went into operation, the underground local station. Even then, the costs were a major point of contention. Instead of the originally planned 309 million schillings, a few hundred meters of subway ended up costing more than twice as much. This soon gave the critics of a further extension a boost. Their arguments have remained the same to this day: high costs and technical difficulties in Salzburg's spongy subsoil, the Seeton. In the summer of 1997, the "Krone" newspaper reported: "Now the subway dreams are bursting!" Gerhard Buchleitner, then vice-chairman of the SPÖ, called for an end to the discussion, citing the high costs.

Long local railroad history

• From 1886, there was already an above-ground railroad from the main station through the city center to Hellbrunn.
• Ten years later, the northern branch to Lamprechtshausen, which still exists today, was started.
• In 1953, the railroad through the center was abandoned again.

It is interesting to note that the opinions of the parties have changed over the decades. The city's Social Democratic Party, now vehemently opposed, was still clearly in favor of an extension in 1997. Today's supporters, the Bürgerliste and FPÖ, were still against it at the time. Top politicians also changed their minds several times. Former mayor Heinz Schaden was initially in favor, then against, then in favor again. Now he publicly appears as an opponent of the S-Link.

The major project with the new name gained momentum six years ago. Soon there was a funding commitment from the federal government. In 2019, the planning company was founded, which prepared the local line extension ready for a decision based on the initial plans from the 1980s.