Tracks damaged

U1 remains closed until the beginning of December

Line U1

(Bild: Wiener Linien / Manfred Helmer)

Following the fire on the U1 subway line on Tuesday, the middle section of the line will remain closed until the beginning of December. This is according to an expert opinion from Wiener Linien. 50 meters of track, 25 sleepers and several kilometers of cable need to be replaced.

As reported, the U1 line is interrupted between Schwedenplatz and Südtiroler Platz. Continuous service is not planned until the first week of December. The replacement service will remain in operation until then. 

Defective sleepers and cables
After the defective train was removed, the clean-up work began. First, the tunnel walls were checked and the track bed cleaned. "It turned out that a total of around 50 meters of the track had been affected, 15 meters of which were severely damaged. There were defects in sleepers and cable support systems," according to Wiener Linien.  

The burnt-out Silver Arrow.

(Bild: zVg)

In the coming days, 50 meters of track, 25 sleepers, 400 meters of cable trays and several kilometers of cable will have to be replaced. Due to the limited space available, the damaged infrastructure must first be removed and transported away before the new material can be delivered and installed.

Once the work has been completed, a track measuring car is driven along the route. This checks with millimeter precision that all track dimensions are correct. The final step is to check the track ventilation and the train protection system. If these checks are also positive, the green light can be given for the start of operations. The renovation work is expected to be completed in the first week of December and the U1 will be able to run continuously again, the transport company said in a statement.

Closed section. The accident happened between the stations Taubstummengasse and Südtiroler Platz.

(Bild: Wiener Linien)

Alexandra Reinagl, Managing Director of Wiener Linien:  "We are doing everything we can to be able to offer the usual quality of service again as soon as possible."

Silver arrows are being checked
It is still unclear how the fire in the train set started. 

"All vehicles are checked at regular intervals, and there are clear legal requirements. Before each journey, the vehicle is checked to ensure it is in good working order, and several safety systems and sensors check the train during operation," says Wiener Linien.

Head of Wiener Linien Alexandra Reinagl

(Bild: Luiza Puiu)

The Silver Arrows are checked in the workshop every six weeks. The annual overhaul takes place once a year. The vehicle is dismantled and all relevant components are metrologically checked and components are routinely replaced. "I have ordered an additional check of all Silver Arrows of the relevant generation," says Reinagl.