Renovation offensive

2025 as the year of the missing public transport elevators in Vienna

11 out of 288 public transport elevators are scheduled to break down this year.(Bild: Jöchl Martin)

In addition to the ongoing track renovations, Wiener Linien is focusing on modernizing elevators and escalators this year. However, until people can enjoy modernized accessibility, they will have to endure weeks of closures throughout the year.

Users of the Gumpendorfer Straße U6 station have already noticed: the elevator is out of service until the beginning of March. This is just the first harbinger of the renovation offensive for elevators and escalators that Wiener Linien intends to devote itself to this year.

Focus on the U6
A total of eleven elevators and twelve escalators are to be renovated this year, especially on the U6 line: after Gumpendorfer Straße, work will begin at Schöpfwerk in mid-March. In mid-May, work will continue in Siebenhirten and Tscherttegasse, where the entire platform in the direction of Floridsdorf will remain closed until the end of November. The two elevators in Perfektastrasse will then be completed in the fall, followed by the Schöpfwerk at the beginning of 2026. On average, each of the elevators will be closed for around eight weeks for the refurbishment.

Twelve escalators are also to be replaced this year.(Bild: privat)

Renovation at Stephansplatz is causing a stir
The elevator at the Hütteldorf U4 station will also take a whole 14 weeks in summer to be refurbished, and the replacement at Stephansplatz station will take eight weeks from 20 January. To the indignation of disabled people's associations and the Inner City district council, this means that the city center will be inaccessible until 17 March. Wiener Linien recommends using subway stations along the Ringstrasse with bus connections to the city center.

Spare parts nowhere to be found
The work in Hütteldorf and at Stephansplatz are examples of Wiener Linien's elevator problem. The elevator in Hütteldorf is 30 years old, the one at Stephansplatz is even 34 years old. In other words, there are no longer any spare parts for it anywhere in the world. There is no way around a complete redesign and new construction.

Behind closed doors at Wiener Linien, it is said that they were actually very lucky that the ancient elevators lasted until the planned new construction. If a part had broken down, the new building would have had to be brought forward without planning - and that would have made much longer closures necessary.