Number 1 in the EU

“We have cracked the half a billion passenger mark”

ÖBB is celebrating a passenger record.

(Bild: Birbaumer Christof)

Railroad boss Andreas Matthä on the explosion in passenger numbers: in 2024, ÖBB carried over 500 million passengers for the first time. Passenger numbers grew much faster than new trains were delivered.

"Krone": ÖBB is in a real dilemma: passenger numbers are exploding, partly due to the climate ticket, while delivery problems are leading to a shortage of materials and therefore full trains and delays.
Andreas Matthä: Passenger numbers have grown much faster than trains have been delivered. However, we flew in 30 trains last year. 2024 was therefore a good and challenging year. Our target for 2030 was to reach 500 million passengers. We've already achieved that and we've cracked the half a billion mark. Long-distance traffic was stable despite the flood damage on the western route. But for the first time since Covid, we have increased local traffic by ten percent. Working from home is likely to have declined in Austria and we were able to expand our services.

Where do we stand in comparison? Not yet with the world champion Switzerland, right?
Not yet. We are number one in the EU, as the most punctual network railroad and with the most passengers.

Punctuality is relative, isn't it?
The biggest pain was caused by long-distance traffic. Half of all delays have to do with connections from abroad and/or the weather. From Salzburg to Innsbruck via the German corner has nothing to do with punctuality.

Rainer Nowak, deputy editor-in-chief of "Krone" (left), in conversation with railroad boss Andreas Matthä.

(Bild: Zwefo)

Germany will become an even bigger problem for a while: The high-capacity line is being renovated. It'sgoing tobe chaos, right?
The high-capacity corridor closures will keep us busy for several months in both 2026 and 2027. We will be directly affected by a closure between Passau-Regensburg and then Regensburg-Nuremberg, Salzburg-Rosenheim and Rosenheim-Munich. But we are making meticulous preparations: If the Salzburg-Rosenheim route is closed, we will run the inner-Austrian trains via Zell.

So a longer journey time?
It's still quicker to get to Munich by train than by plane. But it's 90 minutes longer to Innsbruck and Bregenz if you miss the German corner.

Our politicians are not necessarily said to think in the long term, but this is much more pronounced in the case of infrastructure than in Germany. Freight transport and industry are feeling the effects.
Yes, I see that as much, much more problematic. That's why we're not just looking at passenger transport, but also freight transport and the economy. We are therefore currently planning intensively how we can organize the rerouting traffic so that we can connect our most important countries well.

There will be no timetable expansion this year?
We had one in 2024, now we are preparing for the complete conversion of our transport system in 2026. With the opening of the Koralm line, we have a new southern line. On the old southern line, we are offering a new product similar to long-distance services, local trains with 1st class and a corresponding level of quality. This is called the Interregio concept. Long-distance services will be expanded by 35 percent by December 2026.

Do you have a good relationship with the new Infrastructure Minister Peter Hanke?
We have known each other for decades and have a good working relationship. If you look at the transport chapter and the coalition's tasks: What was the old hit song? "Now we're spitting in our hands again, we're increasing the gross national product!"

Will you be extending your term as CEO?
I have a contract until 2026, then we'll see. But the challenges don't just keep me busy, they give me pleasure.