On the Westbahn line in Lower Austria, the comeback of 230 km/h speeds is imminent. According to ÖBB, the final repair work after the September 2024 flood is finishing on schedule. From Friday, the connection through the Tullnerfeld will be open again, and the detour via the Wienerwald—with a 30-minute longer travel time on the Vienna–St. Pölten section—will be history. ÖBB and WESTbahn return to their regular timetables.
After the three-month closure of the “new” western route last autumn following the century flood, another three and a half weeks of final repair work began on May 12, as announced. The focus was on the Atzenbrugger and Lainzer tunnels, as well as Tullnerfeld station. The flood had left its mark not only there. According to Infrastructure Board Member Judith Engel, the total damage for ÖBB will be “just under €100 million.”
Upgrades for Tunnels and Tullnerfeld Station
In the Atzenbrugger Tunnel, provisional solutions were dismantled and replaced with new components that were not available last year, ÖBB reports. Additionally, a mobile flood protection system is now in place. In the Lainzer Tunnel, cable feed-throughs were sealed and safety-technical installations renewed. Elements of the power supply—among them over 1,000 distribution boxes—have been relocated to higher positions along the walls. Here too, a mobile flood protection system has been installed.
In Tullnerfeld station, which was also heavily affected, building services lines and distributors (electrical, heating, ventilation) were raised to better protect them from future flooding. To make optimal use of the closure, the platforms were extended to approximately 420 meters. With this upgrade, longer trainsets can stop at Tullnerfeld in the future.
“Flood Damage Now Finally Eliminated”
According to ÖBB, the fastest connection on the Vienna–St. Pölten section is now again “in top condition.” Test and acceptance runs are still taking place before full re-opening. “With good planning and teamwork, ÖBB ensured that the closure and extensive temporary measures ran smoothly and that the flood damage is now finally eliminated,” Infrastructure Board Member Engel was quoted as saying in a statement.
The first train on the returning route through the Tullnerfeld will be RJ 821 from Wels, scheduled to arrive at 5:35 a.m. at Vienna Central Station. From Vienna West, CJX 5 (train 9120) departs at 4:48 a.m. Seven minutes later, RJ 848 to Salzburg leaves Vienna Central. WESTbahn returns to the fast connection with train 900, departing Vienna West at 5:38 a.m., also bound for Salzburg.
