On Friday, Vienna’s tram line 18 will resume service to Schlachthausgasse. For around four months, Line 18 operated only between Burggasse-Stadthalle and St. Marx. The new, extended route to the stadium is scheduled to go into service in the fall.
As part of the construction work, not only were the tracks renewed, but stops were modernized and greened, and new bike lanes were added. New tracks, safer cycling infrastructure, and additional greenery characterize the refurbished section. In total, 3.7 kilometers of track were newly laid, 17 switches replaced, and six stops redesigned.
The work is part of a major modernization package announced about a year and a half ago, Vienna Lines told “Wien heute.” The goal is to renew up to three percent of the entire track network on a regular basis. On its existing route, Line 18 is the standout renewal project of this year, said Alexandra Reinagl, CEO of Wiener Linien. “We aim to regularly renew up to three percent of our track network. Line 18 on the existing route is certainly our renewal highlight this year,” Reinagl said.
Investments instead of cuts
Officials emphasized that the modernization drive is not affected by the city’s austerity program. The funds earmarked for the project have already been allocated and secured. Vienna’s city councillor for mobility, Ulli Sima (SPÖ), stressed the need to invest in existing infrastructure.
Large parts of the rail network date back to the postwar period and need renewal. “We have to rehabilitate tracks. We cannot cut spending here; we must invest, because much of the postwar infrastructure from the 1960s and 1970s has aged and needs to be renewed. This year we replaced around 20 kilometers of track, and that will also be necessary in the coming years,” Sima said.
Extension to the stadium planned
At the Landstraßer Hauptstraße/Leberstraße intersection, construction linked to closures and track renewal for lines 18 and 71 has now concluded. Such projects pose major challenges, said Erich Hohenberger, district head of Landstraße (SPÖ). “There are no elves who can do this overnight. It was a major, lengthy construction project with several critical points. But it went better than I expected,” he said.
The next major step is already planned: extending Line 18 from Schlachthausgasse through the Prater to the stadium. The district head welcomed the project. The new extended route is set to open in the fall of next year.
