Train travel in Austria saw a rise of 33 million passengers in 2023 compared to the previous year, reaching a total of 328.3 million, according to an annual report released on Friday.
The report, by regulatory authority Schienen-Control, noted that this also represented an increase of almost 12 million compared to pre-pandemic figures in 2019. It highlighted that demand for passenger traffic had reached “an all-time high” while freight transport showed slower growth.
Schienen-Control attributed the rise in passenger numbers to expanded services, including increased frequencies on existing routes and the introduction of new connections.
The key factors for this improvement were newly introduced long-distance and night train connections by ÖBB-Personenverkehr and WESTbahn, explained Schienen-Control.
The report also highlighted a record number of operators in the market, with 66 companies now authorised to operate trains on the ÖBB network.
Passengers on Austrian railways covered a total of 14.5 billion passenger kilometres in 2023, equating to an average journey of 44.3 kilometers per passenger on domestic routes.