Subway Lines in Vienna Back in Operation after Flooding - Delays with U6
Following the massive flooding and flood protection measures in Vienna, subway services are slowly returning to normal. From Wednesday morning, September 18, 2024, the U2, U3, and U4 lines will be fully operational again. However, there are still restrictions on the U6, as the line between Längenfeldgasse and Niederhofstraße is impaired due to water ingress.
Following the severe storms and flooding, the subway lines U2, U3 and U4 are now scheduled to run continuously again from the start of operations on Wednesday morning. / Picture: © Wikimedia Commons / David Kunz / CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)
According to Alexandra Reinagl, Managing Director of Wiener Linien, the U2, U3, and U4 lines will run continuously from the start of operations. The test runs on the U4 line between Heiligenstadt and Hütteldorf were successful, meaning that this line will be fully operational again. The U2 and U3 lines are also running on their full routes again. The U2 runs between Schottentor and Seestadt, and the U3 as usual between Ottakring and Simmering.
Delays on the U6
Service on the U6, on the other hand, cannot be resumed immediately. There was severe water damage in the area between Längenfeldgasse and Niederhofstraße due to flooding of the Wien River. Wiener Linien and the professional fire department are still busy pumping out the water. Service is expected to be restored during the day, but it is strongly recommended to use the alternative lines 6, 18, and 59A. In addition, streetcar line 62 has been extended to replace the U6 between Lainz and Burggasse, Stadthalle.
Damage to the Pilgramgasse U2 construction site
The U2 construction site at Pilgramgasse, where the Wien River overflowed the flood protection wall on Sunday, was the worst affected. Work on the tunnel boring was stopped early and all workers were evacuated from the construction site in time. According to Wiener Linien, the water was up to ten meters deep at the construction site. The clean-up work is in full swing, but it is expected that the damage could amount to several million euros. Despite the severe disruption, the planned resumption of the U2 line in the fall is not at risk.
Effects on streetcar traffic
Streetcar services were also affected by the flooding. Lines 40 and 41, which had suffered damage to the overhead lines, have been back in operation since Tuesday. Wiener Linien thanks passengers for their understanding and advises them to check the current operating situation via the WienMobil app.
As the water levels of the Wien River and the Danube Canal have fallen, the flood protection measures have largely been dismantled, meaning that subway services can be almost fully resumed from Wednesday.