Westbahn Expands Offer: New Overnight Connection from Vienna to Salzburg
With the timetable change on December 15, 2024, the Westbahn is introducing a significant innovation: a daily night connection from Vienna to Salzburg. This additional late-night connection is aimed in particular at commuters, night owls, and travelers who want to travel comfortably from Vienna to the West even late at night.
The new night service departs daily at 00:08 from Vienna Westbahnhof in the direction of Salzburg and stops in Vienna Hütteldorf (00:15) and in Lower Austria in St. Pölten (00:36) and Amstetten (01:00). / Picture: © Wikimedia Commons; Herbert Ortner, CC BY 3.0 DEED (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en)
The new night service departs daily at 00:08 from Vienna Westbahnhof. After a stop in Vienna Hütteldorf (00:15), the train reaches Lower Austria, where it stops in St. Pölten (00:36) and Amstetten (01:00). On its onward journey to Salzburg, the train stops in Linz, Wels, Attnang-Puchheim and Vöcklabruck before reaching its destination in Salzburg at 02:42.
Mobility offensive in Lower Austria
With the introduction of this new connection, Westbahn is increasing its services along the western route by 20 percent. This expansion not only includes the night connection but also numerous other direct connections and new destinations. Lower Austria's Deputy Governor Udo Landbauer (FPÖ) emphasized how important this measure is for the region, as Mein Bezirk reports: “The new daily night connection of the Westbahn is a great benefit for our fellow countrymen, especially in the central region and the Mostviertel.”
Voices of those responsible
Alexander Schierhuber, Managing Director of Verkehrsverbund Ost-Region (VOR), as reported by Mein Bezirk, praised the extension as a “convenient and reliable option” for late-night return journeys from Vienna to St. Pölten or Amstetten. Westbahn Managing Director Thomas Posch sees the new night connections as “an important step towards further strengthening mobility in the region”. The aim is to increase the number of late-night journeys and offer people a reliable alternative to the car.
Expansion of services to Germany and new destinations
The Westbahn is not only expanding its reach in Austria but also internationally. The new timetable offers two direct daily connections between Vienna and Stuttgart. The journey time is around six and a half hours, with trains stopping in Rosenheim, Munich, Augsburg, Legoland Germany (Günzburg), and Ulm. The first journey was characterized by a slight delay, which according to Westbahn was due to short-term construction work by Deutsche Bahn.
In addition, the Westbahn now also connects St. Johann im Pongau directly with Vienna. This connection is particularly aimed at commuters as well as ski and mountain vacationers, who can now avoid having to change trains in Salzburg. The response from passengers on the first two days after the introduction of the connection was already “above expectations”, as Westbahn manager Posch confirmed.
Further expansion of the Westbahn route
The Westbahn plans to further expand its services in the future. Additional connections to Vorarlberg, including a direct connection from the Lake Constance region to Vienna, are on the agenda. The Vienna-Bregenz route is to be doubled, while additional stops such as Innsbruck Westbahnhof, Imst-Pitztal, and Jenbach in Tyrol will improve connections.
With these innovations, Westbahn is sending a clear signal for more mobility, comfort, and sustainability in regional and international rail transport. The expansion of direct connections to Germany and the new overnight connection from Vienna to Salzburg marks a milestone in the further development of the service for passengers in Austria and beyond.