OEBB Austrian Railways

ÖBB Is Internationally Recognized for Sustainability

The international rating agency ISS has awarded ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG the first place out of 55 international transport companies for its commitment to sustainability, climate protection and eco-efficiency. Austria's Climate Protection Minister Gewessler is delighted about the international recognition for ÖBB and emphasizes that climate protection is the right path for the future.

February 19, 2021

Vienna - Salzburg: Frequent Intervals Will Be Maintained

The important rail connection between Vienna and Salzburg will keep having regular intervals due to an emergency award by the Austrian Ministry of Climate Protection. The ministry will continue to order trains from the Austrian Railways (ÖBB) and Westbahn in order to assure a frequent rail connection until April 7.

February 15, 2021

European Year of Rail: Inauguration of EU Locomotive in Vienna

The European Year of Rail wants to highlight the advantages of rail as as safe and sustainable means of transportation. For this occasion, a specially branded EU locomotive was inaugurated at the Vienna Central Station by Austria's Climate Protection Minister Gewessler, representative of the European Commission in Austria Selmayr, and Austrian Railways CEO Matthä.

February 11, 2021

Austria's Top Managers Launch Economy4Future Initiative

Some of Austria's top managers have launched the economy4future initiative, which focuses on the fight against climate change. The campaign wants to promote dialogue between big companies and young people in order to better shape the economic future in harmony with the resources of the planet.

November 26, 2020

European Commission Approves Austrian Aid for Railroad Companies

The European Commission has granted Austria its planned subsidies for railroad companies to promote the shift from road transportation to rail road usage. Austria will increase its public aid to, on the one hand, relieve railroad companies of some financial burdens of the last months and to, on the other hand, continue the promotion of railroad rather than road transportation.

November 26, 2020

Prize for Pre-Scientific Papers: "We Are Europe"

For the first time, the European Commission in Austria together with the Liaison Office of the European Parliament and the Ministry of Education has awarded the "We are Europe" prize to several young Austrians, who have shown a particular good understanding of European topics in their pre-scientific papers.

November 17, 2020

Rail Traffic Between Vienna and Salzburg Can Be Maintained

Similar to measures taken in the spring of this year, the Ministry for Climate Protection has set up an emergency contract with the ÖBB and WESTbahn to safeguard rail transport between Vienna and Salzburg. The mutual acceptance of tickets from WESTbahn and ÖBB will also be established again.

November 13, 2020

Austrian Railways To Suspend Night Trains Between Germany and Austria

After a rise in Covid-19 cases in Germany, the Austrian Railways (ÖBB) have announced the suspension of nightly train traffic between Germany and Austria for one month starting November 8, 2020. As of today, other daytime services will not be affected and will operate as usual.

October 28, 2020

Austrian Railways: EUR 17.5 Billion of Investment Until 2026

The railway system in Austria will see impactful investments in the near future. Due to a package of around EUR 17.5 billion until 2026, the Federal Government together with Austrian Railways (ÖBB) will try to make travelling and transporting by rail even more attractive to customers.

October 20, 2020

Vienna: 44 Hectares of Train Station Will Turn Into Housing for 16,000 People

By 2033, the City of Vienna together with Austrian Railways (ÖBB) will turn the train station at Nordwestbahnhof (20th district, Brigittenau) into living spaces that will comfort 16,000 people.

August 21, 2020

Coronavirus: Austria Declares Entry Ban for Persons from Italy

Austria's federal government has today passed a travel ban for people from Italy. The primary objective is to prevent the exchange of persons and thus the spread of the COVID-19 disease into our society, said Federal Chancellor Kurz at a press conference with regard to the situation in Italy.

March 10, 2020

Travel between Austria and Italy: Security Levels 3 to 5

Due to the current situation of the increasing number of confirmed cases of infection with the coronavirus (COVID-19), the Foreign Ministry advises against unnecessary travel to Lombardy. However, air and rail traffic are also affected as follows.

March 3, 2020 · Updated: March 4, 2020; 17:12

Austrian Airlines Cancels Further Flights to Italy, China and Iran Still Suspended

Due to falling demand for flights to Italy as a result of the corona crisis, Austrian Airlines is cancelling 40 percent of its flights to Italy in March and April. Flights to Tehran (Iran) will continue to be suspended until 30 April 2020 and flights to Beijing and Shanghai (China) until 24 April 2020.

March 3, 2020

Austria is Arming itself against the Coronavirus

The Austrian Federal Government today presented a package of measures against "all" upcoming scenarios, with the aim of ensuring transparency, information and protection for the population. The next 2 to 3 weeks will be decisive in determining how the coronavirus situation develops.

February 24, 2020

Italy-Austria: Coronavirus Emergency Measure Caused Chaos and Panic

A false coronavirus alarm paralysed train traffic between Italy, Austria and Germany. Meanwhile the far right Freedom Party demands that the National Security Council should discuss the situation and that travel to Austria from the affected regions should be restricted.

February 24, 2020 · Updated: February 24, 2020; 11:57

Hub to the Far East - ÖBB Rail Cargo and Port of Trieste Strengthen Cooperation

At a critical time when the question of Italian economic independence from China is being discussed throughout Europe, ÖBB's Rail Cargo Group is intensifying its cooperation with the port of Trieste in order, among other things, to be able to use the transport connection of the Adriatic port to the Far East.

March 22, 2019

Business Mission and "Future Trip" to Tel Aviv as Part of the State Visit of Van der Bellen

On the occasion of the official state visit of Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen, the Austrian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (WKO) is organising an economic mission entitled "Infrastructure" as well as the "Open Innovation for Corporates" future trip to Tel Aviv.

February 4, 2019

Bratislava - Vienna Railway Line Extended

The two EU capitals Vienna and Bratislava are approaching each other. After a construction period of about two years, representatives of Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB), the EU, the City of Vienna and the Province of Lower Austria opened the first part, the so-called "Vienna section" of the Vienna - Bratislava line extension. The completion of the second part, the so-called "Lower Austrian Section", will last until 2023. The journey time from the main railway station in Vienna (Hauptbahnhof-Wien) to the main railway station in Bratislava (Bratislava hlavná stanica) will be reduced from 66 minutes to 40 minutes.

December 5, 2018

What Does Austria Have to Do with the Silk Road Project?

The Chinese "One Belt One Road Initiative", also known as the New Silk Road, is China's strategic measure of the century to make the entire Euro-Asian region including Africa even more dependent on its products and investments. Now the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB), the Vienna Chamber of Commerce and the ambassadors from China and Kazakhstan have joined forces to convince the Austrian population and politicians that the connection of Austria via broad-gauge railway to the Silk Road is an opportunity of the century.

November 30, 2018

ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG / Funding of the Company in the Year 2017

OeBB-Infrastruktur AG (Bond Ticker OBND) informs that funding in the year 2017 will be provided primarily by loans of the Republic of Austria in the volume of up to EUR 1.65 bn provided by the Austrian Treasury (OeBFA) instead of by bond transactions of the company.

December 13, 2016

Long-Distance Coach Operator Flixbus to Compete with ÖBB Austrian Railways

Austrian state-run rail company ÖBB Austrian Railways is facing increasing competition of German mobility provider Flixbus which has just launched its third connection for Austria's regional capital cities, between Graz and Salzburg. In January 2016 FlixBus announced its entry to the markets of Central and Eastern Europe with the new branch FlixBus CEE. This includes six countries (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia and Croatia) with new lines in the making. () am

April 27, 2016

New Vienna Central Station Offers New Connections and Shorter Travel Times

With the timetable change on 13 December 2015, Vienna Central Station and Vienna Meidling train station will be assuming their full role as a regional transportation hub. Bringing together the Western, Southern, Eastern and Northern Routes at Vienna Central Station and Vienna Meidling, creates a transportation hub with direct connection to all Austrian state capitals as well as Vienna Airport. For travelers this means better connections, shorter travel times and more comfortable traveling.

December 7, 2015 · Updated: December 7, 2015; 18:15

Californian Woman Can Not Take Austrian Railways to Court in the US

Supreme Court says, Carol Sachs who was heavily injured in Innsbruck can’t sue in the US. Her lawsuit against the Austrian national railroad ÖBB for injuries that she suffered while attempting to board a train in Austria does not fall within the “commercial activity” exception to the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, and is therefore barred by the doctrine of sovereign immunity. The American wanted USD 20 million compensation from ÖBB.

December 2, 2015

Austrian Railways Eyes Acquisitions Across Central and Eastern Europe

Oesterreichische Bundesbahnen (OeBB), the Austrian state railway operator, is eyeing rail cargo operator buys across Central and Eastern Europe, a source close to the company and a person claiming knowledge of the situation said. OeBB, with EUR 3bn in revenue, believes a number of opportunities will soon come up in countries “east of Austria”, including countries of the former Yugoslavia, the source said.

July 6, 2015

Ederer Elected as Supervisory Board President of ÖBB Austrian Railways

A few days after her resignation from the ÖIAG Supervisory Board the former Siemens manager Brigitte Ederer was elected unanimously to the top of the ÖBB Supervisory Board.

September 11, 2014

ÖBB Chairman Pöchhacker is Dead

The longtime chairman of the board of ÖBB and former CEO of the construction company Porr, Horst Pöchhacker, died on Wednesday after a short illness at the age of 75 years.

August 13, 2014

AIRail: New Type of Rail Connections Between Linz and Vienna International Airport

From 14 December 2014, Austrian Airlines and ÖBB are to launch a cooperation entitled ‘AIRail’ on the Linz central station – Vienna Airport – Linz central station route. In future, Austrian passengers with an Austrian flight either preceding or following their rail journey will also be able to use new ÖBB connections with an Austrian flight number between Linz central station and Vienna Airport.

June 16, 2014

Agenda Austria 2020: Economy = State

The think tank Agenda Austria 2020 is currently tackling the question what the “economy expects from the state”.

May 5, 2014

Austria´s Government: Old Turns into New

The leaders of the old government, Chancellor Werner Faymann and Deputy Chancellor Michael Spindelegger, announced to form a new government.

December 12, 2013

Porr: Capital Increase and Rise in Profits Expected

CEO of listed Austrian construction company Porr Karl-Heinz Strauss is still in favor of a capital increase in 2014 or 2015 and calls upon the government to create “projects for the future”.

October 7, 2013

Does Austria Need Further Privatizations?

Voestalpine´s CEO Wolfgang Eder wants to support the Vienna Stock Exchange. Without further privatizations, the stock market in Vienna could be history soon.

September 24, 2013 · Updated: September 25, 2013; 11:30

Lopatka Demands Reform for Austrian Railways

State Secretary Lopatka demands Minister of Infrastructure Bures to tackle the expensive pension system at the Austrian Railways by doing away with privliges for emplyoees in order to unburden tax payers.

September 4, 2013

Austria: Reduction in Working Hours at ÖBB

So far, the trade association of railways at the Austrian Chamber of Commerce (WKO) has rejected the reduction of working hours at the Austrian Railways (ÖBB).

June 20, 2013

Austria: Raids by EU Commission at ÖBB

The Austrian Railways is alleged of having agreed to fixed prices with other companies. House searches were carried out.

June 19, 2013

Austria: Haselsteiner to Increase Share at Westbahn

Hans Peter Haselsteiner, CEO of Strabag, is going to increase his stake in Westbahn to 47 %, the railway company, which is in majority privately held and main competition for Austrian Railways (ÖBB).

April 23, 2013

Austrian Railways Achieved Net Profit Last Year

For the first time for decades, Austrian railways (ÖBB) could generate profits after taxes.

February 26, 2013

S&P Warns Austria of Election Gifts

This year, Austria will hold federal elections. According to S&P, expensive election gifts may reduce the credit rating outlook.

February 19, 2013

Public Debt: Austria´s Government Too Optimistic

The austerity targets of the Austrian government are not realistic. Above all, the official public debt level will increase significantly next year.

February 15, 2013

Austria Plans Biggest Hydro Power Plant in its History

In Southwestern Styria, Verbund, Austrian Railways and the Styrian energy supplier EStAG want invest more than € 1.0bn in a new hydro power plant.

January 26, 2013

Austrian Railways: Sale is „No Issue”

Christian Kern, CEO of Austrian Railways (ÖBB) underlines that the company must not be sold.

November 24, 2012

Austrian Railways: Net Income to Reach € 200m in Medium Term

Despite the difficult economic situation, CEO Christian Kern aims to increase the profitability further. “The fourth quarter will be brutal.” he says.

October 20, 2012

Austrian Railways to be Privatized?

ÖVP (Austrian People´s Party) again pushes for a privatization of ÖBB (Austrian Railways). The sale of the freight division would be conceivable, ÖVP´s chairman Michael Spindelegger says.

October 2, 2012

Austrian Elections 2013: Stronach Confirms Candidacy

This week, the former CEO of Magna Frank Stronach will present the program of his party. The name of the party is not fixed yet.

September 25, 2012

ÖIAG to be Enlarged?

Publicly held companies like Verbund or Austrian Railways should be integrated into the Austrian industrial holding group.

September 21, 2012

Austrian Budget: One Third for Pensions and Interest Spending

The Austrian Audit Court published a report on the budgetary situation today. Last year, expenses “for the past” already came at € 24bn.

September 19, 2012

Austrian Railways: Pöchhacker Opposes to Privatization Plans

Horst Pöchhacker, President of ÖBB´s (Austrian Railways) is against a privatization of the company. Vice-Chancellor Michael Spindelegger (ÖVP) recently suggested to sell ÖBB to Frank Stronach.

September 10, 2012

ÖBB to Become Privatized?

In the summer talks of Austria´s public broadcaster ORF, Vice Chancellor commented that the founder of Magna Frank Stronach should acquire ÖBB (Austrian Railways). A highly controversial debate has begun.

September 8, 2012

ÖIAG: Three Potential Candidates

The Austrian Industrial Holding needs a new chairman. Tomorrow, the decision should be published.

September 6, 2012

Austrian Railways to Record Profits

In the first six months of 2012, ÖBB (Austrian Railways) has recorded operating profits.

August 16, 2012

Austrian Railways „Fit for the Capital Market in a Few Years“

Horst Pöchhacker, chairman of the supervisory board of Austrian Railways (ÖBB) thinks that the transport group will face more competition. A privatization would take time.

August 6, 2012