On the Semmering line

Train derails: 500 passengers stranded

The third and fourth carriages of this train set derailed on Thursday morning near Breitenstein on the Styrian-Lower Austrian border.(Bild: ÖBB, Krone KREATIV)

An accident involving a Czech freight train on Thursday near Breitenstein (Neunkirchen district) led to a closure of the Semmering railroad line. Hundreds of passengers are now stranded at Mürzzuschlag station. Long-distance trains should have been running again from 8 or 9 p.m., but the work was delayed.

It happened at around 10.30 a.m.: near Breitenstein on the border between Lower Austria and Styria, a freight train derailed and another one jumped off the tracks with one axle. 

Damage assessment underway
"A local inspection is currently taking place, we have to see whether the train can be lifted back onto the track," says ÖBB spokesman Christopher Seif in an initial statement to "Krone". The train, which was on its way from Italy to Bratislava in Slovakia, was not carrying any freight.

We are trying to organize enough replacement buses as quickly as possible. However, this is proving difficult.

Christopher Seif, ÖBB-Sprecher

In any case, the incident with the empty train has unpleasant consequences for passengers: "We now have to organize buses to replace the long-distance trains, which will be routed to Vienna via the S6. It is of course difficult to get so many buses in one go," says Seif, asking for patience.

According to ÖBB, around 500 passengers are currently stuck at Mürzzuschlag station. ÖBB hopes that at least one track can be reopened in the course of the day.

Update, 6 pm:
According to ÖBB, trains should be able to run over the Semmering again from 8 or 9 p.m.: "This means that long-distance services can be run over the Semmering again from this time, and the rail replacement service for long-distance services between Gloggnitz and Mürzzuschlag can be lifted once the one track is available." The last time there was talk of after 10 pm.

Passengers need patience
From April 6 to April 28, rail replacement services are planned on the Südbahn route anyway due to renovation work. Between Wiener Neustadt and Mürzzuschlag, all passengers will have to get off and change to buses.