Bim in the fast lane
Public transport: Vienna is not getting a new subway
The public transport network in the city is growing and growing. Massive expansion is underway both underground and on the surface. This is also accompanied by necessary construction work with restrictions. These could be even bigger and longer in the future, warns the head of Vienna's public transport network. According to the motto "Tram hui, subway pfui", only the Bim rail network is to grow. That's what's behind it.
Just a month ago, Wiener Linien announced the decade of modernization of the public transport network. The consequences are far-reaching construction sites, some of which will have a serious impact on many public transport customers. This year, the drill is already being used on a large scale (see graphic below). There is no alternative to the extensive construction work if Vienna is to remain the most liveable city in the world, as Vienna's public transport company emphasizes. But that might not be all.
U5 to be the last subway line in Vienna
Wiener Linien boss Alexandra Reinagl has now made people sit up and take notice in a presentation at an event organized by the Swiss Chamber of Commerce. The manager, whose contract was extended by five years just a few days ago, warned of long and large construction sites. Every year, three percent of the rail network would have to be renewed. The construction sites would no longer run out in the summer because they would become longer and larger.
Then another surprising announcement. Despite the current massive expansion of the subway network with the mega public transport project U2xU5, the U5 is to be the last new subway line in Vienna. Why? "Because you have to ask yourself how environmentally friendly the subway is. Keyword civil engineering and CO₂," Reinagl continues. Yet the U2xU5 project as a whole is always touted as Vienna's biggest climate protection and infrastructure project of all time. The office of Public Transport Councillor Peter Hanke (SPÖ) refers to Wiener Linien.
"Seen as a whole, subway trains are very environmentally friendly," say Wiener Linien. Postscript: In terms of duration, complexity and use of resources (concrete, steel, etc.), streetcars have the edge when it comes to realization. While subway railroads require several years of construction and extensive civil engineering work, the new lines 12 and 27 or the extension of line 18 could be built on the surface in around one and a half years. Reinagl's vision: Vienna should become the streetcar capital of the world. It currently has the sixth largest streetcar network in the world - with 28 lines and an operating length of 171 kilometers.
Streetcar expansion as a political legacy of former city councillor Maria Vassilakou
The expansion of the "electric" tram network goes back much further. Former City Councillor for Transport Maria Vassilakou (Greens) already backed the streetcar expansion and wanted a new line for the south of the city. Under her aegis, lines O and D were extended and the projects for lines 25 and 26 were prepared.
So now the streetcar is experiencing a renaissance again. Wiener Linien would also like to build the tramway in the surrounding area, but this would require partners, which are currently still open. Line 72 should have been extended across the city limits to Schwechat by 2025. However, it is still completely unclear when this will happen. It was presented together with the state of Lower Austria, and talks on financing are currently underway, according to a Krone inquiry. The City of Vienna's hand has been outstretched for some time, but the ball is in Lower Austria's court.
TheViennese need particularly strong nerves in summer
This year's summer of roadworks is also a tough one when it comes to public transport. It's not just about isolated track works, this year some important lines will be split or even completely suspended. We have the details and the timetable for the coming months for the construction sites with the greatest potential for frustration:
- Redesign of Wiedner Hauptstraße: expected to last until the beginning of November. Line 1 is rerouted between the Opera, Karlsplatz and Kliebergasse via the route of lines D and 18. Line 62 has a short route. It runs between Lainz and Dörfelstraße. The Badner Bahn does not run from Baden to the Opera, but from Kliebergasse to the Belvedere district.
- Redesign of Universitätsstraße: until September. Line 43 is shortened. It runs between Neuwaldegg and Alser Straße. Line 44 is discontinued. It is replaced by line 33 between Lange Gasse and Maroltingergasse. Line 33 does not run between Lange Gasse and Josefstädter Straße. It runs from Lange Gasse as a replacement for line 44 to Maroltingergasse (temporary terminus).
- Renovation of the U4: From July 1 to September 1 inclusive, the U4 will not run between Schwedenplatz and Schottenring.
- S-Bahn: The main line will be a construction site again and again until 2027. The line will be closed between Floridsdorf and Praterstern in July and August at the start of the work.
- S 80: Due to the work on the line, trains on the line will not be able to run between the main station and Aspern Nord until July 1, 2024.
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