"Major Confusion"

ÖBB Warning: South Line Unexpectedly Closed

On Monday morning, there were delays and train cancellations on the southern route between Vienna Meidling and Mürzzuschlag.(Bild: ÖBB / Harald Eisenberger)

There was great confusion among ÖBB passengers on Monday morning: ÖBB issued a travel warning, and delays occurred on the Südbahn line. As it turned out, a bomb threat made during the night was the cause of the train chaos. The warning has since been lifted.

Due to a police operation, there were delays and train cancellations on the southern line between Vienna Meidling and Mürzzuschlag. “There was a bomb threat overnight,” said a spokesperson for the Ministry of the Interior.

Several federal states were affected by the threat. Police were present at train stations, and investigations were underway behind the scenes. There were no track closures.

“Krone” reader: “There was a lot of confusion”
“There was a lot of confusion because ÖBB trains were canceled due to a police operation—we were told that this would continue throughout the day,” reported a “Krone” reader who was affected by the cancellations. As a result, many passengers “simply bought a ticket for the Westbahn. No one understood why the ÖBB wasn’t running but the Westbahn was.”

Delays Still Possible
“The safety of passengers and employees is our top priority,” ÖBB stated on Monday morning. In an update shortly after 11 a.m., they stated that there were “no longer any serious impacts” on train service. However, isolated delays could still occur as a result of the operation. ÖBB asks travelers for their understanding.

“Swatting” can be costly:

“Swatting” refers to the deliberate misuse of emergency calls to provoke police responses. Each case is reviewed individually, followed by administrative or criminal consequences.

Perpetrators are often required to cover the costs of the operations they triggered—these costs are billed in accordance with Section 92a of the Public Security Act (SPG), which mandates reimbursement, and typically range into the high five- to six-figure range.

In some cases, “swatting” can also result in prison sentences of several months.

Threat Was Likely a Case of “Swatting”
The threat was reportedly a case of so-called “swatting.” This involves false emergency calls or emails intended to trigger, for example, a large-scale police operation. The Directorate for State Security and Intelligence (DSN) has taken over the investigation into the case, according to the Ministry of the Interior.