Travellers using regional trains (S-Bahn) in Vienna must expect heavily disrupted services, which could last for several weeks. This is due to a major cable fire that occurred during the night of 13 August, disrupting traffic not only on the crucial axis connecting the Central Station to Praterstern in the east of the city, but also on rail journeys to Vienna Airport.
The fire caused considerable damage to the infrastructure of ÖBB, the Austrian Federal Railways. Nearly 20 kilometres of cables need to be replaced, particularly those used for signalling systems, telecommunications and the power supply to the railway lines.
According to the initial findings reported by the Austrian press, the fire is thought to be linked to a material defect in a cable. It would therefore be a fire of a technical origin and not from an external element. However, the exact cause is still under investigation.
Vienna Airport remains accessible
Despite these disruptions, Vienna-Schwechat Airport remains accessible. However, travellers must modify their route and allow for longer journey times.
The S-Bahn S7 service between Vienna and the airport is currently suspended on part of its route. A replacement bus service is running between Wien Mitte and Wien Geiselbergstraße. From Geiselbergstraße, passengers can catch the S7 again towards Vienna Airport.
Another option is to take the mainline trains via Wien Hauptbahnhof, Vienna's central station, which continue to serve the airport.
Travellers can also use the Vienna Airport Bus, which maintains its road link with the airport.
The City Airport Train (CAT), the express train that directly connects Vienna Central Station (Wien Mitte), is also suspended. The company is providing a direct replacement bus service on this same route for the exclusive use of CAT passengers.
Another important option for visitors: ÖBB federal railway tickets are accepted on the relevant Wiener Linien public transport lines. Travellers can therefore use certain underground and urban transport lines to bypass the affected area.
The connection between Wien Praterstern and Wien Hauptbahnhof cannot currently be served by trains. Regional services coming from or heading to the south therefore terminate at Wien Hauptbahnhof and, in some cases, at Wien Meidling station. ÖBB has therefore put an emergency timetable in place since 14 August, which remains in force until further notice.
However, the railway company estimates that repairs are expected to continue at least until the start of the scheduled closure of the main S-Bahn line, planned for 7 September as part of the extensive modernisation programme for the Vienna regional network.
