Expansion of the Vienna Connecting Railway: No Construction Start This Year After All
The expansion of the so-called connecting railway in Vienna, which is the route between Hütteldorf and Meidling, is being postponed. As ÖBB announced on Friday, contrary to the original plan, there will be no construction start this year. The reason for this is delays caused by appeal procedures. The modernization was supposed to enable a 15-minute interval for the rapid transit. Now, another delay spanning several years is looming.
Schedule already changed in the past
The project is no longer on track anyway, and the schedule has already had to be changed repeatedly. According to ÖBB, a legal appeal procedure has been pending before the Federal Administrative Court for more than three years. Contrary to previous assessments, the court has not lifted the suspensive effect of complaints, it was stated. Therefore, ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG must now retract all preparations for a construction start this year. This also affects a tender package of around 30 million euros.
The project schedule must now be re-evaluated in coordination with other projects. "When and how the project will be implemented cannot be stated at this time," it was emphasized in the announcement. In the "worst case," a delay of several years is possible.
Only maintenance measures soon
Only maintenance measures will be implemented soon. In the event of a longer delay, it may also be necessary, according to ÖBB, to renovate the Vienna River bridges. This could lead to total costs of 100 million euros, which would also require examining whether the connecting railway project would be financially feasible if delayed, it was warned.
The core of the dispute is the section of the route after crossing the Wiental and the western entrance, which is to be elevated. According to ÖBB, this section is 800 meters long. The project opponents aim to achieve, through their resistance in the environmental impact assessment process (EIA process), among other things, that the route is lowered. However, according to ÖBB, this is not technically feasible, as a tunnel under the Wien River would be disproportionate due to the immense costs.
Vienna's City Councillor for Transport, Ulli Sima (SPÖ), expressed little satisfaction in a reaction. The consequences for the people of Vienna and for the mobility transition are massive, she lamented in a statement. "We need this connection to offer climate-friendly mobility with an attractive 15-minute interval. This connection would also help us relieve the heavily frequented U4. Honestly, I lack understanding as to why the court's decision is taking so long," she noted.
One of Vienna's Most Important Infrastructure Projects
The President of the Vienna Chamber of Commerce, Walter Ruck, also lamented: "That there is still no court decision is more than regrettable. One of Vienna's most important infrastructure projects remains on hold." Strengthening the Vienna metropolitan region requires a modern expansion of infrastructure. This makes Vienna more efficient and brings value creation as well as jobs, he pointed out.
The district leader of Hietzing, Johanna Zinkl (ÖVP), on the other hand, reminded in a statement sent to the APA that there is still no legally binding EIA decision. The process must be awaited. "In this process, the voices and concerns of the Hietzing residents are heard. I welcome the recent decision of ÖBB to evaluate the project." This could create opportunities and new possibilities for everyone, Zinkl stated.
(APA/Red)
This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.