Connection Railway Debate: After Criticism Comes Legislative Change
The government is clarifying the Railway Act regarding high-performance lines, following criticism of the Vienna ÖBB project for the connecting railway, which aims to enable the Vienna rapid transit ring. Critics questioned whether the line running through Hietzing is a high-performance line. The amendment is to be sent to parliament soon to be discussed in the transport committee this year, the Ministry of Transport stated in response to an APA inquiry.
Government clarifies Railway Act on high-performance lines
"The amendment to the High-Performance Line Act is intended to clarify that railways connecting high-performance lines within a municipal area are also high-performance lines; a separate declaration of such railways as high-performance lines will no longer be necessary," a ministry spokesperson explained.
Should the Federal Administrative Court (BVwG) or the Administrative Court (VwGH) conclude that the connecting railway is not a high-performance line under current law, the above clarification would apply, the spokesperson said.
Citizens' initiative: Application submitted to the wrong authority
Peter Pelz, the Hietzing NEOS district councilor who co-founded the citizens' initiative "Better Connecting Railway," accused the ÖBB during the review of submitting the project application to the wrong authority. Both the Ministry of Transport and the ÖBB emphasized to the APA that the environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the connecting railway was applied for at the correct places - precisely because the connecting railway is a high-performance line.
The project between Meidling and Hütteldorf has not been on track for some time. The schedule has had to be changed several times. Most recently, in July, the ÖBB postponed the construction start planned for this year indefinitely, stating that it was unclear "when and how the project will be implemented." In the "worst-case scenario," a delay of several years is possible.
(APA/Red)
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