Vienna Stadlau – Marchegg: establishment of a continuous two-track, electrified railway infrastructure for target travel speeds of 200 km/h

ongoing

This project aims to complete a modern, fast and efficient railway network element on Austrian territory, along the cross-border section Wien – Marchegg – Devínska Nová Ves – Bratislava, i.e. ÖBB line no.117 (Stadlau to the state border near Marchegg) that constitutes the global project. The project sets particular focus on developing a continuous double-track railway line between Vienna and Marchegg, through the upgrade of those electrified sections that are still single track between Vienna Aspern Nord to Siebenbrunn-Leopoldsdorf and Siebenbrunn-Leopoldsdorf to Marchegg (including second platforms in Glinzendorf and Breitensee), by converting them into double-track electrified sections, re-designed to lift the maximum permissible speeds to 200 km/h. It also includes improvement of the equipment related to the tracks, platforms, communications etc along the line. The completion of the project on Austrian territory, is expected to increase the capacity for long-distance trains and reduce travel times between Vienna and Bratislava from currently 66 minutes to approximately 50 minutes, which is considerable due to the relatively short distance of 37 km of the global project. Also, railway undertakings could design better timetables, achieve more attractive travel times and offer efficient and more attractive services, affecting “cross-border commuters” in their daily mobility choices the most. The upgraded infrastructure would serve passenger, but also the interurban regional rail freight traffic between Vienna and Bratislava. The operation of long-distance passenger traffic along the Core TEN-T network corridors “Baltic – Adriatic” and “Rhine – Danube” would be encouraged and the global project would also serve as an alternative to the railway connection between Vienna and Bratislava/Budapest that runs south. The project is particularly relevant for the cross-border cooperation with Slovakia, since the completion of the Austrian sections would strongly impact change in traffic demand and trigger additional investments on the Slovakian side.