Major track closures in Vienna: S-Bahn and subway affected in summer!

Major track closures in Vienna: S-Bahn and subway affected in summer!

Vienna is facing a number of restrictions on public transport while extensive conservation and modernization work is carried out. The S-Bahn line S45 is currently interrupted due to this work. “From now until June 12, 2025, the section between Hernals and Handelskai is not passable,” informs ÖAMTC. A replacement rail service with buses has already been set up to serve the affected stops.

For passengers, this means that they have to look for alternatives at the stations Vienna Hernals, Vienna Gersthof and Vienna Heiligenstadt, among others. On June 12th, other restrictions will come again: The section between Heiligenstadt and Handelskai will be closed until June 23rd, 2025, with the same regulations for rail replacement traffic.

Modernization of the subway stations

At the same time, modernization work is also being carried out on subway stations. Work on the Kagran U1 station is planned until the end of June 2025. Passengers must expect a stop in the direction of Oberlaa, but the additional transfer option on the Old Donau remains. In addition, the U6 station Tscherttegasse will be modernized from May 12, 2025 and will last until December. Here, too, it is recommended to change in Meidling, as the stop is only served in the direction of Siebenhirten.

Extensive track work in the city

The track work goes hand in hand with a comprehensive modernization offensive by the Wiener Linien. This includes, among other things, the replacement of a total of 11 kilometers of tracks and the installation of 45 new switches, while around 76 million euros are planned for these measures in 2025. Vienna lines place a particular focus on the U4, whose tunnel infrastructure is over 120 years old. The work for this will take place between June 28th and September 1st, 2025.

There will also be track changes in the city center: between July 1st and the end of August, tracks on the Kärntner Ring, Universitätsring and Schubertring will be replaced. This will result in lines D, 1, 2 and 71 being rerouted. Passengers can expect interval consolidation for other lines.

The modernizations are not just limited to the subway and S-Bahn; Tram lines will also be affected. For example, more than 1,800 meters of tracks will be replaced on Hütteldorfer Straße, as well as at other locations such as Landstraßer Hauptstraße and Schlachthausgasse.

Announced innovations

In addition to the existing work, new tram lines are also being planned. From autumn 2025, line 12 will connect districts 8, 9, 20 and 2, while line 27 will run from Strebersdorf to the U2 Aspern Nord station. Furthermore, line 18 between the 2nd and 3rd districts will be extended and a new bus line 73B will be created in Simmering. From Easter 2025, this will run from the 3rd Gate Central Cemetery to the Kaiserebersdorf S-Bahn station.

With these measures, Wiener Linien not only wants to modernize the infrastructure, but also ensure the reliability of public transport. According to forecasts, two million passengers benefit from these improvements every day, while the Wiener Linien achieves an impressive reliability of 99 percent for daily journeys of over 100,000 kilometers. The outlook for 2025 promises a smoothly functioning transport system in the capital.