Final construction work for Vienna's public transport: U4 and new line 27!

Final construction work for Vienna's public transport: U4 and new line 27!

In the hustle and bustle of the last days of the summer holidays, there is a lot going on in Vienna. Construction workers are working hard to prepare the subway and tram lines for on-time operation. There is a lot of work going on, especially in the city center, at Praterstern and along the U4, which has been being renovated piece by piece for years. Vindobona reports that the final work on the construction projects in front of the parliament building, which affect four tram lines, should end on Sunday. This track renewal was urgently necessary, as project manager Stefan Geiger from Wiener Linien explains, due to the high volume of traffic.

The U4, a central part of Vienna's transport network, has also completed its renovation work. The tunnel girders, which were at the end of their service life, were modernized and partly rebuilt - including ten new double girders between the Friedensbrücke and the Schottenring, as well as 15 renovated girders. From September 1st, the U4 trains will again run continuously from Hütteldorf to Heiligenstadt.

Current restrictions and new projects

The reconstruction of the tracks continues in Floridsdorf. Here, tram lines 25 and 26 have to travel at a maximum of 15 km/h due to the construction work and the associated speed limit. This renovation is taking place during normal operations and is a response to the simultaneous closures of the ÖBB S-Bahn main line, the work of which will last until September. Wiener Linien is also planning to introduce a new tram line 27, which is scheduled to go into operation in autumn 2025. This line will be important to relieve pressure on existing lines and shorten intervals. The new route will lead from Strebersdorf to the U2 station Aspern Nord and connects Floridsdorf with Donaustadt. Around 34,000 residents will benefit from this line and thus avoid CO2 emissions of up to 1,600 tons annually.

In addition to the ongoing work, the Vienna Greens recently presented an ambitious plan for expanding the public transport network. The plan calls for expanding the tram network in the outskirts by 68 kilometers of new tracks within ten years. MyDistrict reports on 17 new tram lines as well as the extension or relocation of existing lines. Estimated construction costs are between 1.7 and 2 billion euros. The aim is to reduce the proportion of car journeys to 15% by 2030, while currently 26 to 27% of journeys are made by car.

A look into the future

The city is also planning new cross-connections to further reduce car traffic. The focus is on the reactivation of tram line 8 and the introduction of new lines in the north of the city as well as an express bus line along the Danube. The so-called “2-3-5 model” aims to have subway trains run every two minutes, trams every three minutes and buses every five minutes. These measures are intended not only to increase the efficiency of public transport, but also to improve the quality of life in Vienna. Thanks to the planned introduction of a 365 euro annual ticket without a price increase until 2030, Viennese people could switch to public transport even more easily.

The Wiener Linien is in the middle of the hot phase of work and preparation for a sustainable transport transition in the capital. It will be exciting to see how the network will develop in the coming months.