New tram line 18: Prater connection will be reality by 2026!

New tram line 18: Prater connection will be reality by 2026!

Leopoldstadt, Österreich - The connection of the Vienna Prater will be significantly improved in the coming years. The expansion of tram line 18, which runs between the U3 Schlachhausgasse and the U2 stadium, has received green light. With an extension of 3.1 kilometers, the new section is to be completed by autumn 2026. This initiative goes hand in hand with a clear goal: a better connection to the popular leisure destination Prater and an improvement in the infrastructure for cyclists.

The new route will include a total of seven new stops. The construction work begins in the Meiereistrasse area in front of the stadium and extends from July 2025 to U3 Schlachhausgasse and to Ludwig-Koeßler-Platz. Line 18 will in future lead from the U2 station stadium via Meierestrasse and Stadionallee to the U3 Schlachhausgasse and then to the U6 Burggasse-Stadthalle. This not only significantly expanded the range of public transport, but also creates direct change options.

construction work and traffic restrictions

However, the construction work will not remain without effects on traffic. From June 2025, motorized private transport between Lusthausstraße/Stadionallee and Meiereiße/Stadionbad will be closed. In addition, from November 2025, locking methods and diversions are planned on the Stadionallee. This also applies to bus lines 77a and 80a, which have to be diverted during the construction period. A new bus concept will be announced after the commissioning of line 18.

This measure estimates that around six million passengers can benefit from the new tram line a year. In addition, the initiative could lead to public transport to relocate the traffic and thus reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 1,300 tons annually.

sustainable development and digitization

The expansion of the tram line is part of a sustainable infrastructure strategy that is implemented as part of the climate guns. Digitization plays a crucial role here, especially when it comes to the integration of different mobility offers. Initiatives such as the mobility concept "Mobility as a Service" (MAAS) promote bundled access to different transport options via a central app, which facilitates the use of public transport. This concept could be one of the keys to a more efficient and user -friendly traffic landscape in Austria.

The transport associations in Austria have mastered the challenges of public transport in the regions almost across the board since 1997. With the ALLIGATION AUSTRIATION ALLONGET AND PERFORMATION AND PRIVATIONS SHOUT THE ÖBB and the Westbahn was made possible. In the course of these developments, it is important that local public transport will be further modernized and expanded, so that it will continue to do justice in the future.

It remains exciting to observe how the new tram line 18 fits into the existing network and what further progress is made in the city's transport policy. Because one thing is certain: something is happening in the Vienna mobility landscape, and we can be excited to see how everything will develop.

For more information on the topic, you can report the reports on Today and read. The platform VCOE also offers comprehensive insights into digitization in public transport.