Chaos in public transport: track construction causes problems in Vienna!

Chaos in public transport: track construction causes problems in Vienna!

In the heart of Vienna, it is bubbling: track construction work on several tram lines ensures excitement and diversions in public transport. Lines 71 and 18 are affected, which is a challenge, especially for many older passengers.

On Wednesday morning, an older lady visited Doris Becher's hairdresser shop in Simmeringer Hauptstraße. However, the track construction work on tram lines 71 and 18 had trouble reaching the salon. "The replacement bus 71e only drives to the St. Marx station, and the Litfaßstraße, Molitorgasse, Zippererstraße and Hauffgasse stops are completely canceled," criticized cups and thus addressed the inconvenience that caused the construction work. On top of that, there is a complete traffic lock on Rennweg due to the track renovations. As a result, older people in particular are difficult to manage the route, which led to the past week that some customers from the neighborhood were brought to the hairdresser.

inadequate replacement transports

The Viennese lines assure that the connection to the public transport network is still possible. "The three and the eleven districts remain well connected by the U3, the replacement bus 71E and the bus lines 74a, 77a and 80a," said a spokeswoman for the Vienna Verkehrsbetriebe. In order to facilitate the situation for people with mobility restrictions, a shuttle bus was set up between the U3 station Schlachhausgasse and St. Marx.

Nevertheless, it was criticized by residents and local politicians. Othmar Ceche, a resident, criticized the lack of connections at four stations for over a month. In particular, the FPÖ and the Greens practice sharp criticism of the track construction work and the longer footpaths for older passengers. The green club chairman Heinz Berger also addressed the poor condition of the tram tracks, which led to the current construction sites and further fueled the situation in Floridsdorf, where there is also trouble over slow ride on line 26.

diversion plans and upcoming construction sites

In Landstraßer Hauptstraße, line 18 is provided with 2.4 kilometers of new tracks. The construction work for this puts diversions and locks in force. From March to early July 2025, line 18 was in a diversion and has been completely discontinued since the beginning of July to the end of August 2025. A replacement bus 18e runs between the Fasangasse and the Heinrich-Drimmel-Platz.

for line 43, which is currently being renewed in Jörgerstrasse, there are also restrictions. Diminations are scheduled between Elterleinplatz and Gersthof by September 2025. Further track construction work is in Hütteldorfer Straße, where line 49 has already been discontinued and lines 52 have been extended.

The Viennese lines advise to use alternative means of transport. U-railway lines and buses sometimes run with compacted intervals and meet the high demand. But there will also be restrictions on the traffic on the Carinthian Ring, University Ring and Schubertring.

It remains to be seen how the situation will develop in the coming months. For the time being, the combination of construction work and the summer heat ensures additional challenges in Viennese local transport.

For more precise information on the ongoing construction work, the official website of the Viennese lines can be consulted: www.wienerlinien.at . The reporting of Kurier and ORF Vienna