Travellers using Vienna International Airport (VIE) face major changes to their onward journeys after a central section of the city’s S-Bahn trunk route between Wien Praterstern and Wien Hauptbahnhof closed on 7 September 2026 for extensive modernisation works. With no rail traffic on the line until October 2027, Vienna Tourist Board (WienTourismus) issued an updated advisory on 24 September detailing alternative airport-city connections. Headline measure is the substitution of the non-stop City Airport Train (CAT) by a high-frequency premium bus shuttle branded “CAT by Bus”. Operating up to five times per hour between Vienna Airport and Wien Mitte/Landstraße, the 21-minute service preserves the hallmark fast transfer—including through-checked luggage for selected airlines—though passengers must forego the in-town check-in facility during the works. The CAT buses run from 05:30 until after midnight, matching the train’s traditional operating window. Passengers holding ÖBB tickets have several options. Long-distance Railjet and Intercity services continue to link the airport with Wien Hauptbahnhof every 30 minutes. Regional-express REX7 trains terminate at the Hauptbahnhof, while S7 commuter services now stop short at St. Marx, where tram and bus connections feed the city centre. Two new Vienna Airport Bus routes launch on 5 September, providing direct links to Praterstern and Karlsplatz and complementing the existing Westbahnhof and Schwedenplatz lines. Corporate mobility planners should alert assignees and frequent flyers to longer surface travel times, especially at peak hours. The bus replacement maintains redundancy in the ground network but removes the buffer formerly provided by parallel rail routes, raising the risk of congestion on the A4 motorway. Companies with time-critical travellers may wish to pre-book taxi or ride-hail services and allow additional margin when connecting to early-morning long-haul departures. The infrastructure upgrade, part of ÖBB’s €1.2 billion “Wien Hauptnetz 2030” plan, will ultimately deliver higher capacity, full step-free access and digital signalling on the capital’s busiest suburban corridor. Until then, Vienna Airport, ÖBB, Wiener Linien and private operators say they will monitor demand and adjust frequencies. Real-time information is available via the ÖBB Scotty app and Vienna Airport’s website.
Source: Vienna Tourist Board (wien.info)
