Austria’s state railway ÖBB has begun a new phase of track-renewal works that will affect two high-traffic routes used heavily by commuters and business travellers. • Linz Hbf – Wels Hbf: complete overnight closure from 22:30 on 10 October until 04:00 on 14 October, with a second block 17-21 October. Regional-Express (REX) and S-Bahn S2 services are cancelled or diverted; buses replace trains between the two hubs. • Attnang-Puchheim – Bad Ischl / Stainach-Irdning (Salzkammergut line): daytime and overnight shutdown from 08:30 on 10 October through 02 November. Replacement buses run for REX70, R70 and long-distance IC trains, adding up to 30 minutes to journeys. ÖBB says the works will modernise signalling and catenary systems, raising speeds and capacity ahead of the December 2026 timetable change. For the coming three weeks, however, corporates should expect longer door-to-door times on north-south trips linking Vienna, Linz and Salzburg with western Styrian resorts. Practical tips for mobility managers: • Re-route time-critical travellers via the Westbahn open-access service or company cars on the A1 motorway during night blocks. • Advise assignees living along the Salzkammergut tourist belt to book rail-replacement buses in advance; bikes and bulky luggage are not permitted. • Update posted-worker schedules that rely on “last train back” connections – some late evening departures are cancelled throughout the works. The disruption comes as ÖBB accelerates a €4.2 billion infrastructure plan that overlaps with EES border-processing upgrades at Vienna Airport and the Brenner freight corridor. While short-term pain is inevitable, the operator argues the long-term payoff will be more reliable inter-city mobility for Austria-based multinationals.
Source: ÖBB Verkehrsmeldungen
