Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) has announced an expansion of its new-generation Railjet fleet in response to sustained growth in long-distance daytime travel. By 2030, ÖBB plans to operate 40 new Railjet trainsets, an increase from the originally planned 27.
According to ÖBB, passenger numbers have risen steadily in recent years, with the company recording 511 million journeys in 2024.
ÖBB CEO Andreas Matthä said:We anticipate strong growth in international daytime long-distance traffic on routes to our neighbouring countries in the coming years. Therefore, we will further expand the capacity of our Railjet fleet.
The expanded fleet will consist of 12 nine-car and 28 seven-car Railjets. The seven-car sets have been designed for flexibility, allowing them to operate in double formation on routes within Austria and into Germany. ÖBB confirms that comfort features, carriage layouts, and design elements introduced with the new-generation Railjets will remain unchanged.
The order adjustment has been made in coordination with Siemens Mobility, which is supplying the new trains.
ÖBB has also revised its plans for the Nightjet service. While an original order covered 33 new-generation Nightjet trainsets, 24 will now be delivered by mid-2026. The Nightjet fleet will combine these new trains with existing carriages, allowing ÖBB to continue offering overnight services across Europe with an increased number of sleeping and reclining berths.
All Railjets covered by the updated agreement are scheduled for delivery by 2030.
