Upgrade works to the Vienna-Bratislava railway line: the first overpass opens to traffic.
After a construction period of seven months the newly built L5 overpass across the Marchegger Ostbahn is complete. This is the first of 14 over and underpasses that will replace all of the level crossings along the Lower Austrian segment.
The removal of level crossings improves safety along the line and also benefits the environment as there are no more idling car engines while barriers are down.
Upcoming Construction Works
To ensure that all existing railway crossings can remain open during the Vienna-Bratislava upgrade works, there will be detours and traffic restrictions. The crossing of the L11 and Groß-Enzersdorfer-Str. will be built between February and October 2020.
Twin City Rail: The Vienna-Bratislava Line
Upgrading the existing single-track diesel line between Vienna Stadlau and the border at Marchegg to an electrified and partially double-track network will take place with ongoing rail traffic. After the completion of the EU-supported project, passengers will benefit from a quick and safe rail connection between the two capitals Vienna and Bratislava. A train currently takes 66 minutes to travel between the two cities. This will only take 40 minutes in the future. Once the works are complete, trains will be able to operate at a top speed of 160km/h.
The upgrade works reinforce the Trans-European Network since the line is part of two Core Networks: the Baltic-Adriatic Corridor (connecting Gdansk and Bologna) and the Rhine-Danube Corridor (Strasbourg-Constanta). Commuters along the route will benefit from the modernisation of all stops and stations.
The railway axis between Paris, Strasbourg, Stuttgart, Vienna and Bratislava is the EU’s priority axis no. 17. As such, these works are eligible to additional Connecting Europe Facility funding.
The works have been divided into 3 phases:
- 1a: double-track, electrified, full upgrade within Vienna, from Stadlau to Vienna Aspern North train station
- 1b: double-track upgrade and electrification, section by section, from Vienna Aspern North to the Austrian-Slovakian border near Marchegg
- 2: development of a second track in single-track zones
Phase 1b is to be complete by 2023, with all works finished by 2030.
Also read:
- EU: 1.4 Billion Euros for Sustainable Transport Projects
- Austrian Federal Railways Announces Improvements for 2019 Timetable
- European Parliament Approves Funding for Connecting Europe Facility
- The Infrastructure Progress Report
