ÖBB Annual Report 2025

Step by step into the future 24 T he economic environment has become markedly more difficult. Rising costs and intense competition are putting pressure on companies across all sectors. At the same time, digitalization and new technical possibilities are changing existing business models and market structures. All this calls for greater flexibility, faster responsiveness and more resilient organizations. These developments can be clearly seen in the mobility sector as well. While the demand for climate-friendly transportation is growing, competition between the different modes of transport continues to increase. Goods transportation has been hit particularly hard: the ongoing slump in industrial activity means falling transportation volumes and increasing price pressure. Structural distortions on the agricultural market have also brought significant declines in freight volumes due to changes in trade flows, among other factors. At the same time, extensive construction activity on central corridors – particularly in Germany but also in Austria, for instance on the Tauern corridor – is impinging on rail freight performance. Such construction work necessitates long detours and therefore higher costs. All in all, these factors reinforce existing structural competitive disadvantages in rail freight – not least due to the lack of cost transparency between rail and road. Fit for the future with Compete ÖBB sees here a clear call to action: processes and structures must be consistently redesigned and geared towards efficiency and competitiveness. Because as an integrated transportation and logistics group, the changing conditions can be felt in almost all areas at once. Operating reliably in an increasingly dynamic market environment requires the regular review of cost structures, optimization of processes and efficient deployment of existing resources. With this in mind, ÖBB launched the Group-wide “Compete” program in the spring of 2025. This comprises a wide range work packages with specifically tailored measures that are expected to generate savings of EUR 300 million per year. Employees played a central role in developing the measures, contributing concrete and practical suggestions for improvements based on their experience from day-to-day operations. At the same time, the program takes into account the very different conditions confronted “If you want to succeed, you have to act, not react .” MANUELA WALDNER, CFO What is Compete? Compete is ÖBB’s Group-wide competition program , which was launched in 2025. It bundles together numerous measures to optimize processes, structures and costs. The aim is to strength- en competitiveness , exploit synergies and achieve annual savings of EUR 300 million. TRANSFORMATION. Competition, rising costs and technological developments are presenting rail companies with new challenges. ÖBB has taken the initiative by developing a competitive agenda to improve processes and review cost structures. > Rising to the challenge