ÖBB Annual Report 2025

67 Group Management Report Österreichische Bundesbahnen-Holding Aktiengesellschaft Consolidated Financial Statements | Group Management Report 24 Proactive shaping as opposed to reactive response and opportunities ÖBB aims to help shape the future of mobility rather than simply react. The focus is on a wide range of topics. The mobility and energy transition brings not only technological innovations, but also new requirements for the planning, use and further development of infrastructure. It is not solely about expanding physical capacity, but also about intelligently linking systems, data and services across all modes of transportation. ÖBB views the profound changes in the market environment as an opportunity for innovation, for sustainable growth and for actively shaping a climate-friendly, connected and future- oriented mobility and logistics landscape. In a changing European market environment, the Group is taking on a formative role and providing targeted initiatives – technological, strategical and societal. Passenger transport: ÖBB as a holistic, sustainable mobility service provider ÖBB continues to position itself as the leading mobility service provider in Austria and as a strong player in European rail transport. At the core is the ambition to design customer-focused mobility services – comfortable, reliable and sustainable – and thus strengthen public transport as the backbone of modern mobility. In recent years, rail services have been greatly expanded by the federal and state governments. Given constrained public budgets, contracting authorities are under increasing pressure to reconcile the desired level of services with costs. Accordingly, ÖBB is working intensively to increase efficiency gains and unlock cost -saving potential, as the shared target remains to maintain the railways as the backbone of high-quality public transport in Austria. With the launch of the Koralm Railway and the new Interregio service, there will be an additional planned expansion of the service in the 2026 timetable year. Increasing new line construction, upgrades and maintenance measures in Austria and abroad are leading to ongoing disruptions to scheduled rail services. In addition, the increasing number of severe weather events is leading to closures and restrictions on the rail infrastructure and consequently to service disruptions. Nevertheless, reliability, punctuality and a high level of travel comfort remain key success factors. ÖBB is consistently investing in the modernization and upgrade of its rolling stock in order to meet the continued increase in passenger demand. New vehicles and the ongoing renewal of existing trains in local, long-distance and night services enhance the customer experience and make the system future- ready. The ÖBB Passenger Transport sub-group is an international quality carrier. An attractive cross-border service is offered and continuously further developed together with international cooperation partners in day and night transportation services. Arverio Deutschland GmbH, a subsidiary of ÖBB-Personenverkehr AG, which has been part of the Group since the beginning of 2024, achieved a significant success in 2025. It was awarded the contract for the tendered network 35b in Baden-Württemberg. From December 2026, Arverio will operate five lines there with an annual service volume of up to 10.3 million train-km – a significant step towards strengthening its market position in the liberalized German regional rail market. To support its core business, passenger transport is also developing supplementary mobility services. This includes intermodal concepts that cover the route from the first to the last mile, particularly in suburban and rural areas. The use of shuttle services, rental vehicles and other solutions is intended to create a climate-friendly alternative to private car use. Passengers can conveniently plan and book their journeys end-to-end via the “wegfinder” platform and other innovative mobility solutions such as rental vehicles and shuttle services. These actions will help to further increase the attractiveness of the railways as an environmentally friendly and practical alternative to private transportation. Via Rail Tours, ÖBB travel agencies and end customers can easily book travel modules in Austria and Europe. Rail travel (with ÖBB, but also DB, Trenitalia, and SNCF) is always part of the offer. Further activities for high-quality rail experience products will focus on continuously expanding the range and improving access to the service. Österreichische Postbus AG remains a key player in sustainable mobility across the regions. As a reliable partner in scheduled bus services for municipalities and transport associations, it delivers high service quality and efficient use of resources. In addition, Österreichische Postbus AG provides rail replacement service to ensure the continuity of the mobility chain with the highest possible quality for customers. A particular focus in 2025 was on advancing autonomous mobility solutions, with the aim of creating innovative and flexible services that improve access to public mobility and support the integration of autonomous systems into regular operations in the long term. MR24 |