Annual Report 2025 – ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG

ÖBB-Infrastruktur Aktiengesellschaft Group Management Report | Consolidated Financial Statements 7 Memberships Like all companies in Austria, ÖBB is also required to be a member of the Chamber of Commerce (Wirtschaftskammer). In addition, the company holds voluntary memberships in interest groups and professional organisations at both the Austrian and international levels. These include, for example, the Federation of Austrian Industries (Industriellenvereinigung), the Association of Public and Community Services in Austria (VÖWG), the Transport and Infrastructure Initiative for the Future (ZOVI), as well as the Community of European Railways and Infrastructure Companies (CER) and the International Union of Railways (UIC). All memberships can be viewed in an intra-Group database. New memberships undergo a screening process (antitrust law, compliance checks, risk assessment, etc.) and must – without exception – be approved by the relevant Management Board. Topic management at international level Until the end of 2025, ÖBB’s work on European policy was dominated by CEO Andreas Matthä’s chairmanship of the Community of European Railways and Infrastructure Companies (CER). His three terms as Chair between 2020 and 2025 were characterised by the following priorities. The focus was on infrastructure funding and European corridor management, as well as the call for fair competition between rail and road freight transport. Another part of the thematic package was the commitment to promoting and achieving greater European harmonisation in key digital technologies such as the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS), Digital Capacity Management (DCM) and Digital Automatic Coupling (DAK). At the end of his third term of office – which had been granted on an exceptional basis – Andreas Matthä handed over the chairmanship of the Community of European Railways and Infrastructure Companies (CER) to his successor, Alain Beroud, CEO of the Polish State Railways (PKP), in December 2025. In certain areas, significant improvements in European legislation have been achieved through the rail sector’s strong advocacy. This applies, in particular, to European passenger rights and the Capacity Regulation (Kapazitätsverordnung). The aim is to make the future capacity and traffic management of infrastructure operators on the European corridors significantly more efficient and cross-border in nature. In the freight transport sector, the key issues were the discussion regarding the pending new guidelines on state aid for land transport and multimodal transport. The ongoing revision of existing guidelines on combined transport and on the maximum permissible dimensions and weights of road vehicles was also discussed. In 2025, the entire European policy-making process was dominated, above all, by the debate over the scale and priorities of the EU’s multi-annual financial framework for the years 2028 to 2034. ÖBB’s contribution to this discussion included the presentation of a fiscal policy paper by ÖBB CEO Andreas Matthä and economist Christian Helmenstein (Economica Institute) entitled “Laying Tracks for Growth: European Railway Infrastructure as Strategic Investment” at the European Parliament. In July 2025, the European Commission finally presented its proposal for the future multi-annual financial framework, with a clear focus on Europe’s comprehensive security and defence capabilities. With a view to crisis resilience and military mobility, particular attention was also paid to investment programmes and funding opportunities for the European rail system, and, in particular, to cross-border rail infrastructure projects. This should be seen as a major lobbying success for the Community of European Railways and Infrastructure Companies (CER) in the context of the planning process for the financial framework. Further to working to establish a favourable legal framework at European level, ÖBB continued its efforts at international level to optimise international rail freight transport between Europe and Asia. Discussions continued with stakeholders in the fields of infrastructure, transport policy and industry in the countries along the so-called Central Corridor (Trans-Caspian International Transport Route – TITR), stretching from China through Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, to Turkey. In particular, cooperation with the state railway (KTZ) and transport policy stakeholders in Kazakhstan was expanded and bolstered. For example, reciprocal visits by high-level delegations were organised, as well as several internal ÖBB workshops and training sessions for state railway (KTZ) expert delegations on occupational safety and operational management issues. The long-standing partnership with the Ukrainian state railway Ukrzaliznytsia (UZ) was also strengthened further. In early April 2025, ÖBB CEO Matthä led a delegation on a visit to Kyiv. In addition, as part of a joint project between the World Bank, the Federal Ministry of Finance and ÖBB, a workshop and training programme was developed for Ukrainian railway staff.