ÖBB Annual Report 2023

Group Management Report 132 Österreichische Bundesbahnen-Holding Aktiengesellschaft Consolidated Financial Statements | Group Management Report 87 Sealed: Car parks and traffic areas, buildings; Semi-sealed: Railway ballast, gravel surfaces; unsealed: Grassland, farmland, woodland and shrubland, gardens. Source: Schauppenlehner, T., Hainz-Renetzeder, C., Lux, K., Frühwirth, R. (2022): Determination of the economic, social and ecological potential of ÖBB open spaces - final report. Institute for Landscape Development, Recreation and Conservation Planning, University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna. 75 S (on behalf of ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG). In total, ÖBB has more unsealed forest and meadow areas than sealed traffic areas. There are particularly high proportions of forest in the provinces of Tyrol, Vorarlberg and Carinthia. They fulfil the important protective forest function for the rail infrastructure in the alpine route areas. In regions with few forests, such as Burgenland, the forests on railway land increase the diversity of the landscape. The higher rail network density, high-capacity lines and larger railway stations mean that the federal states of Vienna, Lower Austria and Upper Austria have a high proportion of railway lines. Water surface areas also make up a significant proportion of the railway land in the provinces of Salzburg and Vorarlberg. The large hydroelectric power storage lakes for traction current production are located there. The project also developed and visualised various case studies on extensive, sustainable land use, such as urban gardening, grazing, energy production, etc. In 2023, ÖBB-Produktion Gesellschaft mbH began the remediation of oil separators at twelve locations in order to prevent the contamination of soil with fossil fuel in the area of diesel filling stations. The refurbishment work is scheduled for completion in spring 2024. The replacement of ballast contaminated with diesel fuel is also to continue as in previous years. The Knittelfeld support centre was involved this year, with other support centres to follow. Résumé and outlook 2024 The process towards an effective and economical circular economy in the ÖBB Group is currently underway. In 2023, several initiatives were taken to improve the circular economy. Firstly, this area was better staffed and, secondly, new methods will be applied and further potential identified and raised through cooperation and research projects. The main guideline for this is the Austrian circular economy strategy, which was published in December 2022. A new land surface inventory is also planned for 2024, from which strategic objectives will then also be derived. | MR87