ÖBB Annual Report 2023

157 Group Management Report Österreichische Bundesbahnen-Holding Aktiengesellschaft Consolidated Financial Statements | Group Management Report 112 Bicycle transport The new-generation Nightjet offers improved transport options for all cycling enthusiasts: the multifunctional carriage with low-floor access offers six bicycle stands. The first new-generation Nightjets were put into operation with the timetable change in December 2023 – on the Vienna – Hamburg and Innsbruck – Hamburg routes. There is also good news from the west of Austria: since November 2023, all 21 Cityjet Desiro ML, which accommodate up to 39 bicycles per set, have been in operation in Vorarlberg. Punctuality Safe, punctual and reliable rail operations are the foundation of the ÖBB Group’s performance promise. In 2023, 95.0% of ÖBB trains in passenger transport were on time, of which 80.3% of ÖBB trains in long-distance transport and 95.7% of ÖBB trains in local transport were on time. Rail Cargo Austria trains operated on the ÖBB network with a punctuality rate of 78.4%. Overall, the sharp deterioration in the performance of neighbouring railways and the higher network capacity utilisation had a negative impact on punctuality. Further increases in passenger numbers and bottlenecks in vehicle availability had an additional impact on punctuality in 2023. The year 2023 has again brought a significant increase in passenger numbers. Train traffic was once again unrestricted, both across borders and domestically. This fundamentally pleasing development has, however, also led to a sporadic rush of travellers, particularly on long-distance services. As a result, stopping times were also exceeded, which had a negative impact on punctuality. The targeted use of customer guides was able to remedy this situation in the short term. In 2023, the unsatisfactory performance of individual neighbouring railways in international long-distance traffic will also have a negative impact on the punctuality of the long-distance lines - much more so than in previous years. Unfortunately, even the close cooperation with neighbouring railways - including intensive performance dialogues and stabilisation measures taken - could not directly prevent this negative impact on the ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG network. The strikes abroad and the weather-related route interruptions in summer 2023 posed additional challenges. A large number of worksites had a negative impact on punctuality in long-distance and freight transport in both the spring and summer months. Although negative influences on punctuality could be mitigated by the targeted use of deviation timetables, among other methods, the effects were felt in the ÖBB network. The construction site on the “Deutsches Eck” in particular has had a hugely negative impact on the stability of long-distance traffic on the western axis. Further targeted measures are necessary here for the next few years in order to be able to keep the impact on punctuality correspondingly low. The issues of construction work, border delays and stopping time overruns will continue to be a mayor driver of unpunctuality in subsequent years. Forward-looking measures are required to maintain the stability of company operations. This includes, for example, high availability of equipment and vehicles and precise operational management as well as effective border management. This will be one of the core tasks in punctuality management in the coming year. Outlook for 2024 The 2024 timetable marks an increase in service kilometres compared to the previous year due to the consistent expansion of local and long-distance services. As the market leader in night travel, ÖBB is continuing to expand Europe’s night train network. New Nightjet routes are set to start in the 2024 timetable year and the existing service improved. A particular highlight: the new coaches – the flagship of night train services – will be in operation on the Vienna – Hamburg and Innsbruck – Hamburg lines as from the timetable change. This is intended to make a further contribution to the expansion of the European night train network and consequently to the further shift of air traffic to climate-friendly rail. The ÖBB freight transport sector continues to work on efficient and multimodal end-to-end logistics solutions through the targeted use of digitalisation and innovation. Among other things, this involves measures to optimise active customer management, wagon deployment and wagon stock. The modernisation of stations and stops will continue intensively in 2024. The clear aim of accessibility is to increase the density of ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG’s network of accessible railway stations and to continue to set regional priorities (school and educational locations, health resorts, hospitals, etc.). The implementation strategy is entering the medium-term phase of making more railway stations barrier-free with a daily frequency of 500 to 1,000 travellers per day. This means that ÖBB is getting ever closer to its target of 90% of passengers travelling barrier-free by 2027. MR112 |