ÖBB Annual Report 2023

Group Management Report 188 Österreichische Bundesbahnen-Holding Aktiengesellschaft Consolidated Financial Statements | Group Management Report 143 G.16. Economic driver, Value-adding Investments and Sustainable Financing Management approach Every euro spent on rail expansion generates two euros for the national economy. Investments in the rail system and in ÖBB are therefore a particularly sustainable form of infrastructure development with positive effects for economic growth and employment. The companies directly commissioned benefit from the investments, as do the national suppliers and their employees, who in turn boost consumption. Better development of regions also means greater prosperity for them and an upgrading as a business location. And finally, ÖBB is making a contribution to the energy transition with its sustainable mobility offering. ÖBB is therefore focusing on making the railways and public transport more attractive, with the aim of creating added value for the environment, society and the economy. By 2040, ÖBB wants to double the performance of the railway system by expanding the rail infrastructure, digitalising rail operations and using modern vehicles. The essential tool for implementation is the framework plan. As a planning and financing instrument of the federal government, it contains the presentation of all new infrastructure construction projects including their investment sums as well as the planned expenditure for the maintenance of the rail network. The framework plan covers a period of six years and is supplemented and adjusted annually on a rolling basis by one year. More detailed information on the corporate strategy is provided in chapter C.5. Objectives – ÖBB’s goal is to remain the clear number 1 in Austria as a mobility and logistics provider and to be one of the mayor players in Europe. – The goal is to also double the performance of the rail system by 2040 (based on 2018). Key figures at a glance 2023 2022 Investments of the ÖBB Group in Euro million 4,504.3 3,920.2 Investments of the ÖBB-Infrastruktur sub-group in Euro million 3,364.6 3,262.3 Investments of the ÖBB-Personenverkehr sub-group in Euro million 913.8 476.7 Investments of the Rail Cargo Austria subgroup in Euro million 170.5 141.6 Highlights 2023 Doubling the performance capability of the rail system The strategic focus of ÖBB is to double the performance of the rail system by 2040 compared to 2018. This is to be achieved on the one hand by expansion on the infrastructure side with the expansion in accordance with the framework plan and the continuation of the future target network 2040. In addition to this, innovative technological measures such as digitalisation and automation will be relied on, but the use of residual capacities already available today will also be fully exploited. A higher priority is being given to longer and more efficiently loaded trains and higher seat utilisation with reference to rolling stock. The timetable is also to be optimised in a further step in order to achieve the aim of doubling the number of passengers. The framework plan is the primary tool for the implementation of the objectives. The new 2024 to 2029 framework plan will see approx. EUR 3.5 billion invested in the railway infrastructure each year. A large number of projects will already be completed by the early 2030s. The success stories also include the extension of the western line and the expansion of the infrastructure in the lower Inn valley. A success that is to be continued with the construction of the Brenner Base Tunnel or the southern route with Semmering Base Tunnel and Koralm railway, currently undergoing expansion. This will enable significant increases in capacity and reductions in journey times. Investments and financing measures in the respective subgroup companies are broken down in more detail in chapter C.4. GRI 201-4 ÖBB secures locations and regions The framework plan is not only shaping the railways of tomorrow, however; the local economy is already benefiting from the investments today. ÖBB generates several billion euros in added value for the country every year. The result of approx. EUR 1.0 billion in railway investments is to create and secure approx. 15,000 to 17,000 jobs in Austria. In addition, two jobs at ÖBB create and secure another job outside the railway. The investments mean an upgrading of the business location. These open up the regions and enable more growth and prosperity. The fact that investments in ÖBB’s railway infrastructure are a particularly sustainable form of investment was also confirmed in 2023 by the independent rating agency ISS ESG. ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG once again achieved top status. | MR143