ÖBB Annual Report 2023

For a reliable future 30 ÖBB is confronted with a booming market. In 2023, more passengers were transported than ever before. Just how far were you expecting that to happen? ANDREAS MATTHÄ: The boom in the railway sector first became apparent immediately after the end of the coronavirus pandemic in summer 2022. And people’s desire to travel has remained unbroken ever since. The increase in passenger numbers last year was not entirely unexpected. What has gone well? What has gone badly? MATTHÄ: Until autumn 2023, our long-distance trains and night trains were running well and we were able to maintain our usual quality over long distances up to that point. We then had our first problems, partly due to the maintenance-related cancellation of trains, which subsequently spread to local transport due to the necessary relocation of train sets. We then experienced major difficulties, particularly in the eastern region, for which I apologised to all customers on behalf of ÖBB. We haven’t lived up to our own expectations. In general, there is increased criticism again regarding punctuality, overcrowded trains and cleaning. MATTHÄ: Criticism from our passengers has actually increased over the past year. Over the past ten years, we have continuously raised our quality and our services to a very high level. Every decline is painful– both for us and for our customers. And what are the reasons behind this relapse? MATTHÄ: Our main problem was that we lacked sufficient rolling stock for the expanded service. Delays of more than two years in the delivery of the trains ordered have meant that the existing fleet is in much greater use than planned. Is it really just the lack of train stock or are there other reasons for the loss of quality? MATTHÄ: There is always a combination of factors when travelling by train. In addition to the lack of wagon stock, we have recently experienced frequent faults with signals, points and railway crossings, for example. We have begun to replace fault-prone components and upgrade to new technologies to prevent this from happening again. And generally speaking, we currently have the second busiest railway network in Europe, which is why we are pushing for the further expansion of the railway infrastructure. Is that why ÖBB has declared 2024 the Year of Quality? MATTHÄ: Yes, our aim is to return to our customary level of quality. This requires a joint effort in all areas. INTERVIEW. CEO Andreas Matthä and CFO Manuela Waldner on the challenges posed by the railway boom, the progress of construction work on major projects and the need to declare a year of quality. “Back to our top-quality level” ANDREAS MATTHÄ AND MANUELA WALDNER. The “We have the second-busiest railway network in Europe, which is why we are pushing for further expansion.” ANDREAS MATTHÄ