ÖBB Annual Report 2023

Group Management Report 78 Österreichische Bundesbahnen-Holding Aktiengesellschaft Consolidated Financial Statements | Group Management Report 33 Focus of capital expenditure 2023 ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG continued to work intensively on implementing the largest construction program of all time in 2023. The investment sum of approx. EUR 19.0 billion secured in the 2023 to 2028 framework plan enables ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG to implement numerous new construction and modernisation projects as well as maintenance work over the next six years on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Climate Action. The expansion and quality assurance of the rail network are the prerequisites for enabling more trains to run on the rail network overall. This means higher capacities as well as better and faster connections for rail travellers. Major ÖBB projects such as the Semmering Base Tunnel, the Koralm Railway and the Brenner Base Tunnel are continuing as planned. In addition, the focus is on the expansion of local transport in urban centres. In terms of climate change mitigation, it is also important to ÖBB to make regional railways more attractive and to push ahead with a corresponding electrification programme. Part of the investment will flow into digitalisation with a view to the future. The railway is also being made fit for freight transport. Programs for the construction of so-called freight train-length passing tracks have the greatest possible effect, as the joint use of the same routes by freight and passenger traffic is handled more efficiently. The support measures for connecting railways and a wave of modernisation for shunting yards also anchor the current freight transport offensive in the framework plan. Another focus is on the expansion of renewable energies. The construction of further “mini substations“ is a new addition to the framework plan. They make it possible for the electricity produced sustainably in ÖBB’s own wind and solar power plants to be fed into the traction current grid. The modernisation of stations and stops is also being further advanced. The aim is to make access to the railway as easy as possible. The conversion of railway stations and stops to create barrier-free access is an important component of the framework plan. Vienna metropolitan area Rail travel is experiencing a real renaissance. Nowhere else in Austria is the number of travellers increasing as much as in the eastern region. Public transport services also need to be expanded and improved in order to keep up with this growth. The S-Bahn Vienna upgrade will see ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG modernise the rail infrastructure on the Vienna main line between Vienna Meidling and Vienna Floridsdorf from October 2023. This involves renovating the building and supporting structures and digitising the train control system for greater reliability in the overall system. Platforms were also extended to 220 metres from Unterretzbach to Payerbach-Reichenau. This allows longer trains to run in future, offering more seats and therefore more comfort for rail travellers. An additional important piece of the inner-city public transport puzzle is the improvement of the rail link between Hütteldorf and Meidling. In future, the S80 should then operate in a 15-minute tact between Hütteldorf and Wien Aspern Nord. The EIA process will be continued in 2024. In 2023, ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG also worked intensively on the expansion of the Pottendorf line. This measure is intended to further improve the situation for commuters from the south, as approx. 40% of all commuters come from this direction. The double-track expansion of the approx 50-kilometer Pottendorf line between Vienna Meidling and Wiener Neustadt represents an important measure for increasing capacity on the southern line. The aim is to have four tracks together with the southern railway between Vienna and Wiener Neustadt. The expansion will create conditions for a better service for thousands of commuters south of Vienna, both in long-distance and local transport. The continuous double track between Vienna and Wiener Neustadt was completed at the end of 2023. The Ebreichsdorf railway station was also opened. The four-track extension of the southern line between Vienna Meidling and Mödling, including the construction of two new stops, will make the mobility offer for the south of Vienna and the district of Mödling even more attractive. Together with the Pottendorf line, six efficient tracks will then be available in the south of Vienna when the project is completed. Planning for in this regard continued in 2023. | MR33