ÖBB Annual Report 2023

Group Management Report 88 Österreichische Bundesbahnen-Holding Aktiengesellschaft Consolidated Financial Statements | Group Management Report 43 The investment program of the current ÖBB framework plan will create the infrastructural prerequisites for the transport requirements of the future. The current work on the 2040 target network is also identifying the key expansion projects for the future – the 2030 to 2040 horizon. New digital technologies are also opening up completely new possibilities. Expectations are also higher than ever, as the railway is seen as the solution for climate-friendly mobility. ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG is currently one of Europe’s leading infrastructure operators. That should stay. The aim is to create more track capacity, more clean traction current and greater handling capacity at the terminals in Austria. The #INFRA.Mobilitätswende (mobility turnaround) program of ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG set the targets in 2021 for the period up to 2030. The most important goal, however, is to ensure safe, punctual and affordable train journeys while at the same time increasing train path capacity. ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG therefore continues to consistently focus on sustainable investment in the railway infrastructure in order to ensure a modern and efficient rail network. ÖBB plays a central role as a key player in the mobility transition. This is because the railway infrastructure forms the backbone for the sustainable transport of goods and passengers and makes a significant contribution to improving the quality of life and competitiveness in Austria. Optimising capacities further An increase in train capacity is essential to meet the growing demand for rail transport. Ensuring safety and punctuality is always our top priority. In view of the current challenges such as rising energy prices and bottlenecks in the supply of materials, a high level of commitment and total dedication are required. The primary goal is to continue offering customers affordable, reliable and environmentally friendly mobility in the future. The continuous increase in productivity and efficiency helps ÖBB to keep operating costs stable in the long term. Developing new strengths with new technologies The expansion measures alone will not be sufficient to achieve the goal of doubling the capacity of the railway system by 2040. Digitalisation is needed to design the increases in train paths and to be able to handle them with a qualitatively appealing performance. The first step is the digitalisation of rail operations. This means that every aspect of the train journey itself is digitised. In this way, it can be organised more efficiently to make better use of the available resources. Digital processes will be used in many areas in the future. This begins with timetable creation and continues with digital train preparation and provision through to the digitalisation of operational processes. This includes, for example, the automatic transmission of timetables with daily updated restrictions such as closures, speed restrictions, obstructions on the line, etc. Digital processes will also enable adaptive train routing with systemic conflict detection and resolution, energy optimisation and real-time information from the traction units. The other improvements are manifold, for example, ride comfort can be further enhanced by optimising the braking and acceleration of the trains. The possibilities in the area of customer information are also diverse: from intelligent passenger guidance at the station to make it easier to find your way approx. and reach the right train without stress, to individualised digital travel information in real time. In summary, digitalisation enables the necessary capacity increases so that even more people are able and want to use the railway in the future. Driving the energy transition further forward ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG takes climate protection and climate change very seriously. It considers itself to be a committed climate protector and wants to increase its level of self-sufficiency for traction current from the current 60% to 80%. This is to be achieved exclusively using renewable energies. Energy requirements are already covered on a large scale by hydroelectric and solar power. A prototype system with approx. three MW was realised to investigate the suitability of wind power as a traction power supply. The construction of the world’s first 16.7 Hz wind turbine in Höflein is ÖBB’s first experience with wind power for traction power supply. The experience gained will be incorporated into further wind power projects. The energy generated by the wind turbine can be fed directly into the railway’s own grid. This means that existing renewable energy resources are utilised directly where they are consumed. This reduces the load on the grid, and losses due to transformation and transport are avoided. | MR43