Vienna S-Bahn main line closes for 14 months

Vienna’s main S-Bahn line between Praterstern and Hauptbahnhof will be closed in the southern direction for 14 months from Monday, with services not expected to resume until the end of October 2027, ORF reported. The section was already closed ahead of schedule after a cable fire at a signal box in mid-August.

The northern closure between Floridsdorf and the surrounding northern section has ended. Services between Praterstern and Floridsdorf have also resumed.

The closure coincides with the start of the school year and is expected to put pressure on ÖBB, Wiener Linien and public transport users. Around 700 trains normally run on the main line each day, carrying about 250,000 passengers, according to ÖBB.

ÖBB is asking passengers to allow extra time, particularly at the start of the closure, and to check alternative routes in advance.

Passengers are being directed to Vienna’s public transport network. A shuttle bus will run between the Meidling and Längenfeldgasse underground stations, while services on the U1, U2, U4 and U6 lines will be increased. Tram lines O, 18 and 62 will also be rerouted or strengthened, with service intervals adjusted for the duration of the closure.

The airport can be reached by S-Bahn via Hauptbahnhof and on the S7 from St. Marx. The City Airport Train will provide replacement buses from Wien Mitte, while the Vienna Airport Bus will also run from Praterstern and Karlsplatz.

The closure is needed for a complete renovation of the line. Its viaducts will be demolished and rebuilt, while platforms will be extended and the Rennweg and Quartier Belvedere stations and the track infrastructure in the section will be modernised. The work will allow longer trains with more seats to stop there in future.

During the closure, some ÖBB tickets will also be valid on selected Wiener Linien routes and sections. These include the U1 between Hauptbahnhof Südtiroler Platz and Praterstern, tram line O at the main-line stations between Praterstern and Hauptbahnhof, and tram line 18 between Hauptbahnhof and Stadion, with onward travel by U2 to Praterstern. The Climate Ticket remains valid as before.

Schienen-Control said passengers generally have no right to compensation. However, people who can show that they depend on the closed railway line may, in some circumstances, be able to cancel their annual pass early or reclaim part of its cost.

The S80 is also closed from Monday between Meidling and Hütteldorf until the end of 2027 while work is carried out to expand the connecting railway line. Passengers will need to change to replacement buses, which are scheduled to run every 15 minutes.