Burgenland rail passengers call for more reliable services

A survey by the Verkehrsclub Österreich (VCÖ), reported by ORF, found that rail passengers in the Austrian province of Burgenland welcomed improvements in some areas but criticised more train cancellations and weaker coordination between buses and trains.

Half of the 214 respondents said they had experienced more cancellations and disruptions over the past 12 months. Almost half criticised the coordination between bus and rail services, while 38 percent were dissatisfied with punctuality. One in three wanted more frequent local and regional services.

Many respondents also criticised connections between services. Half of the passengers said they missed a connecting service several times a year.

Train staff received the strongest ratings. A clear majority described employees as friendly and helpful, and 82 percent said staff presence had improved over the past year.

Rail travel for holidays was also rated highly, with 94 percent of Burgenland passengers saying they were satisfied.

Rail travel remains popular in Austria. Passengers travelled 15.1 billion passenger-kilometres by train last year, 100 million more than the previous year.