Passenger group criticises delay to Ossiachersee railway upgrade

The planned upgrade of the Ossiachersee railway line has been pushed back to 2040, prompting criticism from passenger association Fahrgast Kärnten, ORF reported. The line runs from St. Veit via Feldkirchen to Villach.

Work was originally expected to be completed by 2030, then postponed to 2034. The latest delay, which the report links in part to the federal government’s savings programme at ÖBB, has moved the project to 2040 in the railway operator’s framework plan.

Fahrgast Kärnten says the delay makes a half-hourly service unlikely in the near future. The line currently runs hourly, and its stops are outdated. The association called the upgrade an important investment in the future and said the postponement was at odds with public commitments to climate protection and sustainable mobility.

The group also warned that regional rail links important to commuters and tourism risk falling behind as fast long-distance services improve. It said the completed Koralmbahn had greatly improved transport connections in Carinthia, but regional routes and links to that line were not meeting expectations.

Fahrgast Kärnten is calling on the federal government to commit to upgrading the St. Veit–Feldkirchen–Villach line. The project is expected to cost about 110 million euros, the report said.