Court gives Oberndorf deadline for railway bell report

Austrian broadcaster ORF reports that the provincial administrative court has given the town of Oberndorf bei Salzburg a deadline to submit an expert report on a proposed on-demand warning bell at a railway crossing.

The court held its first hearing in the dispute on Wednesday. The town is challenging a Salzburg state order requiring the bell, which sounds loudly whenever a train approaches. It is intended to warn blind and visually impaired people about trains on the local railway.

Residents of a neighbouring apartment block say the bell disrupts their peace and sleep around 120 times a day, Mayor Georg Djundja said. The town wants a solution that preserves accessibility and safety while reducing the impact on nearby residents.

The report is to assess whether an on-demand bell can meet legal requirements and technical standards. Salzburg Lines has previously said it is technically prepared to install such a system.

A further hearing and a court decision are expected after the report is submitted. Djundja called the deadline a partial success and said he was confident the report would show an on-demand system was feasible.