U3 line to face seven‑week summer shutdown for major track works

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Vienna’s U3 metro line will be partially closed for seven weeks this summer as Wiener Linien carries out a scheduled switch replacement between Westbahnhof and Johnstraße. The shutdown begins Monday, 13 July 2026 at 04:00 and will last until Monday, 31 August 2026 at 04:00, affecting thousands of daily commuters across the western districts.

Key impact on passengers

The closure requires splitting the U3 into two independent operating sections:

Western section — U3 Ottakring ↔ U3 Hütteldorfer Straße
Eastern section — U3 Westbahnhof ↔ U3 Simmering

The stretch Hütteldorfer Straße – Westbahnhof will be completely shut, meaning Johnstraße and Schweglerstraße will not be served by the U3 during the works. Wiener Linien advises passengers to plan 15–20 minutes of additional travel time.

Replacement services and alternatives

To maintain connectivity across the affected corridor, Wiener Linien is deploying several above‑ground options:

Ersatzlinie E3 — a direct replacement service linking Hütteldorfer Straße/Breitensee, Johnstraße, Schweglerstraße, Urban‑Loritz‑Platz and Westbahnhof.
Tram line 46 — running north of the closure zone.
Bus line 48A — also serving the northern parallel corridor.
Tram line 49 — operating south of the affected section, connecting Breitensee and Urban‑Loritz‑Platz.
S‑Bahn line 45 — linking Ottakring and Breitensee; passengers can reach the Louis Braille Haus with a short walk.

At Westbahnhof, passengers retain access to U3 (towards Simmering), U6, S50, and long‑distance rail services.

Why the closure is necessary

The works involve a complete switch replacement between Westbahnhof and Johnstraße — a critical maintenance step to ensure long‑term reliability and safety on one of Vienna’s busiest metro lines. According to Wiener Linien, the summer period offers the lowest ridership, making it the least disruptive time for such extensive infrastructure work.

Passenger information

Wiener Linien provides updates and planning tools through:

WienMobil app (barrier‑free travel planning)
Construction overview for all current public‑transport works
Customer hotline: +43 1 7909 100
- Mon–Fri: 07:00–20:00
- Sat, Sun, holidays: 09:00–17:00

With the U3 serving as a backbone for east‑west travel across Vienna, the summer shutdown will require patience and planning from commuters. Still, the temporary inconvenience aims to secure smoother operations for years to come — and the extensive replacement network should keep the city moving.