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A cable fire on Vienna’s main S-Bahn line has caused severe damage and continues to disrupt rail services across the Austrian capital. The fire broke out near Praterstern during the night into Thursday, prompting Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) to introduce an emergency timetable.
The damage means passengers are facing major restrictions even before the planned main closure of the S-Bahn main line between Praterstern and Vienna Central Station, scheduled to begin on September 7. According to ÖBB, around 20 kilometers of cable will now have to be replaced.
As a result, regional trains traveling to and from the south in the direction of Liesing are currently terminating at Vienna Central Station or, in some cases, at Vienna Meidling. The construction timetable for services arriving from or departing toward the north remains in effect.
The main line is already closed between Floridsdorf and Praterstern because of ongoing renewal works. A replacement bus service is operating between the affected stations.
Replacement Services Remain in Operation
A direct shuttle bus between Vienna Meidling and Längenfeldgasse, which provides connections to the U4 and U6 underground lines, is also continuing to operate. The service offers passengers an additional connection to the U4.
Passengers using the airport railway line are also affected. ÖBB has established a rail replacement bus service between Vienna Mitte and Vienna Geiselbergstraße. From Geiselbergstraße, S7 services continue toward Vienna Airport and on to Fischamend.
Vienna Airport remains accessible by long-distance trains via Vienna Central Station, as well as by the Vienna Airport Bus.
The City Airport Train (CAT) is currently unable to operate. A dedicated replacement bus service is therefore running directly between Vienna Mitte and Vienna Airport for CAT passengers. The service can only be used with valid CAT tickets.
ÖBB has also pointed out that on the affected routes, ÖBB tickets are accepted on services operated by Wiener Linien, Vienna’s public transport operator.
Cause of Fire Still Unclear
The cause of the fire remained unknown as of late Thursday afternoon. The blaze was discovered at around 1:30 a.m.
Firefighters from the Vienna professional fire brigade remained at the scene until approximately 4 a.m., according to spokesman Gerald Schimpf. After the flames were extinguished, crews continued working to clear smoke from the affected area.
With extensive cable replacement now required, significant disruption to Vienna’s S-Bahn network is expected to continue while repair and renewal work proceeds.
- Source: APA/picture: pixabay.com
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