3.6 million passengers caused chaos on the platforms over the long weekend. Now Pentecost threatens the next collapse – but ÖBB sees itself well prepared.
If you break it down by the number of inhabitants in Austria, around Ascension Day in the last long weekend between Wednesday afternoon and Sunday evening, about 40 percent of all Austrians (3.6 million people) traveled by train. It should therefore come as no surprise that this causes enormous travel problems. Crowds on the platforms, passengers thrown out due to lack of reservations, carriages completely overcrowded: the series of inconveniences did not stop at many “Krone” readers.
Until now, 700 passengers had to disembark
Even if the fare of only eleven of the 1,500 affected trains speaks for the ÖBB: there too they are aware that each of the 700 passengers who had to get off again is one too many. However, it is not expected that there will be a similar turbulence next Whitsun weekend. The measures: 13,000 more seats were planned and the maintenance of the trains was postponed to during the week. More personnel will also be deployed on the platforms and additional auxiliary trains will be deployed.
Climate tickets, price increases and parking stickers set records
There are many reasons for the ongoing rail boom: more than 160,000 climate tickets have been sold and rising prices mean that many commuters are switching to the train. The national parking sticker in Vienna also played a role, as did the crisis in Ukraine. The result: in April there was already a 10 percent increase in passenger numbers – compared to the absolute record year 2019.
The trend is rising: a new record is expected for May. The Nightjets for the summer are almost sold out. ÖBB is making provisions for the future. The aim is to invest 4.1 billion euros in expanding the fleet by 2030. There are 30 percent more long-distance trains (41 sets) plus 20 percent more regional trains (87 trains) on the order list.
ÖBB strongly recommends seat reservations
It is unclear whether that will be enough to cope with the ongoing traffic reversal. Incidentally, there is no possibility to introduce a reservation obligation, as in other EU countries. As board members Sabine Stock and Klaus Garstenauer emphasized in the “Krone” interview, there are always plenty of places available for spontaneous travelers. We strongly recommend that you make a reservation for next weekend. Otherwise, Pentecost threatens to be thrown out of the set again.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
