Commuters from the St. Pölten area are being put to the test: traveling up to five hours to work is no longer unusual! The ÖBB strives for punctuality and hopes to be able to offer more stability and planning with the new timetable from October 10.
Even though improvements are being praised from October 10, the daily journey to and from work is currently a lottery game for train passengers. Andreas Vass from St. Georgen am Steinfelde is one example among many: “In the current timetable period, I need about four hours a day to travel to and from work due to the difficulties caused by the construction site. Due to the flooding, I can currently commute more than five hours a day.” According to the official timetable, this should be three hours.
The past few days have been the last straw for the Mostviertler. Missed connecting trains due to delays are a nerve-wracking experience. For example, the trip from Vienna to the capital on October 1: departure with the REX from Westbahnhof at 4:53 PM.
I drove away from under your nose
Scheduled arrival in St. Pölten at 5:54 PM, departure of the connecting train to Hainfeld at 6:06 PM. In Pottenbrunn the REX has to “pause” to give the Railjet priority. The result: eleven minutes late. “The connecting train left without us. And that was another 100 meters before we could get in,” says Vass angrily. So it was said again: Please wait!
Often it doesn’t even help to have the support of dedicated conductors who inform the connecting train of the delay by telephone. “I first have to walk through the entire station, then the train pulls away in front of me,” said the commuter. That happens regularly. It feels like it gets worse every year and that is why Vass has already filed complaints with the ÖBB.
ÖBB wants to enable seamless continued travel
“We are aware that the current situation is particularly challenging for commuters. We hope that with the new timetable from October 10 we can offer more stability and planability,” says the ÖBB. Local trains would wait up to three minutes for delayed feeder trains, while long-distance trains would not.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
