Snow chaos threatens – traffic collapse due to U1 fire: travel time quadrupled

“The traffic situation is catastrophic. Normally it only takes me twelve minutes, today it took me 1.10 hours. Lines O, 6 and 11 were completely overcrowded,” says an irritated Viennese. The 50-year-old was supposed to go to Südtiroler Platz at Vienna’s main station for an appointment, but he apparently showed up with a significant delay.

Limited operation of the U1
Because the U1 route is divided – probably for several days. How long is currently unclear. It currently only runs between Oberlaa and Reumannplatz and between Schwedenplatz and Leopoldau.

For reasons that are currently unclear, a fire broke out late Tuesday afternoon in a carriage of a special train without passengers on the U1 route. The fire was extinguished by the fire brigade. Photos leaked to the “Krone” show the devastating scale of the fire – we reported. Fortunately, the Silver Arrow drove towards Reumannplatz without passengers so that it could be parked there as a spare train. Six Wiener Linien employees and a cyclist were injured by the fire.

Replacement traffic is currently not sufficient
The traffic situation in Vienna deteriorated dramatically on Wednesday evening. The fire on a U1 special train was just the trigger for widespread chaos. Wiener Linien’s replacement trams proved completely inadequate to accommodate the large numbers of passengers stranded by the metro disruption.

“The crowd was overwhelming and I witnessed numerous arguments,” Daniel J. describes the tense situation to “Krone”. Many passengers were confronted with overcrowded vehicles after waiting 20 to 30 minutes in the cold. Getting out was almost impossible in many places, which further increased the frustration of the already irritable Viennese.

More accidents due to increasing traffic intensity
The tense traffic situation caused a chain reaction of problems. Many Viennese may have switched to private transport due to the partial closure of the U1. Due to the increased traffic volume, the number of accidents and the use of the replacement lines increased. Even the extra trains on lines O, 6 and 11 that were deployed to relieve the load were delayed due to travel disruptions.

The traffic club ÖAMTC recorded heavy traffic on Wednesday on the routes of the Südosttangente (A23) and the Danube Embankment Motorway (A22), as well as on the northern bridge to the city and the Vienna North Edge Expressway (S2). The rainy weather may also have contributed to this.

50-year-old Daniel J. says: “I experienced two such incidents in just two hours. On the way there, the tram on line O from the central station had to stop early. All passengers were asked to disembark without reaching their destination.” The person concerned calls on the Wiener Linien to immediately expand the capacity of the replacement vehicles, especially for line O.

More replacement traffic from Thursday
Wiener Linien responded promptly: “From Thursday morning, bus line 13A will be made available for passengers with an increased occupancy,” a Wiener Linien spokeswoman said on Wednesday evening. This is intended to relieve the crowds on the section between the center and Südtiroler Platz, which according to Daniel J. was overcrowded with passengers. “Line D has also been extended to Reumannplatz. It runs on a modified route to connect Schwedenplatz,” says Wiener Linien.

If the closure of the U1 lasts longer, traffic could become critical again, especially on Fridays, as more people switch to cars. “Pay attention to the announcements in the coming days, avoid large areas and avoid unnecessary trips,” says Wiener Linien.

Snowfall from Friday
According to Geosphere Austria, snow will start to fall from the west and south in most of Austria on Friday night. At very low altitudes, such as in Vienna, but also in Eisenstadt and Graz, light snowfall may be possible. According to the current forecast, a thin blanket of snow will only develop temporarily. As the morning progresses, snowfall and rain become less frequent.