The relevant authorities in Austria have revealed that the country is all set to expand its existing rail network over a time period of 16 years.

Consequently, the country is going to be adding dozens of new connections and routes as part of the plan.

This is being done to ensure that train travel is a preferred form of public transportation by the time 2040 rolls around.

Announcement

As per Euronews, the new rail network plan includes cutting down on travel times between Vienna and Munich.

This will entail that the journey, which normally takes up to 4 hours, will now be reduced by one and a half hours.

As a result, people will only have to wait for 2.5 hours to make the journey between the two locations.

On this note, Leonore Gewessler, the Minister for Climate Protection, added that the country is hoping to develop a modern rail system before the year 2040.

He added that this plan is aimed at building a target rail network and ensuring the climate neutrality of the country.

The Minister stressed the importance of making sure that good mobility and climate protection go hand in hand for long-term sustainability.

According to him, the design that has been finalized includes numerous bold ideas, new connections, as well as improved railway lines.

Planning

As of now, the 2024 network plan created by the rail operator OBB and the government is still in its planning and development phases.

Moreover, the plans will be made available to the people of the country before the final development comes to an end this year.

Sources have revealed that the rail plan for Austria covers a total of 67 projects, which will be located in 25 areas across the country.

They will also include the construction of a new double-track line in Upper Austria and Bavaria. As a result, the travel time between Vienna and Munich is expected to significantly go down.

In the upcoming 16 years, the authorities expect that this plan will take off and passenger trains will be traveling more than 250 million kilometers each year.

This distance is one and a half times more than the number of kilometers they currently travel on a yearly basis.

Where the total cost of the draft measures is concerned, the authorities expect to incur somewhere around €26 billion.

New line

The new track line, which is to be built between Upper Austria and Bavaria, is one of the major projects that will be a part of the 2040 network.

Being referred to as the New Innkreisbahn (NIB) route, it will be covered from the side of Germany as well to successfully reduce times for the overall journey.

Meanwhile, the relevant authorities are hoping that the shorter travel time could also apply to destinations located far away from Austria, such as Paris.

Other local services within the country are also expected to make expansions, such as the construction of a line between Vienna Praterkai and Vienna Heiligenstadt.