Vienna, April 17, 2026 Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) saw a 40% decline in pre-tax earnings in 2025 despite transporting a record 559 million passengers, as freight performance and industrial recession weighed on results. The ÖBB reported pre-tax earnings of just 68 million euros in 2025, a sharp drop from 113.6 million euros the previous year, according to figures released Wednesday. While passenger numbers reached an all-time high, rising 1.4% to 559 million, the rail operator faced significant challenges in freight transport and broader economic headwinds.
CEO Andreas Matthä described 2025 as a year with "Licht und Schatten" ("light and shadow") for the company, acknowledging both the passenger growth and financial struggles.
Passenger Growth Amid Challenges
The ÖBB's passenger services showed resilience, with long-distance traffic increasing by 1.5% to 47 million passengers and local transport rising 2% to 301 million. Bus passenger numbers remained stable at 211.5 million. Matthä called the figures "very satisfactory," highlighting the sustained demand for public transport.
The record 559 million passengers marked the highest annual ridership in ÖBB's history, continuing a trend of growth in recent years. In 2024, the company had already reported a slight increase in pre-tax earnings to 113.6 million euros, up 2 million from 2023.
Freight and Economic Pressures
Freight transport performance declined by 4% to 26.2 billion net tonne-kilometers, reflecting weaker demand for logistics services and intense price competition with road transport. The industrial recession in Europe and Austria further exacerbated the challenges, directly impacting ÖBB's bottom line.