ÖBB warn of massive impact of German rail closures on Austria

Matthä chose a drastic comparison to illustrate the extent of the dependence: "Wenn Deutschland einen Schnupfen hat, hat Österreich eine Grippe." The ÖBB are already preparing relief measures. Up to 120 freight trains are to be rerouted via Salzburg, and an additional connection from Vienna to Munich via Salzburg will be offered.

"Deutsche Eck" as Achilles' heel

Tyrol's transport state councillor René Zumtobel (SPÖ) assisted Matthä in the diagnosis. The Deutsche Eck is the "Achillesferse für Westösterreich", Zumtobel said. He expressed annoyance that the Austrian side is only being "beraten" by the German side, while in Austria "Entscheidungen getroffen werden".

Zumtobel also accused Deutsche Bahn of having invested "jahrzehntelang zu wenig", resulting in a "riesiger Aufholbedarf". He appealed to the public for understanding of the necessary infrastructure works, but at the same time described the situation as "richtig sauer" inducing. "Es geht um die Glaubwürdigkeit unserer Politik", Zumtobel said, announcing that he wanted the "Druck erhöht" to be known.

From six-month to two-month closure

An originally planned six-month closure of the Brenner corridor has been reduced to two months in 2028, which Zumtobel considers a success. "Es ist eine große Herausforderung, aber es hätte auch viel schlimmer kommen können", he said. "Die nächsten zwei Jahre werden eine riesige Herausforderung", the state councillor emphasised, "zumal die Infrastrukturarbeiten auf deutscher Seite unbedingt notwendig seien."

The closure of Freilassing-Rosenheim has already begun, starting on 14 February and, based on the current outlook, expected to last until 9 August. This closure also affects east-west long-distance traffic and north-south freight traffic via the Brenner Pass, Matthä said.

For the economy, "frühzeitige Information" and "Planungssicherheit" are crucial, Zumtobel said. Matthä announced that the ÖBB would like to "in enger Interaktion mit der Wirtschaft vermitteln und diese informieren" of the changes, as "zum Teil Logistikströme anders geplant werden müssen". A postponement of the closure by up to two years has not yet been ruled out, but is currently being examined.

Brenner Base Tunnel: 2032 commissioning in focus

The Brenner Base Tunnel (BBT) is also in the focus of the discussion. Matthä said that the company is fundamentally sticking to the 2032 commissioning date. Transport Minister Peter Hanke (SPÖ) had also described the timetable in March as "aktuell nicht gefährdet". Most recently, a delayed commissioning in 2034 had been under discussion, which neither the ÖBB nor the Brenner Base Tunnel company BBT SE wanted to confirm. While the plans for the four-track expansion on the Austrian side, costing around 3.5 billion euros, are on track, a green light is still pending for the approach routes on the German side.

Zumtobel had also warned the APA about the consequences for freight transport: "Eine sechsmonatige Sperre des Brennerkorridors wäre eine Katastrophe für den Güterverkehr auf der Schiene gewesen." The now shortened closure is a partial success, but the fundamental concern about the development of rail infrastructure in Germany remains.