Vienna Public Transit Network in Summer 2026: Construction on U-Bahn, S-Bahn, Badner Bahn, and Trams
Vienna, July 3, 2026
AI-generated image (z-image via Kie.ai)
Summary
With the start of Vienna's summer holidays, extensive construction work is beginning on the public transit network. Affected are U-Bahn lines, the S-Bahn trunk line, the Badner Bahn, as well as several tram lines – some lasting until September, others well beyond.
Vienna, July 3, 2026
With the end of the school year, extensive construction and modernization work on Vienna's public transit begins on Friday, July 3, 2026, affecting large parts of the network well into the autumn.
The extensive closures kick off on Friday, the last school day before the summer holidays. The reason is necessary modernization and renewal work on the public transit network, as Wiener Linien and ÖBB emphasize in unison. Affected are the U-Bahn, S-Bahn, Badner Bahn, and several tram lines.
U4: Switch and Track Work at the Landstraße Junction
On the U4, switches and track crossings between Schwedenplatz and Landstraße will be renewed until early August. Specifically, the green line will not operate between the transit hubs Schwedenplatz (U1/U4) and Landstraße (U3/U4/S-Bahn) starting Friday. The closure is scheduled until August 2. During this period, the line will run only between Heiligenstadt and Schwedenplatz, as well as between Hütteldorf and Landstraße/Wien Mitte. U1, U2, and U3 are recommended as alternatives.
For the S-Bahn, the trunk line between Floridsdorf and Praterstern will be closed from Saturday, July 4, until Saturday, September 6. As in the past two summers, the section between Floridsdorf and Praterstern will again be temporarily shut down. No trains will run on this section. During the closure, two bus lines will be available as rail replacement service: one bus line will run directly and without intermediate stops between Praterstern and Floridsdorf. The second bus line will also serve the stops Traisengasse and Handelskai.
S-Bahn Trunk Line and S80: Rail Replacement Service from July 4
The so-called Verbindungsbahn S80 will initially be closed between July 4 and September 6 between Hütteldorf and Hauptbahnhof. With the start of the summer construction, a rail replacement service will be set up for the S80 between Meidling and Hütteldorf: the replacement bus stops at Meidling, Speising, at the future stop Hietzinger Hauptstraße, and at Hütteldorf. From Saturday onward, transferring to the U6, the S45, and tram line 31 is recommended; intervals on these lines will be tightened, according to Wiener Linien.
The Badner Bahn will also run only between Baden and Inzersdorf Lokalbahn from Saturday, July 4, until Saturday, September 6. From there to Karlsplatz, no trains will operate in the meantime. However, there will be a replacement bus between Inzersdorf and Bahnhof Meidling.
Badner Bahn Restricted
Further restrictions will be added starting Monday, July 13. From July 13 until August 31, the U3 will not operate between Hütteldorfer Straße and Westbahnhof. During this period, the U3 will be split into two sections, running only from Ottakring to Hütteldorfer Straße and from Westbahnhof to Simmering. Wiener Linien advise using the 49 as well as the replacement tram E3.
On the U6, the stations Burggasse-Stadthalle and Thaliastraße can only be served on one track until Wednesday, July 30, from Monday to Thursday after 10:30 PM. This extends the intervals.
U3 Partial Closure and Further U6 Restrictions
In Währinger Straße as well as at the intersection with Spitalgasse and Nußdorfer Straße, tracks and switches are being renewed. From July 13 until the end of August, numerous tram lines in this area are therefore also affected. Line 12 will be diverted via Augasse. There will be no service between Josefstädter Straße and Franz-Josefs-Bahnhof. Line 5 will be split (Westbahnhof – Josefstädter Straße and Praterstern – Franz-Josefs-Bahnhof). Lines 40, 41, and 42 are suspended: outside the Gürtel, the route sections will be served by lines 37 and 38.
Numerous Tram Lines Affected
In addition, tram lines 5, 12, 37, 38, 40, 41, and 42 will be shortened or diverted. Line 46 is still closed between Thaliastraße and Ring-Volkstheater, presumably until Sunday, July 12. Tram line 31 will be shortened to Friedrich-Engels-Platz from Monday, July 6, until Sunday, August 31, due to renovation of the Floridsdorfer Brücke. From Tuesday, July 7, until the end of August, line 1 will be diverted between Karlsplatz and Julius-Raab-Platz via Stubenring.
The S-Bahn closure from Saturday runs until September 6 and also affects the Donauinselfest. Additionally, for commuters from the north, there will be temporary closures on the northern connecting lines between Floridsdorf and Jedlersdorf, Gerasdorf, and Süßenbrunn.
Outlook: 14-Month Closure Starting in September
Directly after the summer closure, a 14-month shutdown of the central S-Bahn line between Praterstern and Hauptbahnhof will follow from September 7. Plans by ÖBB to modernize the S80 between Hütteldorf and Meidling have been known for years. However, the lengthy legal proceedings could only be concluded a few months ago. From September 7 and "bis mindestens Ende 2027," as ÖBB states, the Hütteldorf-Meidling route will be affected. According to Wiener Linien, there will be no partial closure next summer.
In addition, starting in autumn, there will be a direct shuttle bus between the transit stations Meidling (S-Bahn, U6) and Längenfeldgasse (U6, U4): this is intended to ensure an additional connection to the U4. From autumn, bus intervals will be shortened from 30 minutes to 15 minutes.
In the autumn, the extension of tram line 18 will also be opened. Line 18 will then run from its previous terminus Schlachthausgasse further toward Happel-Stadion in the Prater. (David Krutzler, 3.7.2026)
Questions & Answers
Which Vienna U-Bahn lines are closed or restricted in summer 2026?
The U4 is interrupted between Schwedenplatz and Landstraße until August 2; the U3 runs only in two sections from July 13 to August 31, between Ottakring–Hütteldorfer Straße and Westbahnhof–Simmering. On the U6, there are nighttime restrictions at the stations Burggasse-Stadthalle and Thaliastraße until July 30.
How long is the S-Bahn trunk line between Floridsdorf and Praterstern closed?
The trunk line is closed from Saturday, July 4, until Saturday, September 6, 2026. No trains will run; two bus lines serve as replacement between Praterstern and Floridsdorf.
What happens to the S-Bahn in Vienna from September 7, 2026?
From September 7, the central S-Bahn line between Praterstern and Hauptbahnhof will be shut down for 14 months. ÖBB is also modernizing the S80 between Hütteldorf and Meidling – these works will last until at least the end of 2027.
Vienna Public Transit Construction Summer 2026: All | allfacts360
