Road cargo volume may rise as RCA ups rates

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Business

Tons of cargo could be taken off the rails and transported on Austrian roads as cash-strapped Federal Railways (ÖBB) have raised their fees.ÖBB’s cargo transport subsidiary company Rail Cargo Austria (RCA) decided recently to increase rates by around 30 per cent in a bid to get back in the black. ÖBB head Christian Kern said […]

ÖBB would benefit from higher car fuel tax, says Kern

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Business

Federal Railways (ÖBB) head Christian Kern has claimed that higher mineral oil taxes would be an immense help in the firm’s bid to sell more tickets.The businessman, who previously worked for electricity provider Verbund, told the Salzburger Nachrichten newspaper today (Thurs) he was convinced more people would switch to trains if car fuel taxes were […]

ÖBB offices raided over slush money suspicion

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Business

Offices of Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) and the apartments its of ex-managers were raided last night (Mon) amid suspicions of bribery connected to the takeover of a Hungarian railway company.The Viennese Anti-Corruption Prosecution announced today (Tues) it was asked by Hungarian officials to assist in investigating the case regarding ÖBB’s acquisition of MAV Cargo. The […]

Kern says ‘final chance’ to save ÖBB is now

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Business

Federal Railways (ÖBB) boss Christian Kern has claimed now was the “last chance” to get the debt-stricken firm back on track.Kern said today (Thurs) he expected developments similar to the processes in the aviation industry to occur in the railway business. The ÖBB CEO – who took up office in June – also referred to […]

Private Vienna – Salzburg train service on track soon

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Business

Strabag boss Hans Peter Haselsteiner’s ambitious bid to break the Austrian Railways’ (ÖBB) monopoly will start next year.The construction business entrepreneur announced today (Thurs) that his private Westbahn railway service between Vienna and Salzburg was set to operate from December 2011.Haselsteiner – whose firm Strabag is one of the biggest players in European construction industry […]

ÖBB brushes out red ink in 2009

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Business

Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) is back in the black after ending a controversial speculative deal with Germany’s Deutsche Bahn (DB).ÖBB said today (Mon) its operating profit had been 121 million Euros in 2009 after it had had 970 million Euros in losses in the previous year.The company however lost 300 million Euros in a speculative […]

ÖBB freight branch’s 2009 turnover deep in the red

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Business

Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) supervisory board chief Horst Pöchhacker revealed today (Weds) the firm’s freight business department suffered operative losses of 100 million Euros last year.Pöchhacker said in a radio interview: “Turnover dropped by 500 million Euros due to the exceptional crisis last year, but we already managed to save around 400 million Euros.”He claimed […]