The head of one of Europe’s most successful railroad companies has said he is convinced that Austria’s Federal Railways (ÖBB) has a future. Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) chief Andreas Meyer told Die Presse today (Fri) that “there might be synergies (in the next 20 years), but SBB and ÖBB will stay independent companies.” SBB is […]
Federal Railways (ÖBB) and Westbahn have broken their promise not to engage in a price war. ÖBB chief Christian Kern explained in several interviews his company would focus on better quality and customer service in its attempt to weather the intensified competition on the tracks between Vienna and Salzburg. Westbahn executive manager Stefan Wehinger promised […]
Federal Railways (ÖBB) works council boss Wilhelm Haberzettl has decided to retire. The Social Democrat (SPÖ) announced on Saturday it was “time for a change. Younger talents should come forward.” Haberzettl said he would quit as head of the ÖBB staff representation on 22 November. The 56-year-old left-winger added he had no plans to retire […]
A private competitor of Federal Railways (ÖBB) has claimed it would operate between Graz and Salzburg given that it gets as much financial support as the state-owned rail firm. Westbahn said yesterday (Sun) ÖBB received five million Euros in public funds to offer a connection between the Styrian capital and Salzburg. According to Westbahn, ÖBB […]
Three months ago ÖVP Finance Minister Fekter wanted to sell the Federal Railways (ÖBB), now the ÖVP is pedalling back. The Wirtschaftsblatt newspaper cited ÖVP spokesperson for traffic affairs, Martin Bartenstein, today (Fri) as saying: “The ÖBB and privatisation is like the devil and the holy water.” He added that privatisation could not even be […]
A controversial lobbyist raked in hundreds of thousands of Euros by getting Federal Railways (ÖBB) to buy the trademark rights for a registered name from him, an opposition politician has claimed. Peter Pilz, a member of the federal parliament (MP) of the Green Party, announced yesterday (Tues) he obtained a firm-internal audit report exposing the […]
Austrians took the train less often last year, new figures reveal. The Austrian Traffic Club (VCÖ) announced today (Fri) that residents of the Alpine country covered 1,270 kilometres (km) by train in 2010, down from 1,297 km in the year before. This figure puts Austrians into a leading position in Europe. Only people living in […]
Social Democratic (SPÖ) Infrastructure Minister Doris Bures has labelled a debate over whether Federal Railways (ÖBB) should be privatised as “superfluous.”New Peoples Party (ÖVP) Finance Minister Maria Fekter hit the headlines at the weekend by announcing she could imagine selling ÖBB to reduce the soaring state debt.Fekter said she “would have no problem” with privatising […]
Builders assigned to construct a new railroad in Carinthia found what is believed to be an ancient gravesite.Federal Railways (ÖBB) said today (Fri) four skeletons and funerary objects such as chains and various trinkets were discovered in the town of Kühnsdorf.An archaeologist who was asked to examine the bones and objects described them as “the […]
The head of a railway company which plans to challenge Federal Railways (ÖBB) from December has said that his firms trains will have facilities for smokers.Stefan Wehinger, chief of Westbahn which will operate 13 times a day between Vienna and Salzburg, said today (Fri) that wagons will be equipped with “smoker cabins.”Speaking to the Kurier […]