Disbelieving looks, excited conversations, free benches, empty shops and bakeries – this is what the Vienna Central Station looks like when the railway staff are on strike and no trains are running. But what can those affected do?
This information has to be digested first. They look at each other helplessly in one of the halls at Vienna Central Station, the two young women who have just found out that all trains are standing still today. “From Midnight to Midnight” as heard on the announcement every few minutes.
Sitting on their suitcases, they ponder what options they have. Actually, the foreign tourists wanted to continue their journey through Europe in the morning, just after 6 a.m., and continue from the main station. They only spent the weekend in Vienna – and didn’t realize that there would be no trains running anywhere in Austria for 24 hours, neither local nor long-distance nor cross-border. “We were still wondering why there are so few people here,” says one of them in English. “Until a railway employee spoke to us and explained it to us.” What are you going to do now? “Probably looking for a hotel. First of all, let’s get a coffee. At least we don’t have to stand in line anywhere.”