Udo Landbauer on the timetable change: Free travel instead of standstill!

2023-12-09 11:15:04

The Lower Austrian State Transport Council identifies a “blatant punctuality crisis” – ÖBB must do their homework

St. Pölten (OTS) – Shortly before the timetable change, Lower Austria’s LH Transport Councilor Udo Landbauer has clear words about the persistent delays and train cancellations that burden commuters almost every day. “It is unacceptable that ÖBB is not fulfilling its mandate to provide punctual and reliable transport. The current situation is intolerable. This must improve massively with the timetable change and beyond. I call on ÖBB to take immediate measures to improve the punctuality and reliability of rail transport and thus end the blatant punctuality crisis. This also includes timely servicing and maintenance of trains and tracks. Our commuters, students and families depend on reliable connections,” said Landbauer.

Landbauer cites the outages around Tullnerfeld train station as an example of the problems of the last few days. “This is not an isolated case, but occurs again and again. The ÖBB has to find a solution here so that people are on time even in snow, ice or snowdrifts and there are not constant delays. The weather is predictable and shouldn’t be a surprise for ÖBB either,” says Landbauer.

The liberal LH deputy is particularly critical of train cancellations and the use of short trains. “This is unbearable for our commuters on their daily journey to work or school. The ÖBB must ensure there is enough space and reliable connections here. According to Landbauer, direct connections and short transfers are important. “The quality for daily commuters has to be right. The ÖBB must ensure that its dispatchers in Vienna, who control railway routes throughout Lower Austria via computers, do not run away from the connections.”

The timetable change brings massive improvements, higher frequency and faster connections for Lower Austria’s commuters. “We are ordering more than 3 million additional train kilometers and have invested heavily in modernizing the infrastructure. The improvements must reach the passengers and not fall victim to the ÖBB chaos,” Landbauer urges for high-quality service provision.