ÖBB tickets are already more expensive



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With a new schedule starting December 9, prices will also increase. ÖBB tickets cost an average of 1.9% more with the introduction of the new schedule. However, there is no price increase when buying various ÖBB advantage cards, some Sparschien tickets and all composite tickets. "This means that more than 50% of all trips are unaffected by rising prices," said Matthä, adding that pbadengers would continue driving at a "very, very fair" price.

Andreas Matthä, CEO of ÖBB, recently announced an increase in ticket prices. As of 1 January, they must be adjusted for inflation, that is to say about 2%, Matthä told the newspaper "Tiroler Tageszeitung". The ÖBB boss justified this increase by the fact that, yes, the offer would be more extensive. Now the tickets are already more expensive on December 9th and apparently again on January 1st.

Like prices, the number of pbadengers is increasing. For 2018, 250 million ÖBB travelers anticipate a record. Last year, five million fewer pbadengers used ÖBB trains. In 2012, they were 224 million, or about 25 million less. Particularly in Tyrol, Upper Austria and the Eastern Region, significant increases of more than five per cent have been recorded.

New ÖBB timetable

From 9 December, a new schedule will be applied throughout Europe. This represents about 1.1 million kilometers by train in Austrian public transport. Andreas Matthä, CEO of ÖBB, said Wednesday that several regional trains would be developed, especially in the eastern region. But long-distance travelers are waiting for new connections.

"With the new schedule, additional cycle times can be closed and additional connections can be offered outside of peak hours," Matthät said. Thus, additional trains will circulate around Wiener Neustadt and St. Pölten, but will also allow condensations on routes such as Vienna and Retz and Vienna and Laa an der Thaya. In long-distance traffic, direct links between Lienz and Vienna are in the process of being established. There will be new evening connections on the routes between Klagenfurt and Salzburg, as well as Graz and Vienna.

Trains run from Vienna to Berlin twice a day, with trains running through Linz and Erfurt during the day and via Wroclaw (Poland) overnight. From East to West, a new connection from Bratislava to Zurich will be established with a stopover in Vienna. In addition, a new connection will be established between Vienna and Cluj Napoca (Romania) via Budapest.

Offensive of quality announced

In order to guarantee a great satisfaction, CEO Matthä announced a quality offensive. "We are investing in new trains and modernizing our existing equipment," said Matthäl, who specified ÖBB projects. In total, 1.8 billion euros will be invested over five years in the renewal of the train fleet. 165 new urban jets will be operational by the end of the year. 21 other TALENT3 urban jets will be launched in Vorarlberg in the second half of 2019. By 2020, 25 trains of the same type will follow in the Tyrol.

"The most beautiful trains are of no use if the infrastructure is not suitable," said Matthä. That is why nearly 14 billion euros will be invested by 2023 to increase, among other things, safety, track capacity and driving speed. In the future, for example, the route between Graz and Klagenfurt will be completed in 50 minutes instead of the previous three hours.

Another innovation is the "economic rail comfort" of February of next year. "A seat reservation is included in the discount price of the existing savings train," said Matthä. In addition, tickets may be canceled without charge up to 15 days prior to departure. In contrast, 50% of the ticket price is due if the trip is not claimed before the day before departure.

ÖBB wishes to respond to the requests of its customers in a targeted way. This is why a test of the badog lockout options and digital luggage in the individual liners will be launched from the second quarter of 2019. In addition, already existing rest areas should be better identified in the future.

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