ÖBB Launches Vienna-Trieste Railjet: Cuts Travel by 2h 40m

Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) has launched a new high-speed Railjet service connecting Vienna and Trieste, slashing travel times by nearly three hours as part of a major European timetable overhaul effective December 14. The new service, facilitated by the strategic opening of the Koralmbahn line, significantly enhances rail connectivity between Austria and Italy and represents a successful execution of a complex, network-wide schedule change.

The inaugural Railjet service was welcomed with a ceremony in Trieste on Sunday, marking a new era of faster and more comfortable travel between the Austrian capital and the key Adriatic port city. The daily service now connects Vienna, Graz, and Klagenfurt directly with Trieste, strengthening economic and tourist ties. “The opening of the Koralmbahn has given us the opportunity… to significantly reduce travel times for international services,” said Kurt Bauer, Director of Long-Distance Transport at ÖBB. “The journey time has been reduced from 9 hours and 18 minutes to 6 hours and 38 minutes, bringing Italy and Austria even closer together.”

The new timetable represents a massive operational upgrade for southern Austria’s rail network. The service frequency between Vienna and Graz has nearly doubled, increasing from 18 to 33 daily connections. Even more dramatically, the corridor from Graz to Klagenfurt, previously served by 8 bus connections, now boasts 29 daily train services thanks to the Koralmbahn. Similarly, the Vienna-Klagenfurt route has seen its service jump from 10 to 26 daily connections. This densification of the domestic timetable provides the foundational capacity required to support more attractive international services to Italy and Slovenia.

Executing such a large-scale timetable revamp is a significant challenge for any national rail operator. While European schedules are updated each December, changes of this magnitude carry inherent risks. The UK rail industry, for example, experienced weeks of chaos following a major timetable update in May 2018, which was attributed to over-optimistic scheduling that pushed the network beyond its operational limits. ÖBB’s successful implementation not only delivers immediate benefits to passengers but also serves as a case study in meticulous planning and infrastructure-led service expansion.

Key Takeaways

• Drastic Time Savings: The Vienna-Trieste journey is now 2 hours and 40 minutes faster, making rail a more competitive option against road and air travel.
• Massive Service Expansion: Southern Austria sees a dramatic increase in train frequencies, with connections between major cities like Graz and Klagenfurt nearly quadrupling.
• Strengthened Cross-Border Links: The new direct service enhances environmentally friendly mobility between Austria and Italy, supporting both tourism and regional economic integration.

Editor’s Analysis

The launch of the Vienna-Trieste Railjet service via the Koralmbahn is more than a simple timetable update; it is a strategic milestone in the development of Europe’s sustainable transport infrastructure. As a key segment of the EU’s Baltic-Adriatic TEN-T corridor, the Koralmbahn helps create a seamless, high-performance rail axis running from Poland to the Italian coast. This investment directly challenges the dominance of short-haul flights and road freight on this corridor by offering a faster, more comfortable, and greener alternative. For the global rail market, it demonstrates a clear commitment to modal shift and underscores the transformative power of targeted infrastructure investment in making international rail travel a viable and attractive primary mode of transport.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much faster is the new Vienna to Trieste train service?

The new Railjet service reduces the travel time from 9 hours and 18 minutes to 6 hours and 38 minutes, a total saving of 2 hours and 40 minutes.

What is the Koralmbahn?

The Koralmbahn is a new 130-kilometer high-speed railway line in southern Austria, primarily connecting the cities of Graz and Klagenfurt. Its launch on December 14 was the key enabler for the faster international connections and increased domestic service frequencies.

How has the train service within southern Austria improved?

The service has been significantly expanded. For example, daily connections between Vienna and Graz have increased from 18 to 33, while the Graz to Klagenfurt route now has 29 daily train services, replacing 8 previous bus connections.