Schienen-Control 2023
The regulatory authority's annual report shows record supply and demand in passenger transport. Freight transport has declined.
The annual report summarizes the market data for passenger and freight transport in Austria and the 2023 market survey.
The report is available at: http://www.schienencontrol.gv.at/de/presse1.html
New records in passenger transport, challenges in freight transport
Passenger transport services were significantly improved through the expansion and increased frequency of existing connections and the introduction of new routes. In 2023, a record 132.1 million passenger train kilometers were offered on the Austrian rail network. Among other things, newly added long-distance and night transport connections by ÖBB Passenger Transport and WESTbahn were decisive factors in this improvement.
Demand for passenger transport also reached an all-time high in 2023. The number of passengers increased by more than 11 percent compared to the previous year. In total, Austria's railway companies carried more than 328 million passengers. They traveled 14.5 billion passenger kilometers. On average, each passenger traveled 44.3 kilometers on the Austrian rail network – also a record.
In rail freight transport, market data shows a decline in both net and gross ton-kilometers traveled (by 5.2 and 5.0 percent, respectively)."Freight transport is under great pressure and measures are now needed to maintain the modal split and strengthen freight transport as a sustainable form of goods transport,"said Maria-Theresia Röhsler, Managing Director of Schienen-Control. Net tons transported decreased by 6.7 percent. This development is mainly due to the difficult economic environment. In addition to lower industrial production and high energy prices, track closures and staffing problems further exacerbated the situation for rail freight transport.
"Rail travel protects the climate, so I am delighted that our measures and record budgets for strengthening rail transport are having an impact and that the growth trend has continued in 2023. Although there is still room for improvement in freight transport, the increase in passenger kilometers is particularly good news. Thank you to Schienen-Control all its employees for their great work!" said Leonore Gewessler, Federal Minister for Climate Protection, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation, and Technology.
Market survey 2023 – Training facilities Top
In an annual survey, railway companies operating in Austria rated the quality of training facilities, route allocation, and the language skills of railway staff in Austria as particularly positive. The industry saw room for improvement in terms of competition from other modes of transport, inconsistent EU-wide regulations on the issuance of safety certificates, and regulatory requirements in the area of human resources.
About Schienen-Control
Schienen-Control was founded in 1999. It is both the regulatory authority for rail transport and the arbitration body for passenger rights (abbreviated to apf) in Austria.
As a regulatory authority, Schienen-Control monitors Schienen-Control and free access to rail at reasonable prices. In doing so, it enables and supports fair competition for a better and more successful railway system.