Austria's national?rail?operator ?BB has outlined plans to expand and update the country¡¯s rail network, including improved cross-border connections with Germany, Switzerland and France.

?BB presented a ¡®technical draft¡¯ for its Target Network 2040 plan, which outlines 67 projects that will further develop the country¡¯s railway infrastructure, taking into account future capacity requirements, international connections, regional transport and freight, environmental impact and long-term economic effects.

¡°The 2040 target network is a look into the future of what a modern rail system in our country can look like.?It is a rail network for a climate-neutral Austria, in which climate protection and good mobility go hand in hand,¡± said Austria¡¯s minister for climate action, environment, energy, mobility, innovation and?technology, Leonore Gewessler, who presented the plan alongside ?BB Board chairman Andreas Matth? in Vienna last month.

¡°The design is full of bold ideas, new connections and even better rail routes.?The 2040 target network sets the direction ¨C and is the right compass for a sustainable railway infrastructure for the next 15 or 20 years,¡± Gewessler added.

With the 2040 plan, which represents a total investment of?€26 billion, the rail operator hopes to reach 255 million train kilometres per year within the next 20 years ¨C 1.5 times the level of today's rail traffic performance, according to ?BB.

Projects outlined in the plan include:

• A new double-track line connecting Vienna and Munich that is expected to shorten travel time from the current four hours to 2.5 hours;
• Improved regional connections to the central Linz area that will positively impact cross-border travel and shorten travel times to destinations such as Paris;
• Expansion of railway lines in the Bregenz area to improve local transport throughout the Rhine Valley and ¡®optimise¡¯ long-distance traffic to Innsbruck and from Munich via Bregenz to Zurich.

The technical draft, which will now undergo a state-level review, followed by a public consultation, is excepted to be finalised ¡°this year¡±.

?BB¡¯s Matth??added: ¡°Rail expansion must be planned long-term and strategically... That¡¯s why we¡¯re already determining today which expansion projects will be tackled in the 2030s.¡±