In mid-September, a flood disaster caused massive damage to the western route, which Tripplanner also reported on. Since then, there have been significant disruptions to train services. Now the ÖBB has announced that the timetable will be completely changed from October 10th.
Due to the significant damage to the new western route between St. Pölten and Vienna via Tullnerfeld, the current 550 passenger and freight train connections will be reduced to just 150 connections per day, which will run on the old western route via Böheimkirchen. It will probably take several months until the damage is repaired and regular service on the new western route can resume. This will inevitably lead to significant disruption for travelers and commuters.
According to ÖBB, the exact cost of the damage is difficult to estimate, but it is expected to be in the three-digit million range. ÖBB does not have insurance against such damage.