Vienna subway

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U-Bahn Wien.svg
Vienna subway
Vienna subway network 2019.png
Basic data
Country Flag of Austria.svg Austria
city Vienna Wappen.svg Vienna
Transport network Verkehrsverbund Ost-Region
opening Trial operation without passengers: 1972
Extended trial operation with passengers: 1976
Regular operation: 1978
Lines five
Route length 83.1 km
Stations 98 or 109
use
Shortest cycle two minutes
Passengers 440 million per year (2015)
vehicles T , T 1 , U 11 , U 2 and V
operator Wiener Linien GmbH & Co KG
Power system 750 V = conductor rail (U1-U4),
750 V = overhead line (U6)
Type V train on the U1 in front of the Danube City skyline ; in the background the station Kaisermühlen - Vienna International Center
U2 line train on the Donaustadtbrücke

In addition to the S-Bahn , the tram , the bus network and the local railway Vienna – Baden , the Vienna U-Bahn is part of the local public transport system in the Austrian capital, Vienna, and carried around 440 million passengers or 1.2 million passengers per day in 2015. After an "extended trial run with passengers" from 1976, the Vienna subway was officially opened in 1978. The subway network has five lines and was partly derived from routes of the Vienna Electric Light Rail , which in turn was based on the steam light railway from 1898 . The underground is operated by the transport company Wiener Linien GmbH & Co KG, which belongs to the Wiener Stadtwerke and is owned by the City of Vienna.

Subway infrastructure

True-to-scale representation of the Vienna subway

The Vienna underground network currently consists of five underground lines ( U1 - U4 and U6 ), is 83.1 kilometers long (41.8 kilometers or 50.3 percent of them underground). The five lines all run on their own route ( line purity ).

The network is regular lane , due to the adoption of the standards for wheelset and track from the electric light rail, whose cars should be usable in the tram network, there are, however, deviations from the railway standards for the guide and groove widths in the core area of ​​switches and crossings and related to this Distance between the rear surfaces of the wheelsets.

Line overview

line
 route
 Commissioning
 length
 From that

underground

More underground

proportion of

Journey time
 Stations
 Mean
station distance
U1 Oberlaa ↔ Leopoldau 1978-2017 19,200 km 12.9 km 67.2% 34 min 24 835 m
U2 Seestadt ↔ Karlsplatz 1980-2013 (section 1966 as underground tram ) 16.848 km 6.2 km 36.8% 30 min 20th 887 m
U3 Ottakring ↔ Simmering 1991-2000 13.402 km 12.9 km 96.3% 25 min 21st 670 m
U4 Hütteldorf ↔ Heiligenstadt 1976–1981 (1898–1901 as light rail) 16.361 km 5.6 km 34.3% 29 min 20th 861 m
U6 Siebenhirten ↔ Floridsdorf 1989–1996 (section 1898 as light rail) 17.347 km 4.2 km 24.2% 34 min 24 754 m

The only previously discontinued subway line was the U2 / U4 line, which runs on sections of the U2 and U4. More on this under Failed U2 / U4 .

Signage system and line identification colors

On the surface, all station entrances are marked with a so-called “subway cube”. This was designed by the AGU in collaboration with graphic designers. Entrances are marked with black letters on a white background, exits with white letters on a black background. Along the platforms, in the ceiling areas, the station names are repeatedly written in white on a colored background that depends on the line. Signposts to exits and other infrastructure are arranged in a black area above them. The control system has the same structure in all stations; Only in the listed buildings of the U4 and U6 was a historicizing signage chosen.

  • Marking of the stations of the Vienna subway

  • The control system and train destination displays have the same structure in all stations

Each subway line has its own color code, which is not only found on the signs, but also in the stations. In the buildings of the U-Bahn (AGU) architectural group in particular , numerous elements of the interior fittings are also provided with the line colors, which makes orientation easier, particularly in stations with several crossing lines.

The following line identification colors were selected:

  • U1: Red; planned from the start.
  • U2: Violet; Orange was planned until the mid-1970s, but was not implemented.
  • U3: Orange; Green was planned until the mid-1970s, but was not implemented.
  • U4: Green; Until the mid-1970s, the color code was purple.
  • U5: Turquoise (provided).
  • U6: Ocher brown.

The U4 was the only line to change its color code. When it opened in 1976, it was marked purple as planned, while its later identification color green was still assigned to the deleted light rail line G on the route network maps at that time . It was not until 1977 that those responsible decided on green as the new color for the U4, whereupon the deleted light rail line G was given the color brown as an alternative.

Stations

The reception building of the U2 station Krieau

The Vienna subway has 98 stations. If the stations served by several lines are counted for each line, you get the 109 stations officially specified by Wiener Linien. Two or three subway lines stop at the following ten transfer stations:

station Lines
Karlsplatz U1 U2 U4
Country road U3 U4
Längenfeldgasse U4 U6
Praterstern U1 U2
Schottenring U2 U4
Schwedenplatz U1 U4
Spittelau U4 U6
Stephansplatz U1 U3
Popular theater U2 U3
Westbahnhof U3 U6

In addition to the stations located in the low or high areas, individual entrances can also be reached at ground level. Each platform is always served by only one line, so each line at a crossing station has separate and independent platform areas. The only exception is the Längenfeldgasse station , whose directional platforms are shared by the U4 and U6 lines. In addition to its designation, each station has a two-letter abbreviation that is primarily intended for internal company purposes. For easier orientation, stairs, elevators and, if necessary, escalators on the surface are always arranged close to one another or in a reception building. In the stations of the first expansion stage, in which elevators were retrofitted later , the latter can also be positioned completely independently, for example in the Nestroyplatz station .

As standard, the stations are designed with two tracks per line and a central or side platform. Only the terminal stations Ottakring and Heiligenstadt and the Stadion station have more than two tracks . As a rule, these can be reached via at least two stairways. An exception are, for example, those train stations where no further installations could be created for reasons of monument protection. Most of these exits lead directly into a reception building; Distribution levels with several exits were created primarily in the area close to the center and at transfer stations.

The access routes to the platforms are quite short on the U4, U6 and partly also on the U2, as these lines have arisen in sections from light rail and tram routes with their stations close to the surface. The completely newly planned and built lines U1 and U3 as well as the extensions of the U2 had to be laid deep below the surface in some cases, as they pass under the city blocks , the Danube Canal , the Vienna River and the older underground lines; the stations there often require longer walks or escalators, but serve a larger catchment area, as the two station entrances are further apart. At the Kettenbrückengasse station on the U4 line, the two surface steps are about 120 meters apart, while the exits of the Neubaugasse station on the U3 line are about 400 meters apart. The U2 station Schottenring, opened in 2008, is up to 21 meters deep and directly under the Danube Canal; their entrances are on both sides of the canal in districts 1 and 2.

In contrast to some other large cities, no methods are used in the Vienna underground to separate or channel the flows of people entering and exiting. The stations do not have separate entrances and exits to and from the platform. The Spanish solution is also not used (with the exception of the Schottenring station from 1980 to 2008, as well as the Stadion station since 2008), where the platforms on both sides of the trains enable faster passenger changes. Usually this is not a problem - even during rush hour - only at major events can delays in train handling occur due to passengers pushing in both directions. For example, at the annual Danube Island Festival in the stations around the Danube Island, a real state of emergency applies . Chaotic situations can only be avoided thanks to the closest possible intervals and the deployment of subway personnel in the entire station area. A newly developed control system regulates the flow of people to and from the platforms with the help of electronic counting and weighing systems and real-time evaluations in the three-track U2 station Stadion with two central platforms at events in the Ernst Happel Stadium . It was first used during the European Football Championship in 2008 .

Passenger information

On all platforms there are dynamic train destination displays that show the line, the destination and the time until the train departs. Information islands with timetables and local area maps or location-dependent additional information can be found on all platforms. In addition to the printed timetables and electronic displays, there are several route plans for the corresponding line in the platform area. There are also staffed information and ticket sales points in some important stations. In the most frequented stations there are so-called " info screens " (passenger television) on the platforms. Most of these are filled with editorial content and advertising; However, safety instructions are also shown.

Accessibility

All stations are equipped with elevators or can be reached at ground level and are therefore classified as handicapped accessible. This was not always the case, because during the first expansion phase, which was completed in 1982, a total of 24 stations on the U1, U2 and U4 lines were built without lifts. In these stations, a total of 35 elevators were gradually retrofitted from 1994 to 2004, the end of this program was the commissioning of the lift system in the Taubstummengasse station in April 2004. The elevators are equipped with an acoustic system that announces the various levels and thus passengers with them reduced eyesight. Newer systems also have information monitors in the cabins. The underground stations are equipped with a tactile guidance system for the blind. The train sets can be boarded at the same level from the platforms, but only Type V vehicles have been optimized for their accessibility. On the one hand, these trains offer more space for wheelchairs and prams; on the other hand, the remaining gap between the train and the platform at the front and rear doors in each station is completely closed by automatically extending ramps. The newer vehicle series also have yellow instead of gray-red handrails, which can be better perceived by visually impaired passengers.

architecture

When planning the basic network, no importance was attached to the design of the stations. Architects were therefore not involved from the start. It was only after construction started that an agreement was reached that an architecture competition would be advertised. However, due to the advanced planning, the creative leeway was rather limited. The aim was therefore not to choose a definitive winner; Instead, experts were sought who could design the new Vienna subway network to be uniform and adaptable to the various circumstances. The Viennese Stadtbahn, built from 1892 onwards, was also built by Otto Wagner according to such a uniform design principle for stations, bridges and routes. The Vienna subway should therefore have an equally homogeneous appearance.

In 1970 two first places ( Wilhelm Holzbauer and the team of architects Heinz Marschalek , Georg Ladstätter and Bert Gantar) and a third place were awarded by a jury judgment. Since the two winning designs were based on similar ideas, the planners united and founded the U-Bahn (AGU) architectural group , which initially worked on the design of the U1 (complete line design, except for Karlsplatz ) and the U4 (conversion of the light rail line to the underground) were commissioned. The team then developed a uniform panel system between 1970 and 1973 . All components of a type are built identically according to their use and include the platform areas, staircases and corridors. Information and control system parts, safety devices, entrances such as doors or benches and garbage cans are integrated into the panels. If a part is damaged or soiled, it can simply be replaced without any rough work. Since Wiener Linien is striving for a uniform line design, stations on the U1 and U4 that were realized later were also designed with a corresponding design.

For the second expansion stage (U3), the tried and tested design concept was further developed, which primarily meant the use of new materials with regard to their durability and resistance. These should increase the service life and keep the maintenance costs low. For the first time, elevators were built into the properties from the start. These findings were then also taken into account in the expansion of the U1. Since Wiener Linien is striving for a uniform line design, stations on the U1 that were realized later were also designed with the characteristic round arch style.

This third expansion stage brought with it an innovation, as an architecture competition was announced for the new stations to be built on the U2, see the article on underground line 2 . This time, it was not the AGU but the architects Gerhard Moßburger and Paul Katzberger who were entrusted with the design of the U2 extension . New approaches were also taken in the dimensioning of the stations, for example in the choice of platform widths or the positioning of entrances and exits.

Another architecture competition was announced for the new stations of the U5 to be built in the course of the fourth and fifth expansion stages. These stations will bear the signature of the architects Franz & Sue and YF , see the article on subway line 5 .

There are a few exceptions to the idea of ​​a uniform line design. First of all, the preserved urban railway buildings by Otto Wagner should be mentioned. On the U4 line, two Otto Wagner stations ( Schönbrunn and Stadtpark ), opened in 1898 and 1901 respectively, have largely been preserved in their original condition. Most of the buildings and details of the current U6 line designed by Wagner between 1894 and 1900 are still unchanged to this day. Further light rail structures can be found on the suburban line . Another specialty are the Karlsplatz , Volkstheater and Schottentor stations designed by Kurt Schlauss and the underground tram (Ustrab) stops along the two-way line , which is now part of the U2, that were rebuilt under his direction characterized by a mix of styles, see the article on subway line 6 .

However, the design principles developed by the AGU in the early subway planning are the basis for all non-historical station structures. They have become immovable principles; Regardless of the planner and year of construction, they still exist today. These include the guidance system, the above-mentioned flexible interior structure and - as the most important characteristic of the stations - the strict separation between the passenger and track areas known as the “Vienna System”. (The special importance of the interior design in the station buildings can be found in the chapter on safety in the Vienna subway .)

Artistic arrangement

With the construction of the U3, artists began to be involved in the design of the stations. However, there was a firm commitment to placing such interventions only in “well-founded areas”; Works of art should not be installed for the sake of alibi to "beautify" empty spaces. Numerous stations, especially on the U2 and U3 lines, have been artistically designed since then. Around 30 works by international artists are now being presented in the form of wall paintings, installations or sculptures. The U3 line is also marketed as a “culture line”, since its stations have a particularly high proportion of public art and there are also many cultural institutions along the route. In some stations, excavations from Roman times are also presented. At the Stubentor station, parts of the Vienna city wall were integrated into the station structure and the Virgil Chapel, which was found during the construction of the underground , was made accessible again through the Stephansplatz station.

  • A selection of projects in the stations

  • "U-BauAlphabet", Georg Salner (Hütteldorfer Straße)

  • "The Becoming of Nature", Anton Lehmden (Volkstheater)

  • " Factoids " - excerpt, Ken Lum (Karlsplatz)

  • "Run of the Creatures" - excerpt, Rudi Wach (Museum Quarter)

  • "Art of Technology" - excerpt (Schweglerstrasse)

  • Virgil Chapel (Stephansplatz)

Abandoned stations

The only underground station that has not been replaced so far is the Lerchenfelder Straße station on the U2. Due to the extension of the platforms from 75 to 115 meters on the entire line of the U2, the already narrow station distance between the stations Lerchenfelder Straße and Volkstheater was shortened and led to the closure of the station on September 27, 2003. The tram stop there was in Auerspergstraße renamed to allow clearer localization.

In 1991 the connecting arch was shut down, meaning that the Friedensbrücke station was no longer served by the U6. The U6 has not been going to Heiligenstadt since 1996 either , as it was given a new route in the direction of Floridsdorf . Both stations are still served by the U4 line.

The old U6 station Westbahnhof, which was located under the forecourt of the Westbahnhof , was closed in 1991 during the construction of the U3 line . A new station was built directly under the belt , east of the old station. Similarly, in the course of the U2 extension to the stadium, the previous Schottenring station for the U2, between the tracks of the U4, was closed in 2008 and a new one was opened under the tracks of the U4 and the Danube Canal .

Operating facilities

The Erdberg depot

Wasserleitungswiese station (U1, U4)

In 1977 the Wasserleitungswiese (WLW) depot opened, which at that time was the only depot responsible for all underground lines. Today the U1 and U4 lines are located here. The train station is north of the Spittelau station on the U4. Trains of the U1 line reach the U4 tracks at Schottenring via a service track at the Stephansplatz station . Type U, U 1 and V vehicles are stationed at Wasserleitungswiese station.

A little north of the halls is a turntable that went into operation in November 1988 ( 48 ° 14 ′ 29.3 ″  N , 16 ° 21 ′ 47.5 ″  E ). It is used to turn U2 carriages. Due to the circular lines between Karlsplatz and Schottenring, including narrow arc radii such as between the Rathaus and Schottentor stations, these are stressed and worn on one side. In the U, U 11 and U 2 series of double railcars , the traction equipment and the auxiliary services are distributed over both cars, which means that the cars cannot be operated individually and the mechanical and electrical connections are not designed for quick disconnection and connection. In order to be able to accommodate an entire double railcar, the turntable has a diameter of 40 meters, making it the largest in Europe.

Erdberg station (U2, U3)

In the course of the construction of the U3 line, a second depot was built next to the Erdberg station. Reasons for this choice of location are, among other things, the good development of the area through the Vienna Südosttangente and the proximity to the management of Wiener Linien, which has been right next to the train station since 1994. The depot has numerous central facilities for forbearance for the Vienna underground. The central control center is also located here . Together with a P + R facility , this makes Erdberg station the largest station in the entire underground network. The station also has an ÖBB rail connection. In addition to the trains on the U3 line, the U2 vehicle fleet is also serviced in Erdberg. Trains on the U2 line go from the Stadion U2 station, which opened in 2008, to the depot via a service track that runs across the Prater . If necessary, train sets can also be pushed in via this operating track to transport visitors away from major events in the Ernst Happel Stadium. The U 11 , U 2 and V vehicle types are housed in the Erdberg depot.

Michelbeuern station (U6)

The station of the same name is located at Michelbeuern station on the U6, where only trains on this line are serviced. The facility was already used by the former light rail and has a track connection to the tram.

Main workshop of Wiener Linien

All major work and regular main inspections are carried out in the main workshop of Wiener Linien , an area of ​​264,000 square meters in Vienna-Simmering . The types U and V wagons and their descendants for lines U1 to U4 are transferred to the main workshop in the Erdberg depot on low-floor wagons over ÖBB tracks. Because of the flange dimensions and the distance between the rear surfaces of the wheel disks, which correspond to the dimensions of the tram due to the development of the subway, it is not possible to transfer the tram on your own wheels via the railway network, as is common in many subway companies. The type T and T 1 cars for the U6 line get to the workshop autonomously via the tram network.

Other facilities

Underground railcars in the Leopoldau storage hall

In addition to the railway stations mentioned, there are also parking and inspection facilities in Leopoldau (U1), Seestadt (U2), Ottakring (U3), Hütteldorf (U4) and in Rößlergasse (U6). There are also parking and turning options across the entire network.

Operating routes

In addition to the routes used in regular service, there are those that are not used for passenger transport:

  • The 1585.46 m long track 0 branches off the U4 between the Schottenring and Schwedenplatz stations and leads in a single lane in a right-hand bend towards the city center to merge under Rotenturmstraße with the U1 in front of the Stephansplatz station.
  • There is also a 1040.40 m long connection between the U3 station Landstraße and the U4 station Schwedenplatz through track 7 , which runs in an S-curve below the Wienfluss and Ringstraße. Normally, this track is used for transfer trips between the Erdberg and Wasserleitungswiese stations, but in the course of construction work in the Landstraße station, trains on the U4 line also used it for passenger traffic.
  • The longest operating track connection at 2,461.39 m has been in existence since May 2008. This track 10 branches off the U2 after the three-track Stadion station on the right, crosses under the Prater Hauptallee and the Danube Canal and comes to the large U-Bahn-Wendehalle under the district “ Downtown ”in front of the Erdberg depot, where the U2 trains are parked and serviced, reappears. At events in the Ernst Happel Stadium , trains are threaded through this tunnel, which runs far away from any regular subway line, so that visitors can get into the city as quickly as possible at the end of the game.
  • Track 20 branches off the U2 at Schottentor and leads under the Schottenring station, where it joins track 0 . The tracks are arranged in such a way that it is possible to switch from the U2 to the U1 immediately one after the other. This connection is the adapted remainder of the route to the former U2 terminus, which until 2008 lay between the U4 tracks in the Schottenring station.
  • Normally there are unused track connections between the U4 and U6 lines in the Längenfeldgasse station and between the U6 line and the WLB line north of the Tscherttegasse station. They are used in particular for maintenance.
  • The Michelbeuern U6 depot has a connection to the tram network (line 42), via which the U6 trains can be transferred to the main workshop or trams can get to the wheel lathe in the station.
  • In the Erdberg depot it is possible to load underground trains onto low-floor wagons and transport them to the main workshop via ÖBB routes.

History and network expansion

After a long plan for the construction of a rail transport system guided in a tunnel, the Vienna Stadtbahn, initially operated by steam locomotives , was set up at the end of the 19th century , consisting of the suburban line , the belt line, the Wiental line, the Danube Canal line and the connecting line . In the 1920s, the City of Vienna took over the inner ring of this network with the Stadtbahn and electrified some of the routes for operation with tram-like cars. It was not until the end of the 1960s that the local council agreed on the expansion of the existing light rail system into a needs-based subway network. The construction of the underground network will be divided into several stages:

Decades of planning

Parts of Ghega's plans later became a reality

Plans for an underground railway in Vienna can be traced back to the 1840s. Since then there have been numerous plans and license applications for the construction of such a project, so that Vienna is considered the city with the most underground train plans.

The license application by the engineer Heinrich Sichrowsky with the idea of ​​an atmospheric railway based on the Medhurst and Clegg system dates from 1844 . The trains would have been pneumatically moved forward by means of the air pumps of stationary steam engines. Sichrowsky's route should lead from Lobkowitzplatz below the Wiener Glacis to the Wien River to Hütteldorf. Although such railways had been built in London and Paris, no investors were found in Vienna for his corporation, so this idea was discarded. The connecting railway project by Julius Pollak (1849) was also designed as an atmospheric system.

Sichrowsky's request was the starting point for a series of plans, most of which, however, did not receive approval and could therefore not be implemented. For example, in 1858, the city planner Ludwig Zettl suggested that the former city moat should be vaulted instead of being filled in, in order to then set up a horse-drawn railroad tram in this enclosed moat , which should bypass the city. This would have created a connection between the central train station and the market halls, while the gas-lit tunnels were also intended to serve as storage for food. By 1873, at least 25 plans for urban railway traffic had been made, only the connecting line, which already appeared in the much more extensive overall planning by Carl Ritter von Ghega in his project for the expansion of Vienna's city from 1858, was later implemented as part of the main high-speed railway line. Incidentally, Ghega had already worked out a belt railway project along the line wall in 1845 . The first plan for a subway in deep-lying tunnels by Emil Winkler dates back to 1873, and it is noteworthy that the planning proposals were also based on the first systematic traffic census in Vienna.

Another wave of public transport projects developed with the completion of the Ringstrasse. Apparently the concept of the British engineers James Bunton and Joseph Fogerty convinced because it was approved in 1881; this was already the 30th planning ever. The route was to run partly as an elevated railway, an underground railway laid in a tunnel and in an open cut.

In 1883, the Siemens & Halske company planned an "electrical secondary railway" for a small-profile railway with three lines. The construction failed due to the concern of the magistrate that the inner-city business life could be impaired, especially since the project included tunneling under the city center for the first time. The later mayor of the city of Vienna, Karl Lueger , saw the concepts only as a "gimmick", so that these too were rejected and failed.

The construction of the railway proposed by Bunton and Fogerty was very controversial, not least because of its character as an elevated railway, which many (such as Heinrich Ferstel ) considered to be damaging to the cityscape. The project was delayed more and more, so that its execution was classified as in breach of contract and its concession expired in 1886 by declaration. Again a wave of private offers set in, but all of them were declared to be too expensive or the required deposit could not be paid on time.

The light rail as the foundation stone for the underground

In 1890 the city of Vienna, the Archduchy of Austria under the Enns (later the federal state of Lower Austria , to which Vienna was still a part), the state and the Danube Regulation Commission put an end to these countless plans with the formation of the Commission for Transport Systems in Vienna . They started now on the government side with the planning of a light rail. Two years later, on February 6, 1892, a law was passed to establish the light rail network with a network length of more than 40 kilometers. This network was originally intended to be built as a full line in steam locomotive operation and consist of three main and three local railway lines. The groundbreaking for the work, all of which was carried out by the Imperial and Royal State Railways , was on November 7th, 1892. The lines of the now reduced to four lines came into operation in sections between 1898 and 1901.

The architect Otto Wagner , who had numerous stations built in the Art Nouveau style, was brought in as an advisory board for the artistic design . These stations as well as the characteristic light rail arches on the elevated sections are still partially preserved and testify to a former glory , especially on the suburban line (now part of the Vienna S-Bahn ) and today's U6. In his history of the Vienna Stadtbahn, Alfred Horn made a connection between the high costs of this architecture and the deletion of the planned branch of the belt line to Matzleinsdorf. The two light rail pavilions by Otto Wagner on Karlsplatz are particularly representative . During the construction of the subway they were dismantled, restored and re-erected in the space that was 1.5 m higher at this point. They are no longer used as a subway building, but as a coffee house or as a branch of the Wien Museum with permanent documentation on Otto Wagner's work. One still serves as an exit, but the direction of the stairs has been reversed so that they are at the original rear of the pavilion.

However, in the first decades of its existence, the (steam) light rail did not manage to develop into a really important means of mass transport - the electric tram established itself as such by the beginning of the 20th century at the latest . In the years 1910 to 1918, therefore, there were again plans to create an efficient mass transport system. Presumably inspired by an AEG subway project from 1895, Franz Musil emerged in 1910 with a Vienna subway project that envisaged an underground connection between Hernals - Stephansplatz - Favoriten. Karl Hochenegg countered in the same year with a combined subway and sub-paving project. In 1910 there was also a relevant inquiry, and in 1911 it was offered to private providers based on the results of the inquiry. The outbreak of World War I in 1914 interrupted the protracted decision-making process.

  • Otto Wagner, architect of many stations

  • "Throwing over" the belt line over the Wiental line at Längenfeldgasse

  • Währinger Strasse station on the beltline

  • Historical station sign on the Wientallinie

  • Floor tiles in the Hietzing station

  • The former Karlsplatz tram station in Art Nouveau style, now the exhibition room of the Wien Museum

Network plan of the electric light rail before the start of the first expansion stage of the underground

After 1918, Vienna was considered the water of a small remnant state. Generous underground plans were now ruled out in view of the difficult economic situation. In 1924 the City of Vienna leased the Stadtbahn (with the exception of the suburban line) and carried out the electrification, which was required several times before the war. From autumn 1925 the Viennese electric light rail was operated in the tariff association with the tram; the frequency of the light rail increased three times. The light rail had now become an independent transport system, no longer linked to the main line network but to the tram network . Since 1927, the subway plans of Siemens & Halske and Omnium Lyonnais, which had already been ventilated from 1912 to 1914, were discussed again. In 1929 there were secret negotiations, but the outbreak of the global economic crisis put an end to them.

A utopian subway network design for the city's trams from 1937 leads over to the short period of extremely optimistic planning after the “ connection ”. The priority of social housing, educational facilities and welfare services in “ Red Vienna ” were now followed by large-scale projects that had been announced propagandistically without any chance of realization.

After Austria was " annexed " to the Third Reich in March 1938, Vienna was expanded to become the largest German city in terms of area and the sixth largest city in the world, " Greater Vienna ", and plans were again made for a Vienna subway, this time by Siemens -Building union in cooperation with the urban metro planning department. The construction of a central station linked to the subway was also planned and a transport association of rail and municipal transport was envisaged. However, only test drillings were carried out, and after the outbreak of World War II , the subway project lost its priority as a subject of propaganda and a means of creating jobs, whereupon planning came to a halt again.

From the sub-paving tram to the subway

After the Second World War, it was decided in 1946 to transfer two thirds of the area of ​​“ Greater Vienna ” back to Lower Austria. The emergence of the “ Iron Curtain ” and the occupation of Vienna by the four Allies, which lasted until 1955, also acted as a brake on growth. Although a rebuilding quetary declared the war project of the Siemens-Bauunion as the official subway network, it was aimed at a city with three to four million inhabitants that is not yet in sight even today. In 1954, Karl Heinrich Brunner therefore presented a streamlined concept, but without any chance of realization. Another utopian project was Rudolf Maculan's trackless subway (1953).

In the city, private motorized traffic increased sharply from the 1950s. The resulting conflict of use in public street space was often resolved in favor of private transport: As in many other places in Europe, the tram network was reduced in size from 1958, but not as radically as in other cities. The tasks of the abandoned tram lines were largely transferred to new bus lines. During these years, the underground question was further politicized, as the conservative ÖVP campaigned for the underground in 1954 and 1959, while the dominant SPÖ placed residential construction in the foreground. Roland Rainer's 1961 traffic concept was accordingly extremely hostile to the subway. It was assumed that a Vienna subway would provide excessive support for the centrality of the inner city.

At the end of the 1950s and the beginning of the 1960s, the Vienna City Council decided several times against a subway network. On the other hand, it was becoming increasingly clear that Vienna could not do without a means of mass transport off the road. Similar to the light rail systems emerging in Germany at that time , a system of paved trams (U-Strab) was favored, at times (from 1957, with a high point in 1960–1962) Vice Mayor and City Councilor for Finance Felix Slavik was also interested in the alternative Alwegbahn . The Viennese Alwegbahn plans ultimately failed due to the resistance of the Viennese transport companies and urban planning.

Tram stop Lerchenfelder Straße in 1974; it was converted into a U2 station in 1980 and closed in 2003

For the traffic structure at Schottentor (Jonas-Reindl) , which opened in 1961, later use of the subway was not yet specifically considered in the planning. Routes with a later subway option were:

  • the underground two-way line opened in 1966 (named after the lines E 2 , G 2 and H 2 passing through ),
  • the tram tunnel on the southern belt , completed in 1969 ,
  • the surface tram line 64 between Philadelphiabrücke and Siebenhirten .

Of the tunnels built at that time, only the two-way line has been converted to underground operation (line U2) to this day. The branching of the belt line to the south over the Wiental, which was already planned in the original planning of the urban railway, which would flow into the underground route of the southern belt, has not yet been implemented. The "Jonas-Reindl", named after the mayor at the time, Franz Jonas , contains the loop of an underground tram station; The linear position of the supporting columns can at best be seen as an advance payment for an underground crossing of the city center along the axis Währinger Straße - Schottengasse  - Herrengasse, but there are no plans to build it. The Schottentor (University) station of the U2 has been located next to the tram loop since 1980. The express tram line 64 was integrated into the southern U6 extension in 1995.

Construction of the basic network - first expansion stage: 1969–1982

Network plan 1982 after 1st expansion stage
Building pits of the Vienna underground in 1970, line 167 on stilts: Karlsplatz, view towards the State Opera
The Vienna U-Bahn partly uses the old lines of the Stadtbahn, as here at Hietzing
First day ticket from February 25, 1978
Zollamtsbrücke over the Wien River, part of the old light rail system

On January 26th, 1968, the City Council of Vienna decided to build an underground network. After evaluating 25 project variants, a 30-kilometer-wide, narrower basic network was seen as the most urgent. This narrower basic network comprised the U1 lines with the Reumannplatz – Praterstern line, U2 between Karlsplatz and Schottenring, and U4 from Hütteldorf to Heiligenstadt. The route of the U1 had to be completely rebuilt, most of the U2 had to be converted from tram and the U4 entirely from light rail to underground operation.

Construction work on the first expansion phase began on November 3, 1969 on or below Karlsplatz , the largest subway junction where the three lines of the basic network were to meet and which also housed the subway control center for a long time. On August 17, 1973, spectacularly for the media, the 2003 and 3003 cars of a type U twin multiple unit were lowered onto the U1 tracks by crane for test drives in the area of ​​Taubstummengasse station before the excavation pit was closed. Until they were connected to the rest of the route, the two cars remained locked on the short test route.

  • Initially built from Reumannplatz to Praterstern, the U1 runs in this section exclusively in the low-lying area. The tunnel was mostly bored by mining and passes under the S-Bahn tunnel on Südtiroler Platz, under Karlsplatz U2, U4 and Wienfluss, on Schwedenplatz U4 and Danube Canal and on Praterstern the S-Bahn. The collapse of the Reichsbrücke in 1976 accelerated the construction of the subsequent section from Praterstern to Kagran, which was partly built in an elevated position, which was not planned in the narrower basic network: When the Reichsbrücke was rebuilt, underground tracks were also built in the basement; a separate U1 bridge over the Danube could thus be omitted; the immediate further construction to Kagran was therefore necessary.
  • In order to convert the 1.8 kilometer long two -way tram line between Rathaus and Babenbergerstraße to underground operation (U2), new subways had to be installed at both ends of the tram tunnel (from Babenbergerstraße to Karlsplatz and from the town hall to Schottenring) -Tunnels are to be built (these came to be at the same level as the U4 at both of the U2 terminus at the time) This extended this route to 3.5 kilometers.
  • The U4 is the result of the conversion of the Wiental and Danube Canal lines of the Stadtbahn to power rail operation, which was carried out in stages from 1976 to 1981 . For this purpose, the light rail stations had to be completely rebuilt technically (including higher platform level).

To finance the construction of the subway, the City of Vienna introduced a new employer tax, which is still levied today and is colloquially known as the subway tax .

Passenger traffic on the Vienna U-Bahn began on May 8, 1976 on the U4 line as part of the so-called “extended trial operation with passengers” between Heiligenstadt and Friedensbrücke, today's Spittelau intermediate station did not exist at that time. Two years later, on February 25, 1978, the U1 line in the tunnel between Reumannplatz and Karlsplatz (five stations) was the first real new line to go into operation. The U2 line followed on August 30, 1980 and ran from Karlsplatz to Schottenring. In 1981 the Wiental and Danube Canal lines of the Stadtbahn were completely converted to the U4.

The first phase of expansion was completed on September 3, 1982, when the U1 line was extended from Praterstern to the Zentrum Kagran station , which was later renamed Kagran . This was the first time that areas beyond (east) the Danube were connected to the subway network. The total length of the network was now 31.7 kilometers.

Failed U2 / U4

The relatively short distance of the U2 (Karlsplatz – Schottenring) at that time compared to the lines U1 and U4 was due to the fact that the Wiener Linien built a subway ring around the interior, consisting of the lines U2 and U4 Wanted to lay town. This was implemented in September 1981, so that the U2 trains in the Schottenring station switched to the U4 tracks and ran on the U4 to Hietzing. The associated line designation of this double line was U2 / U4. The Schottenring station was designed as a branching station, also in order to be able to later split the U4 coming from the south into a north branch to Heiligenstadt and a new west branch, the U5. This operation also acted as a test for the planned later split of the U2 between Schottentor and City Hall (see missing U5 ). But because of the shorter U2 trains (due to the platform lengths from the U-Strab at that time), which were now to alternate with longer U4 trains south of the Schottenring station, and because of the insufficiently prepared switches at Schottenring and stations Hietzing, there were massive operational disruptions on the U2 / U4 line. This extension of the U2 was therefore abandoned after three weeks.

Missing U5

When planning the Vienna underground network from 1966 to 1973, the line numbers were also assigned. In this phase, however, the designation U5 was repeatedly used for lines which, after closer examination, proved to be not worth expanding and were therefore postponed. In early expansion variants, the U5 was supposed to run between Meidling Hauptstraße and St. Marx on the southern belt line, which was already partially tunneled under, later the current branch of the U2 line from Schottenring to the stadium was called the U5, which was planned to run in a westerly direction over Schottentor Hernals provided. The U5 line is therefore still missing from the route map today; In other words, today's line U2 actually consists of parts of the lines U2 and U5, which were planned in the meantime, which are connected via an arch between the Rathaus and Schottentor stations (this was originally only planned as a service track and is still the arch with the smallest radius in Vienna subway network). The designation U3 was also a gap in the network for a long time, but initial preparatory work was already underway here when the basic network was built. With the construction of the U1 (construction lot Stephansplatz), the entire tunnel tube of the U3 between Naglergasse / Graben and Stubentor was completed in order to avoid further tunneling work in the area of ​​the cathedral.

Several plans and internal working papers of Wiener Linien have provided long-term plans for a U5 line since 2003, but it was not until the beginning of 2014 that concrete efforts were made to actually implement the line. In March 2014 it was finally announced that the U5 line would be built in several stages as part of a U2 / U5 line intersection .

U7 no longer current

In some drafts, a line U7 was also planned, which should connect the Floridsdorf, Kagran and Aspern railway stations east of the Danube between the districts of Floridsdorf and Donaustadt . However, this project was not found to be sensible due to insufficient population and was never specifically planned, as almost the same number of people could be carried with a - much cheaper - express tram, which was due to the re-routing of tram line 26 east of Wagramer Straße by 2013 to Ziegelhofstrasse six stations further on its own track, through the Stadlau industrial park to the Hausfeldstrasse subway station on the northern edge of Aspern.

Historic bridge of the U6 over the Wienzeile between the stations Längenfeldgasse (in Wiental, left) and Gumpendorfer Straße (on the Gürtel , right), view to the west

Second expansion stage: 1982-2000

Network plan 2000 after 2nd expansion stage
In 1989 the U4 / U6 station Längenfeldgasse opened

Line U6 - light rail and extension lines

After the completion of the basic network, the Vienna underground system was expanded in 1989 to include the U6 line with the Heiligenstadt – Philadelphiabrücke line (10.6 kilometers). For this, the belt line , the last remaining line of the light rail, had been modernized and switched to right-hand traffic. In order to preserve the valuable building fabric, the line was not converted for operation with the underground railcars of the other lines; Tram or light rail-like trains with overhead lines continued to be used. From 1991 the northern end of the line was only Heiligenstadt; the alternative northern terminus of the last light rail line, Friedensbrücke, was no longer served. The first extension of this line in the south followed in 1995: from Philadelphiabrücke (today Meidling station) to Siebenhirten, including the elevated railway line of the former express tram line 64 over a length of 5.2 km. In 1996 the U6 in the north was extended to Floridsdorf and the previous terminus in Heiligenstadt was no longer served. The two remaining, abandoned connecting lines of the former light rail, like large parts of the U6, are under monument protection, the connecting arch between Spittelau and Friedensbrücke is now used as a footpath and bike path.

Line U3 as a new line

In 1991, the completely new line U3 was opened between Erdberg and Volkstheater, which crosses the first district as the second line after the U1. The western terminus Ottakring was reached in 1998, the southeast end of the U3 has been in the Simmering station since 2000. The total length of the network increased to 61 kilometers with these construction measures in the second expansion stage.

Cross-boarder leasing

In 1998, the Vienna underground network was part of a cross-border leasing -Vertrages sold to a US financial company with a buy-back option for the coming decades leased back . There were a total of six US lease transactions; In 2006 and 2009 Wiener Linien prematurely withdrawn from two contracts.

Third expansion stage: 2001–2010

Network plan 2010 after 3rd expansion stage

The third expansion phase began in 2000. In the third expansion stage, the U1 and U2 lines were extended. It was decided to no longer serve the U2 with short trains, but with long trains. The existing stations of the U2 had to be adapted accordingly. Due to the short distance to the Volkstheater station, the Lerchenfelder Straße U2 station was abandoned during the adaptation work in 2003.

The mentioned extension of the U1 from Kagran north to Leopoldau with an additional 4.6 km line went into operation on September 2, 2006. This means that the 21st and 22nd districts have been linked more closely to the underground network. At the final stop Leopoldau there is a transition to the S-Bahn.

The construction of the extension of the U2 line to the Ernst-Happel-Stadion and on to Aspernstraße was delayed due to legal problems with the tunneling under two residential buildings in Vienna's 2nd district. Thanks to a reorganization of the construction priorities, however, the delay was largely compensated for. On May 10, 2008, the first stage (3.9 km) of the extension of the U2 to the Stadion station at Ernst-Happel-Stadion was opened, just in time for the European Football Championship . The second stage over the Donaustadtbrücke to Aspernstraße with a length of 5 kilometers and six new stations opened on October 2nd, 2010.

The official groundbreaking ceremony for the U2 section from the stadium to Aspernstrasse took place on September 28, 2006. The approximately five kilometer long section was built entirely in an elevated position and contains a total of six stations. At Stadlau station, you can transfer to the ÖBB trains. The second largest hospital in Vienna, the Donauspital ( SMZ Ost ), also had its own ward. With the completion of this construction phase on October 2, 2010 with a total of eleven new stations , the Danube will be crossed by three underground lines. With this construction phase, the total length of the network increased to 74.6 km.

Fourth expansion stage: 2010–2027

Network plan 2027 after the 4th expansion stage

2007 metro package

In spring 2007, the City of Vienna and the federal government, who share the costs of building the underground, presented an underground package. This provided for the following network expansions:

  • Extension of the U2 from Aspernstraße to Seestadt Aspern (then time horizon 2013)
  • Extension of the U1 from Reumannplatz to Rothneusiedl (then time horizon 2015)
  • Extension of the U2 from Karlsplatz to Gudrunstraße (then time horizon 2019)

Extension of the U2 to the north

In 2010 the construction of the extension of the U2 into the urban expansion area Seestadt Aspern began. The 4.2 km long section to the terminus Seestadt was opened on October 5, 2013 .

Changes in the package 2012 - south branch for the U1

In March 2012, it was officially announced that the Südast the U1 for cost reasons and because of the not yet made buildings in the area of the planned terminus not to Rothneusiedl but under expansion of the existing (light rail moderately developed) stretch of the tram line 67 to Oberlaa to the Therme Wien built becomes. This extension was put into operation on September 2, 2017, as a result of which the Vienna underground network grew by 4.6 kilometers and five stations. In the area of ​​the Alaudagasse station, preparations were made for a future fork in the line, should the further development of Rothneusiedl justify the routing of a subway branch there.

Changes in the package 2014 - line crossing U2 / U5

The originally planned southern U2 extension to Gudrunstraße was put on hold, in addition to financial reasons, because the originally assumed need no longer exists. With the funds already budgeted for this, the U2 / U5 line intersection is now being created. The U2 line coming from Seestadt will have a new south branch from Schottentor station, which will be taken to the Matzleinsdorfer Platz S-Bahn station . The remaining route of the U2 between Karlsplatz and Universitätsstraße will be taken over by a newly created line U5, which will initially be supplemented by the Frankhplatz station . This line is also to be operated fully automatically, as is already the case, for example, with the Nuremberg metro and the Copenhagen metro . Construction of the resulting line intersection began in 2018. The new U5 line is to be opened in 2025 and the new U2 line in 2027.

Fifth expansion stage

Network plan according to the planned 5th expansion stage

In the fifth expansion stage, which is financially still to be negotiated, the U2 is to be extended from Matzleinsdorfer Platz via an intermediate stop Gußriegelstraße to the terminus Wienerberg and the U5 from Frankhplatz via the intermediate stops Arne-Karlsson-Park and Michelbeuern - AKH (change to U6) to the terminus Elterleinplatz . A time horizon of 2025 to 2028 is specified for this work.

Further expansion options

The following expansion options are also being discussed:

The state of Lower Austria in particular would like to extend the subway into the surrounding area:

Opening and recruitment dates

Graphics of the openings including extensions of the fourth expansion stage
Animated graphics of the track openings

The following table contains the opening and setting dates of the individual route sections in chronological order, whereby the switch from light rail to underground operation is also shown as opening dates:

date line route
May 8, 1976 U4 Heiligenstadt ↔ Friedensbrücke
February 25, 1978 U1 Reumannplatz ↔ Karlsplatz
April 3, 1978 U4 Friedensbrücke ↔ Schottenring
15th August 1978 U4 Schottenring ↔ Schwedenplatz ↔ Karlsplatz
November 18, 1978 U1 Karlsplatz ↔ Stephansplatz
November 24, 1979 U1 Stephansplatz ↔ Nestroyplatz
August 30, 1980 U2 Schottenring ↔ Town Hall ↔ Karlsplatz
October 26, 1980 U4 Karlsplatz ↔ Meidling Hauptstrasse
February 28, 1981 U1 Nestroyplatz ↔ Praterstern
August 31, 1981 U4 Meidling Hauptstrasse ↔ Hietzing
December 20, 1981 U4 Hietzing ↔ Hütteldorf
3rd September 1982 U1 Praterstern ↔ Kagran
October 7, 1989 U6 Philadelphiabrücke ↔ Nussdorfer Straße ↔ Heiligenstadt / Friedensbrücke
March 4th 1991 U6 Nussdorfer Strasse ↔ Friedensbrücke
April 6, 1991 U3 Erdberg ↔ Volkstheater
4th September 1993 U3 Volkstheater ↔ Westbahnhof
3rd September 1994 U3 Westbahnhof ↔ Johnstrasse
April 15, 1995 U6 Philadelphia Bridge ↔ Seven Shepherds
May 4, 1996 U6 Nussdorfer Strasse ↔ Floridsdorf; Nussdorfer Strasse ↔ Heiligenstadt
5th December 1998 U3 Johnstrasse ↔ Ottakring
December 2, 2000 U3 Erdberg ↔ Simmering
September 2, 2006 U1 Kagran ↔ Leopoldau
May 10, 2008 U2 Schottenring ↔ Praterstern ↔ Stadium
October 2, 2010 U2 Stadium ↔ Aspernstrasse
5th October 2013 U2 Aspernstrasse ↔ Seestadt
2nd September 2017 U1 Reumannplatz ↔ Oberlaa

Vehicle fleet

Trains of both forms of power supply east of the Längenfeldgasse station

There were already eight different vehicle types in the Vienna subway network, five of which are still in use today. The supply is a uniform DC voltage of 750  V , which is obtained from several rectifier stations distributed along the routes from the medium-voltage network operated by Wienstrom . The supply is provided on lines U1 to U4 via a side busbar , coated from below and provided with a plastic cover on the top , which supplies 4.8  kA operating current (with short-circuit currents up to 7 kA), but on line U6 via a Overhead line . U1 to U4 are operated in mixed operation with types U x and V, U6 with type family T x :

Type number Installation Seats Standing room air conditioning comment
U 8th 1972 49 91 No no longer in operation
U 1 1 117 1987 49 91 No
U 2 74 2000 49 91 No
V 59 2006 260 618 Yes
X 34 2020 Yes ordered, option for 11 pieces
T 78 1993 58 136 Yes
T 1 66 2008 57 136 Yes

Until 2008, the E 6 / c 6 railcars and sidecars taken over from the Stadtbahn were still in use on the U6 .

Lines U1-U4

Types U, U 1 and U 2

The first type U cars developed by Simmering-Graz-Pauker (SGP) were delivered in 1972. The smallest unit is a permanently coupled double multiple unit consisting of two four-axle motor cars, 36.8 meters long and 2.8 meters wide . A train is made up of three double cars. Until 2008, short trains with two double wagons were used in times of low activity or on the U2 line. Technically, the cars are very similar to the Munich and Nuremberg subway trains . However, there are clear differences in the multi-award-winning car design. Up to 1982 a total of 135 type U double railcars had been delivered, but they have now been taken out of service.

Starting in 1987, SGP delivered a second generation of the U 1 (later referred to as U 11 ), which outwardly resembles its predecessor. The technical equipment has been further developed and contains water-cooled three - phase motors , brakes with energy recovery and modernized emergency braking and safety devices. In the years 2000 to 2010, trains of the later series of the type U were converted and equipped with new three-phase motors, which should extend their service life by another 20 years. The converted trains are designated as type U 2 . These vehicles run on the U2 and U3 lines.

The interior of a car consists of eight pairs of face-to-face seats in the middle section, nine seats at the ends without a driver's cab and two face-to-face pairs of seats in the opposite end of the car. In 2006, the types U 1 and U 2 LED displays replaced the illuminated roll -up displays that were originally attached inside and outside . In addition, the trains are gradually being retrofitted with plastic seats, video surveillance and warning lights to signal the door closing process. No such modifications are made to the Type U, since the vehicles are successively mapped out. A single multiple unit has 49 seats and 91 standing places, with a train consisting of three double multiple units there are 294 seats and 546 standing places. The maximum speed is 80 km / h. The design of the sets, known as the "Silver Arrows", comes from the railway designer Johann Benda .

Type V

At the end of the 1990s, a consortium made up of Siemens , ELIN and Adtranz developed a new train called the Type V or “V-Car”. It is a continuous, permanently coupled six-car train, consisting of two non-motorized control cars and four motorized intermediate cars. This corresponds to the length of three double wagons of the type family U x . After a prototype was mostly in use on the U3 line from December 2000, 25 trainsets were purchased in June 2002 and another 15 trains of this type in December 2007. The first sets of these were delivered from February 2005, which, after several delays, received their operating license in mid-August 2006. Another 20 vehicles were ordered at the end of September 2009.

In contrast to the prototype, the interior of the series vehicles was adapted to the new standard and got gray instead of white side walls and red plastic seats instead of the originally built-in fabric seats. The newer series of the Type V also have yellow instead of gray-red handrails, improved interior displays and warning lights to signal the door closing process. A car consists of eight pairs of face-to-face seats in the middle section and six seats at each of the car crossings. At the beginning and end of the trains there are multi-purpose compartments, each with four folding seats, as well as automatically extending ramps at each station to close the gap between the platforms. They are the first Vienna subway cars to have air conditioning and are factory-fitted with video surveillance. In order to keep station stops short and to avoid being blocked by passengers, the doors instead of light barriers only have sensitive sensor edges as anti-trap protection. An individually opened door therefore only closes again as part of a central closing process. All entrances can also be opened centrally from the driver's seat.

The trains were equipped with extensive safety technology, such as fire alarms in the roof areas, temperature sensors and dry fire lines on the undercarriage. Smoke or excess temperatures are immediately transmitted to the driver. The type V cars have 260 seats and 618 standing places. Their top speed is 80 km / h. Porsche Design is responsible for the exterior design .

  • Type U in the Stadtpark station

  • Type U 1 near the Old Danube

  • Type U 2 in Ottakring

  • Interior of the type family in the later version with fabric instead of the original leather seats (but still without plastic seat shells and video surveillance)

  • Type V at the Aderklaaer Straße station

  • Interior of a V-car from the first series

Type X

On March 8, 2018, it was announced that from mid-2020 to 2030 34 units - with the option to order 11 more - of the new train developed as an X-car for Vienna will be delivered by Siemens to Wiener Linien. One set will be 111 m long and 2.85 m wide and offer space for 928 passengers. The capacity, which is around 5% higher than the predecessor type v / V with 882, is achieved with fewer seats, new: folding seats and more standing room. The entry areas should be more spacious, and more space will be available for prams, people with larger luggage and wheelchair users (six parking spaces instead of four per set as before).

The trains of this series will initially run manually or semi-automatically with drivers on the U1 to U4 lines and later on the U5 line, which is expected to open in 2024, fully automatically, i.e. without a driver, with the platforms being separated from the tracks with glass walls and platform screen doors . The type X cars are therefore equipped with driver's cabs, but also with a glass window at the front end of the passenger compartment for a view of the route ahead. The driver's cabs should be designed to be expandable for fully automated operation.

The seats made of coated plywood will usually be red, but those that are to be cleared for the disabled, pregnant women and the elderly will be colored blue. Handle bars on the window side serve as a support when sitting and getting up. Vertical bars, which are surrounded on all sides by standing places, should be designed as triple tubes at gripping height. LED lighting, air conditioning and heating will be energy efficient. A passenger information system will display the location of the exits at the next station and the departure times of the next connections on screens inside above the doors. The order was placed in autumn 2017 (€ 550 million) and also includes maintenance over a period of 24 years. The cars are manufactured by Siemens in Vienna.

Line U6

Since a rebuilding of the belt line for the operation of the U6 line with trains of the U series, also with regard to monument protection and construction costs, would have meant a serious intervention in the existing light rail line, it was left to operate with overhead lines , tram-like cars and optical signals with only punctual train control.

Types T and T 1

Since 1993, Bombardier Wien Rail Vehicles (BWS) has been using the 2.65 meter wide, six-axle double-articulated low-floor wagon type T. These are in use in a similar version as Type 400 on the Vienna – Baden local railway and form the basis for the successful Flexity Swift family of vehicles . The vehicles are three-part articulated wagons, the middle sections run on single-wheel drives controlled by the articulation angle of the adjacent joint. A train usually consists of four sets. Until 2008, short trains from three trains also ran during times of low activity. The T-cars initially drove in conjunction with the older E 6 / c 6 cars, so that each train usually had a low-floor car in the middle of the train . Today only trains made entirely of T and T 1 cars operate. A four-car train offers 232 seats and 544 standing places.

A video-monitored further development of the Type T equipped with air conditioning, electronic interior and exterior displays and a new design has been in use as Type T 1 since May 2008 and replaced the old E 6 / c 6 high-floor trains. Since December 24, 2008, only low-floor vehicles of the types T and T 1 have been running on the U6 line after the last light rail vehicles (types E 6 and c 6 ) were retired .

The T and T 1 cars can be coupled to one another so that trains made up of T and T 1 cars can also run mixed.

At the end of 2009, the T-cars began to be retrofitted with electronic indoor and outdoor displays and to improve the safety of passengers, staff and against vandalism with video surveillance of the interior and thus to match the appearance of the T 1 . The older fabric seats in the T-cars are also gradually being replaced by new, red plastic seats with yellow handles , which can also be found in the T 1 -cars and in the type V subway cars. The vehicles of the T x type family are also gradually receiving warning lights to indicate that the door is closing.

As part of the U6 package of measures, Wiener Linien tested an older, non-air-conditioned car with a combined heating and cooling device in order to reduce the high temperatures in the passenger compartment. This is intended to increase driving comfort in summer on the mostly above-ground line. Furthermore, on older vehicles without air conditioning, sun protection films and so-called ventilation gills will be attached to the windows for better air supply in order to lower the temperature in the cars.

So that they can be transferred to the main Wiener Linien workshop via the tram network , the T and T 1 cars are equipped for tram operation.

  • Type "T" low-floor train

  • Type "T 1 " in front of the Längenfeldgasse station

  • Interior of a T 1

Special vehicles

Some diesel locomotives and rescue vehicles are also in the fleet, as is a track measuring vehicle and low-floor vehicles for transporting underground trains. A track cleaning trolley is also in use. The oversized vacuum cleaner called Engelbert removes rubbish and foreign objects from the track bed when it is not in use. The subway network is completely driven down on average every two weeks, while the most frequented stations are vacuumed around once a week. The maximum speed of the vacuum cleaner is 40 km / h, but during the cleaning phase it is only driven at 15 km / h to walking speed; the cleaning success is monitored by eight cameras.

Former vehicles

Type E 6 / c 6

The 2.3 meter wide, six-axle articulated wagons of the types E 6 (multiple unit) and c 6 (side car) " Type Mannheim ", which were built from 1979 by Lohner and Rotax under a Duewag license, were taken over from the Stadtbahn . An entire train offered 192 seats and 432 standing places. Until the end of 2008, the trains were still running in combination with T-cars, i.e. E 6 + c 6 + T + c 6 + E 6 . In May 2008, the delivery of the Type T 1 began , which should completely replace the Type E 6 / c 6 . On December 23, 2008, E 6 / c 6 cars drove for the last time on the U6. The majority of the vehicles were sold to Utrecht and Krakow . A train, consisting of a motor car and a sidecar, is preserved in the Remise Transport Museum . The E6 and c6 in Utrecht were sold to Krakow in 2014.

  • Most of the types E 6 and c 6 drove in Utrecht until 2014.

  • Converted E 6 in Krakow

business

Operating times

The underground runs from around 5:00 a.m. to around 0:30 a.m. During the day, every two to five minutes, after around 8:00 p.m., on Saturdays until around 7:00 a.m., and on Sundays and public holidays until around 9:00 a.m. every seven to eight minutes.

On the nights from Friday to Saturday, from Saturday to Sunday and before public holidays there is a 15-minute cycle. This was introduced on September 4, 2010, after those eligible to vote voted in favor of it in a referendum . On the night from New Year's Eve to New Year's Eve, even before the night subway was introduced, there was continuous operation. On the nights before the regular working days (Monday to Friday without public holidays) the subway is not on the move. Instead, the NightLine night buses run every 30 minutes.

The operating times are extended on special occasions, such as the annual Danube Island Festival .

safety

Light strips separate the platforms from the track systems
V-car in Leopoldau, clearly recognizable the rescue niche under the platform edge

All trains have acoustic and visual signaling of the closing process. The car doors have highly sensitive electronic door sensor edges, which are intended to prevent passengers from being trapped and which react to obstacles from five to ten millimeters.

Emergency call points, emergency brakes and train emergency stops are installed in the doorways of the sets and on the platforms. The train emergency stop on the platform applies to all visible tracks of the respective station and prevents a train from entering or leads to an emergency braking of an arriving train. If an outgoing train has already largely left the station when the emergency stop is activated, regardless of whether it is on the platform or in the vehicle, it will not be stopped until the next station. This measure is carried out by means of emergency brake bridging, is intended to avoid evacuations in the train tunnels and has been officially prescribed since the fire disaster in Kaprun . When the emergency brake is actuated while driving, a voice connection is established with the driver; the train is only stopped when entering and leaving the station area. There are also escape rooms under the platform edges of lines U1 to U4.

In some stations there are manned station control rooms from which the respective passenger operations are monitored. Gradually, however, these will be replaced by the control center in Erdberg, so that the station monitoring will take place entirely centrally in the future. In 2011, 37 such control rooms were still in place. A special subway supervisor also carries out periodic patrols.

All stations are equipped with a fire alarm system and dry extinguishing lines are installed in the tunnel sections and there are continuous escape routes. This also enables the trains to be evacuated from the side. If the distance between two stations is longer than 600 meters, emergency exits also lead out of the tunnel.

The appearance of the stations also contributes to safety - in particular to increasing subjective safety. All entrances, distribution passages and elevator systems are clearly visible or glazed. Light wall coverings, uniform lighting and open staircases promote clarity. Niches or dark corners are avoided. In addition, the platform areas and track systems are visually clearly separated: The area that can be entered is brightly designed and illuminated and is clearly set off from the track area as a danger zone, which is kept dark and raw. Continuous light strips are arranged at the track-side end of the platform roofing so that the border between the two areas can be clearly seen. This design method is also called the “Vienna System”.

Control center Erdberg

The monitoring room of the central control center

The control and security center is located in Erdberg, on the area of ​​the depot of the same name. It was put into operation in stages from December 2005 to mid-2007. The new building, which was necessary due to the extension of the route, replaced the old control center created in 1978 on Karlsplatz. The six-storey building in which the central monitoring room is located has an elliptical floor plan and is almost entirely built on tracks. Here, 50 employees use network technology to monitor and control ongoing driving operations. Erdberg also remotely controls the energy supply and station operations.

Linear train control

With the exception of the U6 line, the entire subway network has been equipped with a linear train control system, the LZB 500 short loop system from Siemens (LZB 503/513), since it was commissioned. The journey is controlled fully automatically by the system in normal operation . The driver only has a monitoring function and handles the train (release of the doors, monitoring of passenger changes, central closing of the doors, departure command). A fall-back level with conventional light signals was basically dispensed with. However, at every station exit there are so-called driver's license signals which, in the event of a total failure of the LZB system, release the area to the next station and allow you to continue your journey at 15 km / h. In normal operation, the correct speeds are transmitted directly to the driver's cab, which is why conventional signals are not required. Short loops with a length of 74 m are used on the Vienna underground.

All trains are automatically turned around at both of the U4 terminus in Heiligenstadt and Hütteldorf, as well as in the Aspernstraße U2 station . The drivers get off at the arrival platform and use the key switch to request the automatic journeys one after the other. At the beginning of the departure platform, the train is taken over again and driven along the platform to the corresponding stopping point, as there is no automatic track monitoring in the platform area.

House rule

The subway cars were smoke-free from the start. With a campaign in which sand basins were also set up in front of the entrances to some stations for steaming off cigarettes, it was made clear that smoking and the use of E also in the stations, even if they also serve as pedestrian passages - as under Karlsplatz - -Cigarettes and the like are prohibited. Since the smoking ban in the reception buildings has also applied in the areas in front of the barriers since the new regulation of the Tobacco Act in 2007, the sand basins that served as ashtrays were removed in 2007.

In contrast to subways in Singapore, Hong Kong and Berlin, eating in the subway sets in Vienna was not prohibited until August 2018. The management only appealed to the passengers to "avoid garbage and not (carelessly) throw it away and to spare other passengers from odor-intensive dishes like pizza or meat loaf". In July 2018 it was announced that odor-intensive food would be banned from December 2018 on an experimental basis in sets of the U6. After an online survey at the end of July / beginning of August showed a majority in favor of a general ban, it was announced that this ban would be extended to all other lines. It came into force on the U6 on September 1, 2018, and on the other underground lines from January 15, 2019. New prohibition labels have been developed which, as a new motif under the smoking ban in orange, prohibit eating with a crossed-out representation of food. Underneath, there are also circular symbols for a ban on alcohol and compulsory muzzle for dogs, but in contrast to the ban on eating, the ban on alcohol and compulsory muzzle for dogs apply not only in the underground vehicles, but also in the underground stations, trams and buses of the Viennese Lines.

Video surveillance

Video surveillance inside a type V train

All stations have been equipped with video surveillance since the subway network went into operation , with the cameras originally only transmitting live images to the station supervisors and the control center. Only when an emergency facility was activated was recorded. This monitoring technology is still used today in some stations; however, it has been successively replaced since 2007. The data from the new devices is saved for 48 hours and then automatically deleted.

Wiener Linien submitted to the Data Protection Commission that they wanted to prevent damage from vandalism and increase the safety of passengers and employees. The police can submit a request for analysis of the material within the 48-hour storage period; Wiener Linien itself is not authorized to do so. In 2015, this happened in around 4,000 cases. The recordings are requested in particular in the case of criminal offenses in the area of ​​public transport, since with the help of the recordings, details such as the time of the crime or the escape route can make a decisive contribution to the investigation.

Video surveillance of the interior of the wagon has also been in place since around 2000. All trains of types T 1 and V as well as trains of types T and U 1 1 are equipped with cameras. However, the Type U 2 has no cameras.

As of the end of 2016, there are 2200 cameras in all 104 subway stations; 2000 of them (currently only in 80% of the stations) save 48 hours, 200 only broadcast live on the screens of the control centers. In 2016, the police accessed video material 4,300 times and 4,400 times in 2014. Vehicles such as the ULF tram sets are being retrofitted. Others are being replaced by more modern ones with cameras. All new buses have cameras. There are a total of 3200 cameras in 85% of the metro trains.

Ticket controls

The Vienna U-Bahn is one of the open systems - although the lane dividers at the entrances to the stations are called “barriers”, these only have validators for advance tickets and not turnstiles or the like. A valid ticket or ticket is required to enter the subway site - it is considered to be "fare dodging" if you are in the waiting area behind the barriers without a ticket. The Wiener Linien inspectors (also known as Schwarzkappler due to their earlier black uniform caps ) are usually responsible for checking tickets, and they also carry out spot checks on the trams and buses. Often, several inspectors - sometimes supported by police officers  - cordon off subway exits in such a way that all passengers can be checked. The inspectors change their routes or target areas every day, but there are Schwarzkappler warnings (similar to the common radar warnings) on the Internet. There are even such warnings on the official website of Wiener Linien, although they are intended to have an educational and deterrent effect and only contain part of the planned controls.

Announcements to the passengers

Station announcement U6 Burggasse-Stadthalle (spoken by Franz Kaida)
Station announcement U1 Leopoldau (spoken by Franz Kaida)

Station announcements are made in the underground trains during the journey. After a gong, the stations, transfer options, the exit side and, if necessary, the most important infrastructural facilities are announced. Announcements are also made regularly in the stations, which, in addition to fault reports, are also used to remind people of the smoking ban, requests for cleanliness and other safety-related information. They are voiced by the Austrian actress Angela Schneider . As of December 2012, her voice replaced that of Franz Kaida , the now retired security chief of Wiener Linien, who had made all the announcements up until then.

Individual announcements are also made in English, but these are shortened compared to the standard announcements. So z. B. not all transfer options of a station announced.

Malfunctions and incidents in operation

On March 4, 2014 there was a complete breakdown of several lines for the first time in the history of the Vienna underground. Due to an error in the network connection of the central interlocking control, the traffic on lines U3 and U6 had to be stopped for two hours during evening traffic. The U4 line did not run between the Hietzing and Hütteldorf stations.

criticism

The Vienna subway as a high-performance urban means of transport is fundamentally undisputed, but occasionally criticism of the associated transport policy is also voiced. The Court of Auditors also criticized the financing of the underground expansion.

Conflict between subway and tram

Line 8 ran parallel to the Stadtbahn for decades, but was discontinued with the conversion to the U6.

The fundamental decision to design the subway as a replacement for the tram network instead of as a supplement and to discontinue tram lines running parallel when a new subway route is opened has been criticized since the early days of the subway. Urban planners believe that together with the small-scale local public transport , urban sub-centers and infrastructure will also be lost. For example, when the U6 line to Philadelphiabrücke station was opened in 1989, tram line 8, which had always run parallel to the tram, was discontinued, although a study in 1985 came to the conclusion that “the intended closure of line 8 parallel to the tram in the Urban Loritz-Platz - Nussdorfer Straße would bring a significant loss of benefit for the transport users ”. The same study also forecast an increase in walking times of 16.6% and transfer times of 6.9% on the disused route, even though the two new stations built for the U6 were taken into account.

In addition, the majority of trams and buses are designed as feeder lines to the subway. The conversion to underground operation on the Karlsplatz – Schottentor U2 section meant that three important tramway lines were no longer available. Passengers had to change up to twice as often, which led to longer journey times. The only line shortening that was reversed after the subway opened was, after massive public protests, that line O.

Network expansions in areas with a low population density - like here to Stammersdorf - are controversial.

Route extensions in sparsely populated areas

Although the subway itself is a means of mass transport for catchment areas with a high population density, the line extensions in Vienna are often used as a "development engine" for urban expansion areas. This effect could, however, be produced much more cheaply using a tram route, for example, and it would also make this much more efficient. In these peripheral sections of the underground network, there is therefore no high utilization at certain times of the day, such as the southern section of the U6 (between Alterlaa and Siebenhirten ) or on the U2 between Aspernstrasse and Seestadt . Depending on the time of day, only every second train runs to the terminus. Planned line extensions, such as the U6 in the direction of Stammersdorf or the U1 in the direction of Rothneusiedl , therefore do not meet with approval everywhere.

Criticism of the Court of Auditors

A report by the Court of Auditors published in January 2017 criticized the fact that most of the federal subsidies for the construction of the subway were made without the legal basis required by the Financial Constitutional Act . While an agreement according to Art. 15a B-VG was concluded in 1979 for the then planned underground structures (U3 and U6), later grants were made without a legal basis only on the basis of private law contracts.

The lack of rules for the use of funds is also criticized. Wiener Linien invested the money (co-funded by the federal government) both in the actual construction of the new subway infrastructure and in the procurement of new sets, the renovation and maintenance of already completed routes and the transport museum. In addition, information campaigns and opening ceremonies (of the U2 line in the years 2008 to 2013) with costs totaling 5.34 million euros were paid for from the same budget for the network expansion. The latter expenses appear as investments in the newly opened stations and were thus written off over a period of 50 years.

In January 2009, the Court of Auditors was critical of the project implementation for the 3rd expansion stage of the U1 and U2 network.

In the opinion of the auditors, the changes in the 4th expansion stage in 2014 also represent a new project, the financing of which should therefore have been reorganized. Although officials from the Ministry of Finance and Transport had already pointed out this fact in 2012, the federal government approved the construction of the new line in 2015. In addition, the construction of the "Rumpf-U5" should be seen as a kind of precedent for the 5th expansion stage, since the Karlsplatz – Frankhplatz section itself has no market value.

A report by the Vienna City Audit Office in 2014 criticized the inadequate monitoring and maintenance work on the historic stations of the U6 .

archeology

Numerous archaeological finds were made during the construction and expansion of the underground lines. In 2018, the Vienna City Archeology moved its depot from the Neubaugasse U3 station to the Westbahnhof. Further discoveries were expected when the U2 expansion began in 2019.

literature

  • Rudolf Gerlich (Red.): Vienna subway: a project of the century . Verlag Jugend & Volk, Vienna 1980, ISBN 3-224-19006-X .
  • Walter J. Hinkel (Ed.): 1969–1993: the 1st and 2nd expansion phases of the Vienna subway . Compress-Verlag, Vienna 1985.
  • Ernst Kurz: The urban development of the city of Vienna in relation to traffic , Vienna City Administration, Urban Planning Division, Vienna 1981.
  • Wiener Linien GmbH (Ed.): 3 decades of underground construction in Vienna , Keller, Vienna 2000, ISBN 3-900607-39-7 .

Web links

Commons : U-Bahn Wien  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Remarks

  1. ↑ 109 stations are officially given, because every stop on every subway line is counted as a subway station. So z. B. the subway station Karlsplatz counted three times.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Company information 2015. In: wienerlinien.at (PDF).
  2. ↑ a b c d U-Bahn basic network. City of Vienna, accessed on March 3, 2020 .
  3. ↑ Computer system regulates traffic flows. ORF Futurezone, December 27, 2006, accessed on January 25, 2020 .
  4. ↑ Infoscreen - The company history. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original ; Retrieved July 20, 2012 . Retrieved July 20, 2012
  5. ^ U-Bahn architects group
  6. ↑ Design of the stations. Architectural master management underground. wiener-untergrund.at, accessed on January 25, 2020 .
  7. ↑ Built to last. Vienna subway architecture. Retrieved May 18, 2016 .
  8. ↑ The architecture of the U1 and its development. (PDF) (No longer available online.) Archived from the original ; accessed on May 18, 2016 .
  9. ↑ Extension of the underground line U1. (PDF) Retrieved May 18, 2016 .
  10. ↑ Peter Kogler's Karlsplatz project. (PDF) Retrieved May 11, 2016 .
  11. ↑ The Vienna U-Bahn: a venue for art. Retrieved January 14, 2017 .
  12. ↑ a b c The secret of track zero. (No longer available online.) In: vormagazin.at. Archived from the original on November 3, 2013 ; Retrieved November 9, 2013 .
  13. ↑ a b c d e Vienna's secret subway tunnels. Courier, October 29, 2014, accessed June 8, 2020 .
  14. ^ U-Bahn ride, driver's cab, platform 10 (U2 stadium - U3 Erdberg) - Vienna. Retrieved January 25, 2020 .
  15. ↑ History of the Vienna subway network - general subway planning. City of Vienna, accessed on February 1, 2020 .
  16. ^ Journal of the Austrian Association of Engineers and Architects, year 1897, number 1, pp. 1–29.
  17. ↑ News from Vienna: Alwegbahnen through the federal capital? In: Arbeiter-Zeitung . Vienna January 22, 1958, p. 1 ( berufer-zeitung.at - the open online archive - digitized).
  18. ^ Vienna subway construction celebrates its 40th birthday. ORF Vienna, November 3, 2009, accessed on January 25, 2020 .
  19. ↑ a b Holes in the cityscape, wrong ways in the subway network. The press, accessed February 2, 2020 .
  20. ^ Project U5 - new construction of the U5 to Hernals and the U2 to Wienerberg. wiener-untergrund.at, accessed on January 25, 2020 .
  21. ↑ Tram on stilts: Line 26 celebrates its opening. Die Presse, September 28, 2013, accessed January 25, 2020 .
  22. ↑ 27th meeting of the Vienna City Council on April 23, 2004, post number 48, verbatim minutes, page 25 ff. Accessed on January 25, 2020 .
  23. ↑ Strobl: Control office report confirmed: Cross-border leasing brought Vienna over 100 million euros. ots.at, February 22, 2014, accessed on January 26, 2017 .
  24. ↑ U2 extension went into operation. Der Standard, May 30, 2008, accessed January 25, 2020 .
  25. ↑ Five kilometers of new tracks for U2. ORF Vienna, July 7, 2009, accessed on January 25, 2020 .
  26. ↑ Vienna underground line U2 now goes to "Seestadt". Die Presse, October 5, 2013, accessed January 25, 2020 .
  27. ^ U1 extension to Oberlaa officially opened. Wiener Linien, accessed on September 3, 2017 .
  28. ↑ U1 extension goes to Oberlaa. (No longer available online.) City of Vienna, archived from the original ; Retrieved March 22, 2012 .
  29. ↑ U1 is extended to Oberlaa. Der Standard, March 21, 2012, accessed March 22, 2012 .
  30. ↑ a b U2-Süd - extension from the station Karlsplatz towards the south. City of Vienna, accessed on January 25, 2020 .
  31. ↑ U2 southern extension threatened. Wiener Zeitung, October 4, 2011, accessed on February 18, 2020 .
  32. ↑ Vienna's subway network of the future. Wiener Linien, accessed on January 25, 2020 .
  33. ↑ Plans for the U5. (No longer available online.) City of Vienna, archived from the original ; Retrieved April 7, 2014 .
  34. ↑ Revolution on the U5 line: trains run automatically. Krone, accessed January 25, 2020 .
  35. ↑ Project planning - U2 and U5 subway expansion. (No longer available online.) Urban development Vienna, archived from the original ; accessed on May 27, 2016 .
  36. ↑ Variant investigation - U2 and U5 subway expansion / U5 line routing. City of Vienna, accessed on February 19, 2020 .
  37. ↑ The 21st district would like an extension of the U6 underground line. vienna.at, October 12, 2014, accessed on February 19, 2020 .
  38. ↑ U1 expansion: Rothneusiedl variant possible. Courier, March 21, 2012, accessed February 19, 2020 .
  39. ↑ a b U4 should go from Klosterneuburg to Purkersdorf. Austria, June 16, 2017, accessed February 19, 2020 .
  40. ↑ How do power rails work? (No longer available online.) In: Wiener Linien Blog. July 29, 2012, archived from the original on May 23, 2016 ; accessed on May 23, 2016 .
  41. ↑ All U6 trains are air-conditioned. ORF Vienna, July 5, 2020, accessed on July 20, 2020 .
  42. ↑ New control and security center for Vienna's subway. stadt-wien.at (SW Medienservice), accessed on July 20, 2012 .
  43. ^ Vienna U-Bahn: First look inside the new X-Car. Wiener Linien (OTS), March 8, 2018, accessed on March 8, 2018 .
  44. ↑ New subway with "panorama window". ORF Vienna, March 8, 2018, accessed on March 8, 2018 .
  45. ↑ Package of measures U6. Wiener Linien, accessed on January 25, 2020 .
  46. ^ Vienna subway: work vehicles. (No longer available online.) The Vienna U-Bahn (Horst Prillinger), archived from the original ; accessed on January 25, 2020 .
  47. ↑ Engelbert giant vacuum cleaner keeps the subway network clean. Der Standard, June 20, 2007, accessed January 25, 2020 .
  48. ↑ Vienna's subway should become more sensitive. August 19, 2010, accessed January 25, 2020 .
  49. ↑ Safety devices of the Vienna subway. (No longer available online.) Wiener Linien, archived from the original ; Retrieved July 20, 2012 .
  50. ↑ 46.5 million euros for one of the world's most modern subway control centers. City of Vienna - City Hall correspondence, June 2006, accessed on July 8, 2013 .
  51. ↑ Dr. Lichtenegger (TU Graz): Distance regulation.
  52. ^ City for the first time prohibits eating in U6. ORF Vienna, July 14, 2018, accessed on July 14, 2018 .
  53. ↑ Eating in the subway is completely banned. ORF Vienna, August 16, 2018, accessed on August 16, 2018 .
  54. ↑ Security in public transport. Wiener Linien, accessed on January 14, 2017 .
  55. ↑ Notification of the data protection commission. Federal legal information system, accessed on January 14, 2017 .
  56. ↑ Together for more security. Wiener Linien, accessed on January 14, 2017 .
  57. ↑ Already 2,200 cameras in subway stations. ORF Vienna, February 13, 2017, accessed on February 13, 2017 .
  58. ↑ Please allow me to use your ticket! In: Public Safety. Federal Ministry of the Interior, accessed on January 25, 2020 .
  59. ↑ Paralysis in the subway nerve center. Die Presse, March 5, 2014, accessed January 25, 2020 .
  60. ↑ Vienna subway paralyzed after a technical defect. Courier, March 4, 2014, accessed January 25, 2020 .
  61. ↑ See Josef Otto Slezak : U-Bahn Wien , Vienna 1978, ISBN 3900134480 .
  62. ↑ See Hermann Knoflacher : Zur Harmonie von Stadt und Verkehr , 2nd edition, Vienna 1996, ISBN 3205985869 .
  63. ^ Wolfgang Kaiser: The Viennese trams . GeraMond Verlag, Munich 2004, ISBN 3-7654-7189-5 , pp. 97/98.
  64. ^ The U2 problem: a chance for the tram , Vienna: Spurkranz-Verlag, 1980.
  65. ^ Wolfgang Kaiser: The Viennese trams , 2nd act. Edition 2005, ISBN 3765473650 , GeraMond-Verlag, p. 86 ff.
  66. ↑ District does not want a bus terminal on the distribution circuit. ORF Vienna, January 25, 2017, accessed on January 25, 2020 .
  67. ↑ Michael Matzenberger: U2 extension: From the stub line to the ghost subway. Der Standard, October 4, 2013, accessed December 17, 2013 .
  68. ↑ a b U – Bahn in Vienna - expansion packages. Court of Auditors (RH), January 25, 2017, accessed on July 11, 2019 .
  69. ↑ U-Bahn "lacks a legal basis". Die Presse, January 25, 2017, accessed on January 25, 2020 .
  70. ^ Wiener Linien - 3rd expansion phase U1 and U2. Court of Auditors (RH), January 1, 2009, accessed on July 11, 2019 .
  71. ^ Wiener Linien - 3rd expansion phase U1 and U2; Follow-up review. Court of Auditors (RH), January 17, 2012, accessed on July 11, 2019 .
  72. ^ Court of Auditors criticizes the construction of the U5. Courier, January 25, 2017, accessed January 25, 2020 .
  73. ^ Refurbishment of the Josefstädter Straße underground station. Vienna City Audit Office, accessed on February 22, 2020 .
  74. ^ Archaeologists: Probably finds from U2 expansion. ORF Vienna, May 12, 2018, accessed on May 12, 2018 .
Trams and subways in Austria
Active tram companies

Gmunden  • Graz  • Innsbruck  • Linz  • Vienna

Former tram companies

Baden  • Dornbirn-Lustenau  • Ebelsberg – St. Florian  • Klagenfurt  • Salzburg  • St. Pölten  • Unterach – See  • Ybbs

Subway

Serfaus  • Vienna

This version was added to the list of articles worth reading on July 10, 2006 .