S-Bahn: trains on the right
Viennese rail network upgrade to comply with European standards - Austrian News Brief: Jul/Aug 2012
Given the recent temporary close of the U1 line of Vienna’s subway, another alternate means of transport towards Kagran is the local Schnellbahn (or S-Bahn) between Südtiroler Platz and Praterstern, provided by Austrian railway company ÖBB. However, as of 6 August 2012, the Viennese rail network will be upgraded to international standards and trains will depart from the right side.
This change affects a number of Vienna-based stations, such as the airport connection to Wien Schwechat, as well as Wien Meidling – the temporary Südbahnhof – or other key stations, such as Floridsdorf and Rennweg.
The left-hand side departure of trains is a relic of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, when different train operators ran trains either on the left- or the right-hand side. Right-hand travel was universally introduced in Austria with the Anschluss in 1938; however, Vienna’s train network was not yet included.
