BMIMI: EU Commission gives Austria the green light for millions in funding for digitising the rail network
With the "Connecting Europe Facility – Transport" programme, 74.4 million euros are being channelled directly into the domestic rail network. Hanke sees this as a "strong signal for sustainable mobility."
Good news for public transport in Austria: At yesterday's CEF Transport Committee, the EU member states gave the green light for new funding to modernise the European transport sector – and Austria is one of the biggest beneficiaries.
Overall, more than 86.5 million euros from the European funding programme Connecting Europe Facility – Transport (CEF-T) are flowing into Austrian and cross-border projects with significant Austrian involvement. Particularly pleasing: around 86 percent of the funds are directly benefiting the domestic rail network.
Mobility Minister Peter Hanke is pleased about the funding approval: "This EU funding is a strong signal for modern, safe and sustainable mobility in Austria and all of Europe. Particularly gratifying is the consistent support in the transition to the new European Train Control System (ETCS). In just two years, we have been able to secure nearly 95 million euros for this future project. This not only strengthens our infrastructure but also brings tangible improvements for travellers and long-distance freight traffic. I would like to thank the European Commission as well as all project partners and colleagues in the Ministry of Mobility for their commitment. Austria remains a reliable partner in the further development of European rail transport."
A key objective of the awarded funding from Brussels is to enable better networking of European rail transport. With targeted investments, connectivity – both technical and operational – between national rail systems is enhanced. This means cross-border rail journeys will become easier, faster and more efficient. The focus is on the Austrian track sections along the trans-European transport corridors.
Key areas of EU funding
- ETCS Level 2 deployment (44.6 million euros funding): The trackside development of the modern European Train Control System along important track sections is a milestone for the digital railway.
- ETCS vehicle equipment and upgrade (18.3 million euros funding): Numerous ÖBB Taurus and Railjet trains will be equipped with the latest ETCS technology – for seamless journeys across national borders.
- Digital Automatic Coupling – DAK (2.2 million euros funding): A pilot project takes another step towards the automation of freight transport.
- Safe & Secure Truck Parking (6 million euros): New, secure truck parking areas along major transport axes increase safety for all road users.
- International cooperation in multimodal & digital innovations: Austria is involved in a total of ten cross-border projects, including those on the Digital Automatic Coupling (DAK), harmonisation of multimodal data streams (eFTI) and digitalisation of traffic management (ITS projects with ASFINAG, AustriaTech and SCHIG).
Details about the CEF-T programme and the funding calls
The CEF Transport funding calls for 2024 focus on digitalisation, safety and sustainability in the transport sector. Despite a tight thematic focus, Austria was once again able to attract disproportionately high funds. Around 9% of the total budget for non-cohesion countries is allocated to projects and parts thereof with a direct Austrian connection. A strong signal for the quality and relevance of the submitted projects – confirmed by the EU.
The positive funding proposal was approved on 2 July 2025 by the EU member states with a qualified majority. This clears the way for contract preparation – and soon the first tranche of EU funds will flow to Austria.