ÖBB restructuring: Federal Government redefines direction in public transport Mobility Minister Hanke: "We want to become European champions in rail traffic – this can only be achieved with a future-fit ÖBB Group"
The Federal Government has agreed on the largest restructuring of the Federal Austrian Railway Company (ÖBB ) in two decades. Mobility Minister Peter Hanke has driven the reform forward intensively in recent months. The goal is a more modern and efficient railway group that focuses more on the needs of passengers. The corporate structure will be simplified, duplications reduced, and decision-making processes shortened. This is expected to improve the quality of railway services and strengthen ÖBB's competitiveness. ÖBB anticipates savings of around 80 million euros annually.
Mobility Minister Peter Hanke: "Today is a historic day for public transport. In February, I announced that I want to make Austria the European champion in rail traffic. This can only be achieved with a modern and future-fit railway group. This reform brings us a major step closer to our goal. ÖBB will have more flexibility, transforming the holding company from a strategic to an operational entity. This creates more room for better offers, more efficient processes, and a stronger focus on passengers. I thank everyone involved for the constructive negotiations in recent months. The people of Austria rightly expect a railway offer that suits their mobility needs. That is exactly what this reform is geared towards. We are demonstrating once again today that this Federal Government delivers and always focuses on the needs of Austrians."
Joachim Schnabel, ÖVP transport spokesman: "We are building on the foundation of the century railway reform under Federal Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel and are taking further steps to orient ÖBB more towards competition, efficiency and customer satisfaction. This reform streamlines structures, dismantles limited liability companies, and establishes the basis for private participation, especially to strategically strengthen Rail Cargo. Reforms are not self-serving: Cost savings of up to 80 million euros empower ÖBB to independently assert itself in competition and reduce costs. A strong railway with a neutral and independent infrastructure joint stock company ensures the location and mobility in our country. Furthermore, for the coming year, we are valorising the Austrian Climate Ticket and the motorway vignette in accordance with the Stocker formula by two percent below inflation, enabling affordable mobility."
Dominik Oberhofer, NEOS transport spokesman: "With the railway reform, we are applying the fee brake and saying clearly: relief instead of inflation drivers. Because even though the Federal Government has already successfully implemented many measures to dampen inflation, commuters are still feeling the effects of 'Trumpflation' every day. Further burdening them by increasing the vignette and Climate Ticket by 3.6 percent would have been completely wrong. That would have contradicted the joint goal of sustainable inflation reduction."
Wolfgang Moitzi, SPÖ transport spokesman: "ÖBB is a red-white-red success project. More and more people rely on our railway. We can be proud of that. Our ambition, however, is to make ÖBB even better. For that, we must continuously develop it further. With the railway reform, we are laying the foundation for a modern and customer-friendly railway. At the same time, we are implementing a price cap on the Austrian Climate Ticket. We are using the small leeway in the budget to relieve the people. Therefore, the price will not rise as sharply as inflation. Consequently, customers pay around 22 euros less per ticket than originally planned. Public transport must be affordable."
New corporate structure: Better operational control, more flexibility, fewer duplications
The core of the restructuring is an amendment to the Federal Railways Act (BBG). It specifically outlines how the ÖBB Group must be structured. These current legal provisions limit entrepreneurial possibilities and hinder efficient processes. In the future, the group should be able to adjust its structure more flexibly to operational requirements and customer needs.
ÖBB-Personenverkehr AG and Rail Cargo Austria AG will be managed as limited liability companies (GmbH) in the future. In addition, ÖBB-Produktion GmbH and ÖBB-Technische Services-GmbH will be organised as subsidiaries of ÖBB-Holding AG. Until now, these companies were subordinate or assigned to the two sales companies. The new structure facilitates group-wide control and allows for the reduction of parallel structures. ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG remains unchanged as a joint stock company.
Amendment goes for review, savings of around 80 million per year possible
The coalition partners have agreed on an amendment to the Federal Railways Act (BBG). This draft will soon go for review. The law is expected to come into force at the turn of the year. With more efficient processes and the reduction of duplications, ÖBB expects savings of around 80 million euros per year. By the end of the legislative period in 2029, this could achieve efficiency gains of around a quarter of a billion euros.
"I want to emphasise that ÖBB is already very well positioned today. But our ambition must also be to offer the best possible quality of public transport in 2040. This requires the right reforms at the right time. I see this time now arrived. Both passengers and the 48,000 employees at ÖBB deserve a well-structured group. It is the backbone of the mobility shift and forward-looking transport in Austria", said Hanke.
Production reform already underway
Alongside the legal restructuring, preparations for Production Reform PR 26 are already underway within the ÖBB Group. This does not require a change in legislation. The focus is on continuous and more centralised control of production processes. It's about how an order for passenger or freight transport becomes a concrete transport service. This includes the provision of locomotives and carriages as well as the deployment of train drivers. Clear responsibilities and better-coordinated processes are expected to increase planning and reliability. At the same time, sales companies can focus more on their respective markets and customers. The operational start is scheduled for 1st July 2027.