Alongside the Vienna Transport Authority, it is the second element of local public transport within the city. The name S-Bahn was, incidentally, extremely unusual in Vienna for many years although it was occasionally used in the literature, even before 1962. From 1962 to 2005 the term Schnellbahn was used almost exclusively. It was only after the timetable switch for 2005/2006 that the term S-Bahn was officially included in timetable notices and loudspeaker announcements.

The Schnellbahn was opened on 17 January 1962, in a ceremony attended by over 900 invited guests, led by Federal President Adolf Schärf and Vice-Chancellor Bruno Pittermann. After the formal opening at the Southern Railway Station with speeches by Austrian Railways Director General Maximilian Schantl, Minister of Transport Karl Waldbrunner, the Mayor of Vienna Franz Jonas and President Schärf, a celebration train set off and stopped at every station on the trunk section, where the head of the local government held a short speech. The train then travelled to Gänserndorf, where a 52 series locomotive was attached to the train. It then returned to Floridsdorf and travelled on to Stockerau, where it was welcomed by the local mayor. The route was then travelled without passengers. Actual passenger operations only began in the evening at 23.45. From the very start, the Schnellbahn was a great success.

The trains soon became crowded, a problem only solved by doubling capacity. An agreement was concluded with the Vienna Transport Authority allowing passengers to use the services operated by both organisations in the event of interruptions to the service without having to buy an additional ticket. In 1963, the first television monitors for handling train operations were installed as a trial at the Southern Station stop. To begin with, trains operated at quarter hour intervals along the main route, but as early as October of the year of opening, traffic between Floridsdorf and Landstrasse was increased during peak times, and from 1964 along the entire trunk section.
Following the gradual expansion of the network over the last decade, only minor extensions are currently planned. Nevertheless, in the course of the reconstruction of the Vienna Main Railway Station on the site of what was once the Southern Railway Station, an environment compatibility investigation is being carried out for a link between the Eastern Railway route and the route to the airport in order to achieve optimum links to Vienna’s airport at Schwechat.

Source: Austria Post

published December 13th, 2011