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Every 18 year-old in Austria to get free KlimaTicket

The national 2024 budget plans to encourage public transport use among young people by giving each 18 year-old one of Austria’s nationwide public transport tickets – free of charge – for a year.

Published: 18 October 2023 16:06 CEST

File photo shows a train in Austria.

Austria's KlimaTicket allows travel throughout Austria for a flat yearly rate, including on ÖBB trains. Photo: 12019 from Pixabay

Under the planned scheme, coming in at a price tag of €120 million, young people in Austria will have three years to claim their free KlimaTicket from the government – with the clock starting on their 18th birthday.

Those are already have one could thus theoretically wait to activate their free offer until the current one expires.

Normally, a KlimaTicket costs €1,095 per year – or about €3 per day – and covers all public transport in Austria, including inter-city ÖBB trains. It’s even possible to travel to some international border towns on the ticket.

People under the age of 25 or who have disabilities normally pay a reduced rate of €821 per year. Regional tickets are also available for a reduced price.

READ ALSO: What international border towns can you travel to on Austria’s KlimaTicket?

“With the free KlimaTicket, we are giving young people some freedom,” says Austrian Climate Protection Minister Leonore Gewessler, of the Greens.

“This also happens at a time in life when all sorts of decisions are made which shape mobility behaviour for years.

“Travelling by public transport should be comfortable and affordable for everyone.”

Around 245,000 people in Austria currently have a KlimaTicket.

EXPLAINED: How does Austria’s KlimaTicket work?

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Austria's ÖBB announces new train timetable for summer

ÖBB is using the summer for construction work in the country’s east. A new timetable will apply on some railway lines in Vienna and Lower Austria from June 29th to September 2nd, the Austrian rail company announced on Tuesday.

There will be no trains between Floridsdorf and Praterstern. Instead, a rail replacement service with buses will be provided. A reduced train service is available between Praterstern and Liesing. Wiener Linien will accept ÖBB tickets on selected alternative routes.

Trains on the REX1 line (Floridsdorf—Gänserndorf —Břeclav route) will be diverted at longer intervals via Vienna Stadlau and Vienna Simmering. All other trains north of Vienna start and end in Floridsdorf or are cancelled.

READ ALSO: The seaside destinations you can reach without a car or plane from Austria

The trains on the S1 line with the destination and departure station Marchegg are cancelled between Vienna Süßenbrunn and Marchegg. A rail replacement service will be set up between Vienna Süßenbrunn and Gänserndorf. The S1 trains travelling to/from Gänserndorf every hour according to the annual timetable will be extended to/from Marchegg.

Timetable changes will occur on the southern line between Vienna and Wiener Neustadt Hbf. Trains will not run on the section between Bad Vöslau and Leobersdorf, and long-distance trains will be diverted.

Those on the CJX9 line start and end at Vienna Central Station and will be diverted between there and Wiener Neustadt. Therefore, the stops in Vienna Matzleinsdorfer Platz and Baden will be cancelled.

Replacement buses

ÖBB is organising rail replacement services with buses for the following route sections:

Leobersdorf – Bad Vöslau
Leobersdorf – Mödling for the suburban trains
Wiener Neustadt Hbf – Felixdorf for trains on line R95
Wiener Neustadt Hbf – Wien Liesing (for the night-time closure from 23:25 to 04:00)

The Railjet and CAT connections and the Vienna Airport Lines buses will continue to run to Vienna Airport. There will be timetable changes on the S7 line. Trains on the REX7 line will be cancelled. From Fischamend to Wolfsthal, trains will be replaced by buses.

ÖBB launches information campaign

To offer passengers planning security and to inform customers comprehensively and promptly about rail replacement services, alternative routes and timetables, ÖBB is launching a comprehensive information campaign in May, the company added.

Advertisements in daily and district media, information posters at railway stations, customer guides, and distribution campaigns for a particular information folder before and during the closure period will help travellers find the proper connection.

READ ALSO: Five European cities you can reach from Austria in less than five hours by train

Municipalities and residents affected by construction work are informed electronically or by post about disruptions such as noise, dust and increased lorry traffic on construction site access roads.

Travellers can find information on the timetable at www.oebb.at, www.oebb.at/baustellen, 05-1717 and on the SCOTTY mobile app. Information on the Vienna S-Bahn upgrade can also be found at www.s-bahn.wien.

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