It’s not a secret that the Austrian capital, Vienna, looks deserted during the summer holidays when most Viennese flock to greener pastures (or the coast).

But if you are staying in the city, you should know that these months when movement is low are usually when the public service shuts down for maintenance or improvement work, particularly in public transport.

This is an annual occurrence in many European capitals. Still, this year in Vienna, the significant work aimed at enhancing the network will result in considerable inconvenience for both commuters and visitors.

Here’s what’s happening and the alternatives the transport companies offer.

S-Bahn closure between Praterstern and Floridsdorf

The line between Praterstern and Floridsdorf will be closed from midnight on June 29th until 4 am on September 2nd. Work will be done at the Praterstern, Handelskai and Traisengasse stations. The work includes adding new control systems to enable closer train intervals and extending the platforms to use longer trains. 

The closure will last two months – and the same work will also be carried out in July and August 2025 and 2026.

A rail replacement service with 27 buses will be set up between Praterstern and Floridsdorf. As a rule, ÖBB Postbuses, labelled “Schienenersatzverkehr,” will be used. Austria’s ÖBB promises an interval of five minutes between them during the day. 

For commuters north of Vienna, the S-Bahn and REX trains depart from Floridsdorf – but with timetable changes and train cancellations. Trains on the S1 line towards Marchegg will be cancelled, and a rail replacement service with buses will be set up between Wien-Süßenbrunn and Gänserndorf.

And for the REX1 towards Břeclav, in addition to the departure from Floridsdorf, there will also be an alternate route – it will be diverted between Deutsch-Wagram and Vienna Central Station via Stadlau and Simmering.

U4 partial closure

Again, one of the main Vienna metro lines will be closed during the summer. The U4 will be split in two from June 29th to September 1st, when it will not run between Schwedenplatz and Schottenring—right in the city centre. 

This is the fourth time that that line has been partially shut down this year. The 100-year-old structure has been undergoing modernisation work for a decade, even if it hasn’t been as noticeable to commuters as it is now. 

Eunike de Wilde, the spokeswoman for Wiener Linien, told the newspaper Die Presse that tracks and tunnel ceilings were renewed, among other things. This year, 94 tunnel girders under Franz-Josefs-Kai will be renovated. 

According to de Wilde, this cannot be done during ongoing operations, so journeys between Schwedenplatz and Schottenring are impossible. As a replacement, tram lines 71 and U2Z will run to Schwedenplatz.

Summer tram restrictions

The trams in Vienna will also be affected by construction work over the summer. Lines 2, 26, and O will have restrictions due to work to build the new lines 12 and 27. 

From July 1st to 20th, Line 2 will not run between Am Tabor and Höchstädtplatz, travelling instead on the route of lines 5 and 33 as Wiener Linien prepares for the new line 12. 

From August 5th to 18th, no trains can run between Josef-Baumann-Gasse and Hausfeldstraße, affecting a section of line 26 as the company installs stops for the new line 27. Alternatively, bus 26E will run between Kagraner Platz and Hausfeldstraße.

Line O has a short service from August 5th to September 1st. This means that it will only run between Raxstraße-Rudolfshügelgasse and Praterstern.

The new line 12 will connect Josefstadt, Alsergrund, Brigittenau and Leopoldstadt. It is expected to run from Josefstädter Straße to Hillerstrasse from autumn 2025. Line 27 will connect the districts of Floridsdorf and Donaustadt. In future, it will run from Strebersdorf to the Aspern Nord U2 underground station. The work is due to be completed in autumn next year.