ÖBB, Austria’s state-owned railway operator, has withdrawn the 4020 series trains from service after nearly five decades. The final run took place on the Franz-Josefs-Bahn, marking the end of an era for the Vienna S-Bahn and for entire generations of commuters.
ÖBB organized a special farewell run for the 4020 series trains, one of the best-known EMUs in Austrian commuter rail.
The 4020 series’ final day of service took place on the Franz-Josefs-Bahn, a railway line connecting Vienna to northwestern Austria. For the Austrian operator, the retirement of these trains means not only taking old rolling stock out of service, but also closing a chapter in everyday history.
“For decades, the 4020 series has been a faithful companion to millions of passengers. With its retirement, we’re not just saying goodbye to a train, but to a part of our everyday history, and we’re saying thank you for nearly 50 years of reliability,” said Andreas Matthä, CEO of ÖBB Holding.
A symbol of the Vienna S-Bahn
The 4020 series multiple units were introduced in the late 1970s and quickly became a landmark of suburban mobility in the Vienna region.
For 48 years, these multiple units carried generations of commuters and shaped the image of the Vienna S-Bahn, the suburban rail network in Austria’s capital.
In total, 120 trains of this series were built and put into service. According to ÖBB, a 4020 train traveled, on average, approximately 4.8 million kilometers on the tracks over the course of its operational life. This distance is equivalent to about 120 trips around the Earth.
For many commuters in Vienna and eastern Austria, the 4020 series was their daily commuter train: to work, school, university, or for long-distance connections.
Cityjet Doppelstock takes over
The retirement of the 4020 series coincides with the introduction of the new Cityjet Doppelstock trains, double-decker trains that mark a new era for regional and suburban transportation in eastern Austria.
The new trains entered service in the eastern region starting in June and are designed to increase capacity, comfort, and accessibility.
The Cityjet Doppelstock offers multifunctional spaces for bicycles, strollers, and luggage, as well as barrier-free access areas designed to allow passengers to board and disembark more quickly.
“At the same time, with the new Cityjet Doppelstock trains, we are ushering in a new era of regional transportation in eastern Austria,” said Andreas Matthä.
The New Vienna Suburban Transport Corridor
The first Cityjet Doppelstock trains are primarily used on the north–south corridor, one of the busiest rail routes in the Vienna region.
This corridor also includes the Wiener Stammstrecke, the central trunk line of the Vienna S-Bahn—a section that has been closely associated with the 4020 series trains for decades.
By introducing the new double-decker trains, ÖBB aims to provide greater capacity on high-traffic lines and modernize the passenger experience on commuter routes.
Thus, the 4020 series is bowing out, but its role as the backbone of suburban transportation in eastern Austria is being taken over by a new generation of trains, adapted to today’s demands for comfort, accessibility, and capacity.
The End of an Era for an everyday train
For the rail industry, the retirement of a series after nearly 50 years is a technical milestone. For passengers, however, it is often a moment of collective memory.
The 4020 series was not a spectacular high-speed train, but a vehicle of daily routine. That is precisely why its retirement carries special significance: millions of ordinary trips, repeated year after year, have turned these multiple units into a familiar symbol of Viennese public transportation.
With this farewell run, ÖBB marks the end of an era that began in the late 1970s and the transition to a more modern suburban fleet, featuring double-decker trains and increased capacity for the Austrian capital region.
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