ÖBB has set a new passenger record in 2024, surpassing half a billion passengers for the first time. A total of 511 million people travelled by bus and train in Austria, up from 494 million in 2023.
“The passenger record of more than 511 million travelers on ÖBB clearly shows that the trend towards buses and trains is continuing. That is why we are consistently expanding our offering and investing a record sum of over 6.1 billion euros in new and modern trains by 2030. A total of around 330 new trains will be on the rails,” said ÖBB CEO Andreas Matthä.
Local and regional transport saw a strong increase, reaching 254.3 million passengers in 2024—10% more than in 2023 (excluding the German subsidiary Arverio). This growth was driven by reduced home office work and an increase in leisure travel by bus and train.
Long-distance travel remained stable at 46 million passengers, despite disruptions caused by autumn storms. However, the long-term trend remains positive, with an increase of 7.8 million passengers compared to 2019—equivalent to more than 20% growth over five years. Cross-border services have also continued to expand.
More than 1.5 million passengers travelled on ÖBB’s night services in 2024. Demand for night trains continues to rise with the introduction of the new-generation Nightjets, now operating on routes such as Vienna–Hamburg, Innsbruck–Hamburg, Vienna–Bregenz, and Vienna–Rome.
Looking ahead to 2025, ÖBB expects similarly strong passenger numbers across all services. The Koralmbahn will go into operation in December 2025 and this will lead to a significantly expanded service on the southern route.
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