traffic
State politics are practically united in advocating the renovation, maintenance and expansion of the Pinzgauer local railway. However, the costs since the state took over the railway are enormous – over the past and coming years, this will add up to a good 230 million euros.
20.08.2021 07.30
Online since today, 7.30 a.m.
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In 2015, the State Audit Office had already put the costs of taking over the railway from ÖBB since 2006 at 63.5 million euros. Since then, a lot has been invested – for example in the safety of level crossings and, of course, in the repair of flood damage. Around ten million euros are due for the consequences of the floods and mudslides in recent weeks, and another five million for improvements in flood protection.
However, these are still small things compared to the upcoming costs: urgently needed train sets will cost 80 million euros, which can then be operated with electricity instead of diesel. To do this, however, the 53-kilometer route between Zell am See and Wald im Pinzgau has to be electrified, which costs a further 45 million euros.
Since 2006 costs of more than 230 million euros
If the cable car is then extended to the Krimml Waterfalls – as always planned – this will cost another 30 million euros. Since 2006 that would have been significantly more than 230 million euros, not including the state’s annual subsidy of around four million euros.
The Pinzgauer Lokalbahn transports around one million passengers a year, a third each being schoolchildren, commuters and tourists. The bus, which operates on the same route, carries around 400,000 passengers per year. The fact that, despite these figures, politicians in the country rarely want to maintain, renovate and expand the railway is underpinned by the arguments of the environment, traffic avoidance, jobs and important regional infrastructure.
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