“It starts in Linz. 400 euros,” shouts a taxi driver behind Vienna’s main train station on Monday afternoon, offering a ride to the Upper Austrian capital.
In addition, the crowd of stranded travelers hoping for an emergency bus service from the ÖBB to get out of the federal capital is growing ever larger.
This is intended to at least temporarily bridge the train routes on the western and southern lines that have been interrupted by the extreme weather.
This is not a rail replacement service, as the ÖBB emphasizes, but only an option for those whose journey is really unavoidable. But what is such an important reason?
“Work, for example,” says one of the people waiting to go to Salzburg. “I have to take over an apartment,” says her fellow traveler. A friend of the two admits: “Force majeure is force majeure. But just one bus?” He doesn’t understand why more shuttles aren’t provided.
Pictures of the floods in Austria:
Markersdorf, Niederösterreich
Wien
Langenlois, Lower Austria
Krems, Lower Austria
St. Pölten area, Lower Austria
St. Pölten, Lower Austria
Untergrafendorf, Lower Austria
St. Pölten, Lower Austria
Wien
Rust in Tullnerfeld, Lower Austria
Greifenstein, Lower Austria
Atzenbrugg in the Tullnerfeld, Lower Austria
St. Pölten area, Lower Austria
Steyr, St. Pölten, Upper Austria
Emmersdorf, Niederösterreich
District of Bruck-Mürzzuschlag, Styria
District of Liezen, Styria
The ÖBB announced on Monday night that it would try “with all its might” to provide postal buses from Vienna to Linz and Mürzzuschlag or in the opposite direction every three hours between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m.
At Vienna Central Station it is a single buswhich arrives at noon. The doors of the double-decker bus, which was announced for 12 noon, open one and a half hours late. Around 300 people want to get in.
Pushing, shoving, shouting
Pushing, shoving and shouting begin. Even if ÖBB employees try to bring order to the chaos, it is a lottery. Travelers who have waited for hours in the icy wind are left behind.
Anger and rage with many of those left behind who do not understand why some people who arrived much later managed to get a seat. Others understand that this is a state of emergency due to a disaster.
Taxi drivers become violent
In between, taxi drivers continue to court helpless travelers. Two of them clash so much while trying to win customers that they even briefly resort to physical violence. The atmosphere is heated, as cold as it is.
Those who didn’t want to go to Linz and perhaps take the train from there to other destinations, but instead wanted to go to Mürzzuschlag, had more luck. A bus that was not nearly full set off south shortly after 12 o’clock. Out of the city.
It doesn’t start in Linz
It is also difficult in the opposite direction. Along the outside of the Linz train station The queue seemed to never end. Around 250 people were standing outside – luckily under the canopy – waiting for the bus to Vienna that was announced for midday.
“We have already spent 150 euros on a hotel, we don’t want to stay here another night,” complains a woman who has been stuck in the city with her daughter since Sunday.
The ÖBB has no official rail replacement service, only an emergency service for stranded people. Everyone else is being asked to postpone their journeys. The queue at Linz train station shows that this is only partially working.
This bus is also delayed
The bus is supposed to arrive at 12 o’clock, with 25-minute delay the time has come. Things are getting restless, the Pushing and shoving start. “Please let the train out first and be patient!” warn the ÖBB employees in safety vests.
When the bus is finally empty, the big counting begins. It stops at 70more people don’t fit in the bus. The many disappointed travelers have to hope for other transport options.
“The situation is still too uncertain”
“Everything that can drive is currently driving,” the ÖBB spokesperson replied to the question of why more buses are not being used. Many bus drivers are themselves affected by the storms, are stuck or have to observe rest periods. An official rail replacement service cannot currently be offered, the situation is still too uncertain for that.
“What’s going on here? Is everyone emigrating or wanting to leave Linz?”, passersby comment on the ever-growing queue. Several buses are announced every day. Those who didn’t make it on this time might get a seat on the next trip.
In Vienna, many people are also trying their luck at 3 p.m. Four buses to Linz have been announced. And again, not everyone will find space on them.
