ÖBB orders more RailJets and reduces NightJet order

[MisterM]

Well indeed, I have noticed that their publicity has recently suddenly started suggesting that the next route could either be Barcelona or Milan, so perhaps they're going soft on the idea already! (Of course it might naturally be logical to do the latter via France too, but it is avoidable, and they already have experience of Italy via Brenner. And I gather they were quite happy with their partnership with Trenitalia by the end.)

View attachment 184017

they never partnered with Trenitalia, they partnered with another company, iirc something with Arent in the name? I get why they don't go via Switzerland (being forced to take GA and other Swiss tickets sucks for revenue) and it would make sense that if they are running something to Barcelona anyway they may as well split the train in France to only need one driver and locomotive for a vast majority of the route.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 15 Jul 2025 ==

Also for the NJ2 story, ÖBB has planned to double up the Amsterdam services to 2x7 NJ2's from December 2026 according to the Dutch open access request, splitting the services up as the trains are consistently full, so instead of a 4 way service they'd run a 2 way service.
(Hamburg-Wien, Amsterdam-Wien, Hamburg-Innsbruck, Amsterdam-Innsbruck single train) to split into
Amsterdam-Wien
Amsterdam-Innsbruck
Unclear if the Hamburg portions would also get their own loco or if they are running with 3 DANI sets on the Austrian side of Nurnberg.

Nevermind, they aren't allowed to do that according to the ERA registration

The number (n) of vehicles in a pre-defined formation is 4 ≤ n ≤ 14.

Guess it is going to be a full Amsterdam-Wien train, full Amsterdam-Innsbruck train, full Hamburg-Wien train and a full Hamburg-Innsbruck train.

Should help with reliability so not one of the arms affects the other one as well.

 

[ABB125]

Nevermind, they aren't allowed to do that according to the ERA registration
Guess it is going to be a full Amsterdam-Wien train, full Amsterdam-Innsbruck train, full Hamburg-Wien train and a full Hamburg-Innsbruck train.

Is that perhaps the number of coaches in an individual train set, rather than the total number of coaches? Eg: you cam have up to 14 coaches in a single set, but you could join two of these 14 coach sets together. "pre-defined formation" would suggest train sets to me.

 

[danshrimp]

they never partnered with Trenitalia, they partnered with another company, iirc something with Arent in the name?

They were partnered with Arenaways at first, but after that partnership notoriously didn't get off the ground they came to a quick agreement with FS Treni Turistici Italiani (a subsidiary of Trenitalia) to provide traction instead, and that was how they eventually managed to run some successful services.

 

[30907]

Is that perhaps the number of coaches in an individual train set, rather than the total number of coaches? Eg: you cam have up to 14 coaches in a single set, but you could join two of these 14 coach sets together. "pre-defined formation" would suggest train sets to me.

No that's total train length - 2x14 wouldn't find anywhere!

 

[Frothy]

they never partnered with Trenitalia, they partnered with another company, iirc something with Arent in the name? I get why they don't go via Switzerland (being forced to take GA and other Swiss tickets sucks for revenue) and it would make sense that if they are running something to Barcelona anyway they may as well split the train in France to only need one driver and locomotive for a vast majority of the route.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 15 Jul 2025 ==

Also for the NJ2 story, ÖBB has planned to double up the Amsterdam services to 2x7 NJ2's from December 2026 according to the Dutch open access request, splitting the services up as the trains are consistently full, so instead of a 4 way service they'd run a 2 way service.
(Hamburg-Wien, Amsterdam-Wien, Hamburg-Innsbruck, Amsterdam-Innsbruck single train) to split into
Amsterdam-Wien
Amsterdam-Innsbruck
Unclear if the Hamburg portions would also get their own loco or if they are running with 3 DANI sets on the Austrian side of Nurnberg.

Nevermind, they aren't allowed to do that according to the ERA registration

Guess it is going to be a full Amsterdam-Wien train, full Amsterdam-Innsbruck train, full Hamburg-Wien train and a full Hamburg-Innsbruck train.

Should help with reliability so not one of the arms affects the other one as well.

I've been trying to work this one out too. Surely if they double up the Nightjets on both Amsterdam-Wien and Amsterdam-Innsbruck, they would run as separate trains with no split/joining. But the Hamburg trains would be running single south of Nürnberg and need a path each... Seems a bit unproductive!

Do we know if both Amsterdam portions would be doubled up?

 

[Jealgu]

According to below link (from the Dutch market authority) the plan for the Vienna portion is one DANI set combined with four classic cars (one seats, two couchette and one Sleeper).

Melding nieuwe passagiersdienst per spoor door NS – traject Amsterdam-Wenen | ACM

NS meldt het voornemen om vanaf 14 december 2025 een opentoegangsdienst aan te bieden op het traject Amsterdam-Wenen.

www.acm.nl

 

[doc7austin]

AI-translated quote from the article:

The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) received a report from NS on 13 June 2024, which plans to offer an open access service on the Amsterdam-Vienna route (1x per day) from 14 December 2025. It's a night train. Domestic co-use is not permitted.
In the current situation, the train runs from Amsterdam Central via Utrecht and Arnhem to Innsbruck. This will remain so. The intention is that the train will no longer be split into Nürnberg (as is now the case) by December 14, 2025 (schedule 2026), but that a second train will then depart from Amsterdam Central Station that runs via Amersfoort Central and Deventer to Vienna.

So it looks like ÖBB Nightjet will operate three daily roundtrip trains to/from Amsterdam:
- A'dam - Zürich
- A'dam - Innsbruck
- A'dam - Vienna

However, unless the DANI portion Hamburg-Innsbruck is cancelled, splitting+merging in Nürnberg will still take place for the A'dam - Innsbruck DANI train. And what is going to happen with the Hamburg-Vienna DANI set ?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 17 Jul 2025 ==

But the Hamburg trains would be running single south of Nürnberg and need a path each... Seems a bit unproductive!

My first idea would have been to also add 4 classic cars to the Hamburg-Vienna Nightjet train.
But that doesn't work because of the existing Hamburg-Innsbruck DANI group.

I think it wouldn't be a bad idea to add 4 classic ÖBB seating cars in Nürnberg, running with them between Nürnberg and Vienna. There is lots of early-morning commuter demand East of Passau (Schärding, Wels, Linz, St. Pölten). The train could stop more often (e.g. in Neumarkt). Essentially ÖBB could get some subsidy from the Austrian government for that.

 

[Frothy]

I think it wouldn't be a bad idea to add 4 classic ÖBB seating cars in Nürnberg, running with them between Nürnberg and Vienna. There is lots of early-morning commuter demand East of Passau (Schärding, Wels, Linz, St. Pölten). The train could stop more often (e.g. in Neumarkt). Essentially ÖBB could get some subsidy from the Austrian government for that.

Maybe this is the real answer! Could also be DB IC stock I suppose as seen on other routes. ÖBB seem quite short of IC stock in general still.

I suspect the real picture will unveil itself in time!

I believed the short-term need for the diversion was due to trackworks in Germany - rerouting the Amsterdam-Wien Nightjet via Rheine also removes the Düsseldorf/Köln-Wien night connection and this was due to be filled longer term by the daily Bruxelles-Wien, but it's not daily yet!

 

[doc7austin]

I stand corrected. This ACML document is more than 13 months old.

 

[DanielB]

I believed the short-term need for the diversion was due to trackworks in Germany - rerouting the Amsterdam-Wien Nightjet via Rheine also removes the Düsseldorf/Köln-Wien night connection and this was due to be filled longer term by the daily Bruxelles-Wien, but it's not daily yet!

That connection is already gone: Amsterdam - Wien/Innsbruck is routed via Amersfoort - Deventer - Bad Bentheim since the 2025 timetable. (And Amsterdam - Zürich via Venlo). Not only due to engineering work, but also due to the huge delays caused by crossing through the busy Rhein/Ruhr area.

 

[popeter45]

i feel like the focus on fixed sets has limited what they can do with the NJ2 sets
longer term when its time to replace existing carriages hope somthing like Comfortjet is considered

 

[Snow1964]

Doesn't OBB Infrastructure's 2040 Network Statement envisage (essentially) 6tph between Vienna and Salzburg, presumably enabled by the Linz - Wels upgrade. This essentially (if the stars are aligned) 'invites' OBB to up its RJX frequency from 1tph to 2tph. Westbahn and the slower RJs can remain at 2tph each.

Seems there is now Chinese CRRC built double decks in use on Vienna-Salzburg too

WESTbahn has now started using the Class 4100 in passenger service. From 12 November 2025, following their approval by ERA, these double-deck EMUs are operating trains 900/909 Wien Westbf. - Salzburg and return and 950/957 Wien Westbf. - Linz and return.

CRRC-built EMUs at WESTbahn in passenger service

As we mentioned at the beginning of November, WESTbahn has now started using the Class 4100 double-deck EMUs in passenger service.

www.railvolution.net

 

[Austriantrain]

Seems there is now Chinese CRRC built double decks in use on Vienna-Salzburg too

CRRC-built EMUs at WESTbahn in passenger service

As we mentioned at the beginning of November, WESTbahn has now started using the Class 4100 double-deck EMUs in passenger service.

www.railvolution.net

Yes, the sets were approved this week by ERA.
We had a bit of the same public discussion as SBB with their Siemens order - only that it wasn't Austria against Europe but Europe against China (but since Austrian industry is quite strong on the railway stock market, especially as supplier to the final manufacturers, it was really Austria against China).