Transalpin Route - OBB Rail Replacement Bus

[bib]

I'm looking at the possibility of doing the Transalpin Zurich-Graz route in November, but there seems to be various works happening on the line. There is some information given but it's not particularly clear whether this particular train will be affected, and how a potential RRB would affect the timetable. Also if I wanted to go in the panorama car whether this would be possible if the journey is effectively split between two separate trains. Does anyone have any thoughts/experience of how this is likely to work out in practice? Maybe best to avoid and find another time without potential disruption?

Construction work - Rail replacement services/rerouting
Bludenz Bahnhof - Ötztal Bahnhof
Due to construction work some long distance-trains cannot operate between Ötztal Bahnhof and Bludenz Bahnhof from 18/11/2026 (08:30am) through 23/11/2026 (04:00am). A rail replacement bus service is being arranged. The night trains are redirected. Due to the construction work, there may be some restrictions when booking seat reservations.
We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.
Source: ÖBB-Personenverkehr AG

Construction work - changes to timetable
Buchs SG - St.Johann in Tirol Bahnhof
EC 163: Due to construction work, there are changes to the schedule on the service between Buchs SG and St.Johann in Tirol Bahnhof. The timetable will be modified in the ÖBB timetable service SCOTTY and the ÖBB app.
We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.
Source: ÖBB-Personenverkehr AG

 

[Gordon]

It's only 18 - 23 November (5 days)

 

[30907]

It's only 18 - 23 November (5 days)

And it says "some" long distance trains....
If the service is reduced eg to 2-hourly it may make some extra stops to cover.
@Austriantrain is the one to ask ..

 

[Gordon]

And it says "some" long distance trains....
If the service is reduced eg to 2-hourly it may make some extra stops to cover.
@Austriantrain is the one to ask ..

I took my information from SBB, not OBB. SBB is quite clear, if you choose a date between 18 and 23 November the 'engineering work' message comes up but with the loose "times may be changed", if you choose 26 November as a travel date, no such warning appears. I'm fairly certain that the EC163 would be given a path through the works or stopped completely for those 5 days. Otherwise diagramming the stock gets too complicated. But at present it is showing as running normally.

 

[DanielB]

For Austria I'd only trust the ÖBB planner only, I've seen before that works affecting a certain train were mentioned nowhere and only ÖBB Scotty knew there was partial bustitution.

 

[rvdborgt]

For Austria I'd only trust the ÖBB planner only, I've seen before that works affecting a certain train were mentioned nowhere and only ÖBB Scotty knew there was partial bustitution.

I agree. It's also important to know that you should only use ÖBB Scotty (app or website) to check ÖBB timetables and not ÖBB Tickets (again, app or website), since the latter gets updates much less frequently.

 

[Austriantrain]

And it says "some" long distance trains....
If the service is reduced eg to 2-hourly it may make some extra stops to cover.
@Austriantrain is the one to ask ..

Ironically, Westbahn currently has more public information. They state that there will be no rail service - it might mean that only their own trains will not run, but that would be unusual. ÖBB infrastructure usually ensures that both TOCs get at least some paths when availability is restricted, and a partial closure of a single-track line makes little sense anyway.

ÖBB scotty has, like SBB, only a very general message about „some trains will not run“ without any details yet and no other information in the public domain. While I am sure information will be updated in time, Scotty unfortunately is not always as quick to show them - and thus as reliable - as in the past.

So I would expect bustitition.

EDIT: Just possibly, it might be a very long nighttime closure only and since two WB trains are in marginal times and would be affected, they might have decided to also cancel the return services instead of having an extremely long turnaround.