Well on track
For ten years now, WESTbahn has been transporting passengers between Vienna and Salzburg,
offering a fast and comfortable direct connection on this mock-travelled route.
The private company was founded as a subsidiary of Rail Holding AG in 2008 during the liberalisation of the railways. Since December 2011 WESTbahn has provided passenger transport between Vienna’s Westbahnhof and Salzburg, covering the 317 kilometre-long route in around
2.5 hours with no changes.
WESTbahn operates eight six-car, low-floor KISS 1- and KISS 2-type 4010 series electric multiple-unit trains made by the Swiss manufacturer Stadler Rail AG. They have 24 axles, eight of which are powered, and can reach top speeds of 200 km/h. At 150 metres in length, the two- storey carriages each offer over 500 seats. Great emphasis is placed on comfort and accessibility, with specially-equipped areas being provided for passengers with impaired mobility. As a rule, all of the units are in operation throughout the day, with maintenance work being undertaken at night. From December 2021 WESTbahn will operate a new fleet of 15 six-car KISS 3-type 4010 series trains. The design on the stamp from the “Railways” series, with its engraved embellishment, shows a 4010 series multiple-unit train with the typical blue, white and yellowish-green livery of WESTbahn.
