Overview
- Westbahn unveiled four CRRC-built double‑deck trains that are slated to enter service on the Weststrecke in the coming weeks after extensive testing.
- Austrian type‑approval is reportedly close to completion, and there is currently no certification for operation in Germany, which the operator says it is pursuing.
- The six‑car sets provide 536 seats each and lift the fleet to 19, enabling 66 daily services and a continuous half‑hourly rhythm between Vienna Westbahnhof and Salzburg.
- The roughly €70 million order placed in 2019 is a ten‑year lease with a purchase option, with Westbahn citing faster delivery plus significant European-sourced components.
- Labor groups and the SPÖ warn of lost local value‑creation, while Infrastructure Minister Peter Hanke plans to seek tougher EU approval and procurement criteria and indicates ÖBB will procure European‑built trains through 2030.