Vienna starts work on latest tramway extension

 

 

3 June saw the ground-breaking ceremony for the 3.1km extension of Wien (Vienna) tram line 18 from its existing terminus at Schlachthausgasse to an interchange with metro line U2 at Stadion (Handelskai). The first passengers should be able to ride trams along this line in the autumn of 2026. New tracks will be laid in Meiereistrasse and Stadionallee, including 70m of green track near Ernst Happel Stadion. There will be seven new tram stops and an extra 6M passengers/year are expected on the route. The project also includes 2 150m of new cycle lanes. 

 

Ulli Sima, city councillor for Planning and Mobility, said, ‘With the extension of line 18 we are further expanding Vienna’s public transport network to be climate-friendly, efficient and future-proof. I am particularlly pleased that with this tram project we are not only strengthening public transport, but also creating new bike paths, planting 200 new trees, and reducing traffic in the green Prater’. According to Gudrun Sen, Managing Director of Technical Services at Wiener Linien, ‘Six million passengers will benefit from this on the entire line 18 in future. By shifting travel from cars to public transport, up to 1300t of CO2 can be saved annually’. 

 

The expansion of line 18 will optimally connect new urban development areas, including residential projects at Viertel Zwei, Schnirchgasse/Trillple, Eurogate and Sonnwendvierte. Line 18 will connect with the new new long-distance bus terminal at Stadion Center, and provide an additional alternative route to the S-Bahn, connecting St Marx with the east of the city. It will largely take over the route of bus line 77A.