WESTbahn

The Western Railway Management GmbH is a subsidiary of Rail Holding AG, founded in 2008, which runs a long distance between Vienna and Salzburg on the names like West rail line since December 11, 2011 as a railway company. The term WEST does not derive, as one might assume, the track here, but the founder wehinger stefan. The Western Railway Management is the first operating subsidiary of Rail Holding, which has the specified target to establish a private railway and bus network for passenger traffic in Central Europe.

Inspired by the marketing of the Western Railway management is the bus company WESTbus which is owned by the Rail Holding and Blaguss coach tours.

History

On 30 June 2009, closed with ÖBB Infra a framework agreement on the allocation of railway infrastructure capacity for the years 2011 to 2016. This is technically scheduled to ensure that the West can offer a web clock service between Vienna and Salzburg.

After the ÖBB had painted with the timetable change in December 2010, the direct connection between Graz and Linz, was the beginning of February 2011 that the Western Railway was considering to use these line. When the ÖBB shortly after announcing this route yet again itself to use with a direct connection, these plans were discarded. From February 2011, dedicated manager Stefan Wehinger two lobbyists who should discredit the ÖBB in the public and politicians. The order was made without knowledge of the Supervisory Board.

According to speculation, the Western Railway confirmed in July 2011, well advanced negotiations with the French railway company SNCF about a possible joint venture. 23 August 2011 it was announced that the closing of the transaction was done one day before, the SNCF is now holds 26 percent of the company. However, the company does not want to use the international line from Vienna to Paris, because you would be better off with the airplane.

On June 5, 2012 Stefan Wehinger resigned from his post as CEO back. Erich Forster took over the post.

In early 2013 it was announced that the Western Railway had received no money from the Salzburger Transport Association for the operation of the line Salzburg Hauptbahnhof- Freilassing and therefore no longer serves the stop Salzburg Taxham - euro park and the train station Freilassing. The course was offered only at the beginning, because the Salzburg Central Station had no adequate parking available due to the transformation. After the introduction of synchronized timetable and due to low capacity utilization in early September 2013, the line was eventually close.

The West railway ran in 2012 a loss of 23.45 million euros. Another 1.7 million euro loss had rendered the operation of the WESTbus. At the presentation of the annual report, the company described the original business plan as too ambitious. According to the company, the company had surgically achieved a positive result from the summer of 2013.

In December 2013, the company 's de facto withdrawal from the declared Transport Association Eastern Region. The occasion was the rejected from VOR demands for higher payments were granted as the company subsequent to the revenue allocation formula of the VOR.

Operation

The company has, since December 11, 2011 in competition with the ÖBB InterCity trains a long-distance transport in Einstundentakt on the 317 km stretch between Wien Westbahnhof and Salzburg. Until September 1, 2013, the trains were to Freilassing extended due to lack of parking capacity in the Salzburg train station with a stop in Salzburg Taxham Euro Park. Between Vienna and Salzburg, this thirteen pairs of trains run from Thursday to Friday, between Vienna and Linz there are up to fourteen pairs of trains. The travel time is since the opening of a high- speed section in Lower Austria, two hours and 48 minutes. Intermediate stops are Hütteldorf Vienna, St. Pölten, Amstetten, Linz Hbf, Wels Hbf, Puchheim and Salzburg Hbf Like the ÖBB passenger needs the company of ÖBB pay three euros per train path kilometer infrastructure.

The traveler is entitled to per train 501 leather seats and free Wi-Fi. Almost every car is taken care of by a separate conductor. Of the 200 employees of the company about 85 percent on the trains traveling should be.

For May 14, 2012 three trains were canceled in days remoteness and used an additional afternoon train from Vienna to Salzburg.

In December 2012, there were two incidents in which the doors of Western Railway trains when trains moving. On December 9, 2012 loosened in an encounter with a Railjet ÖBB train in a tunnel in Tullnerfeld two train doors. As a result of the accident, which was not reported by the company's management at the Department of Transportation, the traveling speed of trains on the new Vienna -St was. Pölten reduced to 160 km / hr. On December 13, there was another one of the same incident. In July 2013, a train of the company following a malfunction of the drive system remained three hours hanging in the Wienerwald tunnel. A few days later it was announced that the summer heat led to problems with the power supply of complete sets.

Rolling stock

The company has seven multiple-unit sets, six of which are required for normal operation. Their entrances are wheelchair accessible, and a six-part set consists of double -decker trains from Stadler Rail with 150 meters length, 200 km / h, an acceleration of 0.85 m / s ² and a capacity of 501 seats. These are based on the constructive made ​​also by Stadler railcars RABe 511 of the Zurich S-Bahn and are designated by the manufacturer as KISS. All wheel sets of the end cars are driven, the trailer are not driven. The sets are not druckertüchtigt.

In the four intermediate cars a West Café is each furnished with eight seats, where hot and cold drinks can be purchased from coin-operated machines; the conductor, referred to at the Western Railway as stewards, there also sell snacks. In a car, there is a smokers' lounge with 16 seats, out of the use of a separate air conditioning no smoke to move to other parts of the train. Due to court action, there smoking in mid-January 2012 was banned, but mid- September 2012 allowed after a judgment of the Independent Administrative Senate. In the trailers, the seats are arranged one behind the other, in the end cars opposite each other on four tables. An end car (W 600) is reported as West Train and can be used for an extra charge of 10 € ( 150 km ) or 15 € (from 150 km). There are two each passenger seats available, and the rate includes a daily newspaper and a cold beverage are included, which - to be served at their seats - as well as various snacks. Three intermediate cars are equipped with separate toilets for men and women, where there is a separate urinal in the men's room; the disabled car (W 400) has a wheelchair accessible toilet on the lower level. On the lower floor of the trailers contain luggage racks, where a shelf can be folded down to accommodate your bikes.

Tariff

Although they wanted on the authority of Wehinger no price war with ÖBB, yet the fares for all passengers based on the prices of the ÖBB 2nd class with VORTEILScard. Tickets are available both on the Internet and in train the staff. Since May 2012, a portion of the ticket range is also available in tobacco shops. Some offers and discounts are only available online. About 80 percent of the tickets are sold on the train.

The ticket offer various individual and group tickets, season tickets, see ( among other things a annual pass, which is valid also for the so-called West buses) and one kilometers Bank in three variants. In addition, there are various discounts.

On 9th September 2013, the company of travelers with travel passes of the Eastern Transport Association Region and the transport associations Lower Austria, Burgenland rose at peak periods at an additional cost. Since December 13, 2013, the company is the transport associations VOR / VVNB not more.

Rail Holding

• Board: Clemens Schneider, the agendas of Bernhard Angel took over on 1 November 2012.
• Supervisory Board: Benedikt Weibel (Chairman ), Hans Peter Haselsteiner ( Vice Chairman)
• Shareholders: To 22 August 2011: Haselsteiner Family Private Foundation (35% ), Stefan Wehinger investment and consulting GmbH ( 35%), Oldro AG ( 30%)
• Until 5 June 2012: Stefan Wehinger investment and consulting GmbH ( almost 26 %), hazel Steiner Family Private Foundation (26% ), SNCF ( 26%), Augusta Holding ( Switzerland, 22 %)
• To 19 April 2013: Haselsteiner Family Private Foundation (35% ), SNCF ( 35%), Augusta- Holding ( 30%)
• Since April 19, 2013: Haselsteiner Family Private Foundation ( 46.9 % ), SNCF ( 28%), Augusta Holding ( 25.1%)