České dráhy will introduce a direct connection between Prague and Vienna via Tábor
České dráhy, in cooperation with the Austrian carrier ÖBB, will restore the direct train connection between Prague and Vienna along the historic František Josef line via Tábor. One pair of trains on weekdays and two pairs on weekends will connect the tourist regions of Bohemia and Lower Austria. Trains will depart with the new timetable from December 11, 2022.
“The renewed connection between Prague and Vienna via Benešov u Prahy, Tábor and Třeboň will offer new opportunities for tourism on both sides of the Czech-Austrian border, bring residents closer and offer further opportunities for the development of contacts between Czechs and Austrians. The new connection is not only transport between Prague and Vienna, but above all it is about connecting the regions between Prague and České Velenice on our side and the Waldviertel and Weinviertel regions in Austria.” says Jiří Ješeta, ČD’s deputy general director for passenger transport, and also presents the scope of the planned connection.
“In cooperation with our partners in Austria, we have prepared one pair of express trains that will depart from Vienna to Prague every morning and will travel in the opposite direction in the afternoon. The second couple will travel on Saturdays and Sundays in the morning from Prague and return from Vienna in the afternoon. We will put our modern air-conditioned sets on the trains. The train will also have a barrier-free car adapted for the travel of people in a wheelchair or cars with places to store bicycles, and passengers will also have access to other services that we offer in our modern express trains.” presented by Jiří Ješeta.
The journey between Prague and Vienna along the František Josef railway will take a little over 5 hours. Trains stop in many regional centers in the Czech Republic and Lower Austria, e.g. in Benešov u Prahy, Olbramovice, Tábor, Soběslav, Veselí nad Lužnicí, Třebon, Suchdola nad Lužnicí, Majdalen, Třebon and České Velenice. In Austria, they will continue to Gmünd (NÖ), Schwarzenau, Sigmundsherberg and other places and end their journey at Franz Josef Station in Vienna. Due to the non-electrified section between Veselí nad Lužnicí and České Velenice, two locomotive replacements are planned.
It is assumed that in the next phase, the operation will be expanded to two pairs of trains per day. The implementation of this operating model will depend, for example, on public interest in these connections and further infrastructure development.
TZ of Czech Railways