Vienna Central Station opens its gates

On Sunday, December 9, the brand new Vienna Main Station will be partially opened for operation. The change in the timetable currently affects regional connections, but in 2014, the first passengers from the Czech Republic will also arrive here by train.

On Sunday, December 9, 2012, at 4:56 AM, a train of the city rapid transit line S 80 will arrive at the station "Wien Hauptbahnhof" from the direction "Wien Hirschstetten." This represents an important milestone for the Vienna railway infrastructure. For the first time, a train set will pass through the metropolis from the eastern to the northern part. Vienna has so far lacked a central railway hub, and international trains from various parts of the world arrived at three terminal stations in different parts of the city.
Thanks to the main station, travel time will be shortened and made more pleasant, as changing trains will only require crossing from one platform to another. The main station will replace the former Southern Station, which served as the terminus for the southern and eastern routes. It was only in 2012 that the two historic railways were interconnected, which, according to estimates, will save passengers up to 40 minutes in transfers.
Since December 2012, the partially opened station will replace the temporary station "Wien Südbahnhof (Ostbahnhof)," which served as a substitute for the missing station from 2009 to 2012. The first international trains to be serviced at the main station will connect Vienna with Bratislava. Connections on the route Bratislava/Podunajské Biskupice – Wien Südbahnhof/Ost will be linked with the former route Wien Meidling – Deutschkreutz, simplifying connections between Slovakia and Hungary, but also the Balkan Peninsula or Turkey.
The network of city rapid transit will be clearer thanks to the opening of "Wien Hauptbahnhof." The number of lines will decrease from the original 13 to nine. The routes S5/S6 "Wiener Meidling-Pottendorfer Linie-Wiener Neustadt" and S80 "Wien Südbahnhof / Ost-Hirschstetten" will be integrated into a new line designated S80, which will offer commuters from the eastern and southern edges of the city direct connections to the city center. According to the new timetables, line S 60 will also run on the modified route.

On this occasion, two rapid transit and metro stations will be renamed. The stop "Wien Südtiroler Platz" will henceforth be called "Wien Hauptbahnhof," and "Wien Südbahnhof" will change its name to "Wien Quartier Belvedere."

The construction of the station is to be completed in the next three years. According to plans, a northern hall will be built, and six additional tracks will be put into operation in the direction of "Südtiroler Platz/Gürtel." Even before full operation begins, a shopping center with more than a hundred stores is expected to open in 2014.
Vienna Main Station is currently the largest infrastructure project of the Austrian railways "Österreichische Bahn." Construction began in 2010, and preparations started in 2009, which included creating the infrastructure that would replace the original station "Wien Südbahnhof."
The railway project is also related to the redevelopment of an entire urban district called "BahnhofCity." Around 5,000 apartments, 550,000 m² of office and commercial space, underground garages, and a campus with a kindergarten and school will be built in the area. About 20,000 people are expected to find work here.

In 2012, the Austrian railway celebrated its 175th birthday, and so the metropolis will receive a special gift for the anniversary.