Vienna Hütteldorf–Meidling line: construction starts September 2026

Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) are upgrading roughly 5 km of the Verbindungsbahn (S-Bahn line S80) between Vienna Hütteldorf and Vienna Meidling: new bridges across the Wiental valley, an approximately 800 m elevated section, two new stops (Hietzinger Hauptstraße, Stranzenbergbrücke), a modernized Speising stop, and replacement of several level crossings with barrier-free underpasses. Regulatory approval is in place and main construction starts in September 2026 in three phases (north section by mid-2030, middle by mid-2032, south 2035/36); full completion with a 15-minute S80 interval is expected by 2036 (the list's 2028-12-31 date was replaced with this sourced completion milestone). Update (11 May 2026): After the 1,300-day appeal procedure and the completed evaluation, main works begin in September 2026 with the elevated section in the north, between Wien Hütteldorf and Schrutkagasse; the new Wien Hietzinger Hauptstraße stop is expected to open at the end of 2029. Because only one track stays usable during construction and the line is needed for depot runs, the S80 runs only between Wien Aspern and Wien Hauptbahnhof from 4 July to 6 September 2026 and, after that, only as far as Wien Meidling until at least the end of 2027; replacement buses run every 15 minutes on weekdays from 7 September. The 15-minute S80 service will only be possible once all works are complete, expected in 2036. (LOK Report, 11 May 2026) Update (18 Sep 2026): With the ceremonial start of construction on 18 September 2026, ÖBB has begun the main works to upgrade the Verbindungsbahn; around EUR 511.5 million is being invested over 5 km of line, with building in three sections until 2036. Two new stops (Hietzinger Hauptstrasse, Stranzenbergbrücke), the modernised Wien Speising station and the replacement of six level crossings by underpasses are meant to give the S80 a 15-minute interval and around 20,000 more boardings and alightings a day. According to the Vienna Chamber of Commerce, the project generates EUR 248.5 million of gross regional product in Vienna and creates or secures around 2,270 jobs. (LOK Report, 17 and 18 Sep 2026)