Austrian parliament passes amendment to rail high-capacity lines act

More legal certainty, especially in environmental impact assessments, and faster delivery of rail expansion projects: certain routes and nodes are designated as high-capacity lines directly in the act; ongoing procedures are not affected, according to a committee finding.

The amendment folds the six high-capacity line ordinances issued since 1989 into the act and designates certain connections directly there, without the detour of an ordinance. Transport Minister Peter Hanke argues that, especially in environmental impact assessments, it was previously hard to tell whether a route legally counted as a high-capacity line, which had led to costly delays in rail expansion. The Greens did not vote in favour because their concerns about the discretionary wording of some provisions remained; ongoing procedures stay unaffected, according to a committee finding. (LOK Report, 21 Nov 2025)