Austria plans billion-euro offensive for road and rail

Austria plans billion-euro offensive for road and rail

October 6, 2025 | DVZ

The new Transport Minister, Peter Hanke, envisions spending of 30 billion euros by 2030. Key projects include the Koralm Railway and the Semmering and Brenner Base Tunnels, he emphasized at the Logistics Forum Vienna organized by the Network Logistics Association.

The new Austrian Transport Minister, Peter Hanke (SPÖ), is relying on a massive investment offensive for future infrastructure projects. "We're investing €20 billion in the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) by 2030," says Hanke. "That's a major undertaking; I'm working to ensure it's implemented." Road construction is also being pushed forward in the Alpine republic. Hanke: "We're investing €10 billion here."

The largest railway projects are the Koralm Railway in southern Austria, which is currently beginning operations, the Semmering Tunnel, and the Brenner Base Tunnel. "This will be operational in 2032," said the Minister of Infrastructure. At the same time, Hanke is working on a new "logistics location strategy" within the ministry, with innovation at its core: "This is the lever to get the economy back on track." Austria has been suffering from a recession since 2023.