AUSTRIAN private operator Westbahn has confirmed that it will extend its Vienna - Salzburg service to Innsbruck from the December timetable change.

The operator will offer three trains per day, departing Vienna West station at 07.08 and arriving in Innsbruck at 11.29, and also at 11.08 arriving at 15.29, and 17.08 arriving at 21.29. Return trains will depart Innsbruck at 06.31 arriving in Vienna at 10.52, and also at 12.31 arriving at 16.52, and 16.31 arriving at 20.52. Trains will also serve Kufstein and Wörgl.

Westbahn made an application to Austrian rail regulator Schienen-Control to introduce the service in May.

Westbahn will offer tickets from €18.99 for journeys to the state of Tyrol while managing director of Westbahn, Mr Thomas Posch, says the operator hopes to accept all valid regional network tickets on the Kufstein - Innsbruck section.

“To this end, we are holding constructive talks with the Tyrol transport authority and assume that there will be a solution by the time the timetable changes,“ Posch says.

Westbahn will use its existing fleet of Stadler Kiss six-car EMUs, which each have 506 seats, to operate the new service. Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) currently operates an hourly Railjet service between Vienna Main Station and Innsbruck which takes 4h 14min.

Westbahn introduced its first cross-border trains from Vienna West to Munich on April 8. Posch told IRJ earlier this year that the growth of subscriptions to Klimaticket, Austria's annual public transport pass introduced in October 2021, and the flat passenger-km rate received, opened up the possibility of extending the Vienna - Salzburg service to Innsbruck which ÖBB serves under a PSO contract.