Extreme weather in Germany, Poland, Austria, Czechia - Travel Disruptions Expected - and cancelled nightjet question

[Giugiaro]

Massive number of wildfires happening in Portugal. Both the Northern Line and the Vouga Line were temporarily closed as a result.

 

[nwales58]

Overnight Prague-Przemsyl probably. Not surprising, given the situation in Eastern Czechia and into Poland.

Interesting that it got through. According to RegioJet's web site, today's is not running but tomorrow's will run with a diversion I cannot be sure of; around Frydek-Mistek is flooded too so it might be via Zilina. The Kosice services are diverted betwen Hranice and Zilina, presumably via Puchov.

Other than that, RegioJet is buses from Hranice na Morave onwards and nothing running south of Breclav.

 

[Giugiaro]

Douro Line between Marco de Canaveses and Régua has been closed today. Not because of planned engineering works, but because of the proximity of a wildfire.

 

[Robski]

Railway line 309 in Kłodzko isn't looking too good

 

[shredder1]

My friends out there have sent me images of Ostrava depot which has been flooded 70 cm, along with the station underpasses at Bohumin, I fly into Prague in the early hours, the western side of the country appears fine and trains are now running into Budapest and Vienna, the sun is out at Decin, but the river is still in flood conditions, Usti and Breclav depot are clear.

 

[Austriantrain]

Apart from the Westbahn and two minor lines, everything should be open in Austria by tomorrow.

The Westbahn closure is a biggie though. By far the most important long distance route in Austria and a major commuter line into Vienna as well.

 

[DanielB]

The Westbahn closure is a biggie though. By far the most important long distance route in Austria and a major commuter line into Vienna as well.

There isn't any realistic alternative for east-west journeys as well when I'm not mistaken? There is the route used by the EC Transalpin, but with several single track sections that's not an easy route to divert a lot of passengers (apart from it being a massive detour as well, especially into Vienna)

 

[Austriantrain]

There isn't any realistic alternative for east-west journeys as well when I'm not mistaken? There is the route used by the EC Transalpin, but with several single track sections that's not an easy route to divert a lot of passengers (apart from it being a massive detour as well, especially into Vienna)

Unfortunately no. There has been some bus service (every three hours nonstop Vienna - Linz - there are not nearly enough buses and drivers available for a real RRB service) i
and today a couple of trains Linz - Selzthal - Bruck - Vienna, a very long journey as you said.

But: ÖBB have just posted that from tomorrow, there will be 2 LD/hour (one ÖBB, one Westbahn) over the classic line via Rekawinkel. The HSL seems to have seen major damage - doesn’t look good for a quick reopening.

And: the (Prague -) Breclav - Vienna line is at risk of closure again (the Czech might have to open some dams, leading to floods on the March river).

 

[nwales58]

... the route used by the EC Transalpin ...

Even worse, Bischofshofen-Selzthal is RRB until 29/09. EC163 is running but via an unbelievably slow and scenic route: Wörgl - Bischofshofen - Salzburg (Süd) - Attnang-Puchheim - Selzthal. Then 23-29/09 it runs via Rosenheim.

 

[Austriantrain]

Even worse, Bischofshofen-Selzthal is RRB until 29/09. EC163 is running but via an unbelievably slow and scenic route: Wörgl - Bischofshofen - Salzburg (Süd) - Attnang-Puchheim - Selzthal. Then 23-29/09 it runs via Rosenheim.

Yes, the route via Rosenheim is currently closed for works.

 

[duesselmartin]

It seems that the Westbahn is open again for limited traffic.

 

[Austriantrain]

It seems that the Westbahn is open again for limited traffic.

See answer #38.

 

[DanielB]

This article (in German) was linked on the Dutch forums. Apparently some tunnels are still flooded (or not accessible for repairs) between Tullnerfeld and St. Pölten, as are some stations. But the main issue appears to be the flooding of technical rooms, so signalling equipment and the like is probably severely damaged.

This article from another Austrian newspaper has a picture of the current situation in one of the tunnels. According to the article, workers also found a dead pheasant, hay bales and a pumpkin in the tunnel which were washed away from nearby fields.

 

[Austriantrain]

The HSL Vienna - St Pölten is badly hit. Some parts are still flooded and could not be checked for damages yet, and where that happened, they are substantial. No one can say yet with certainty when the line will reopen, but rumors say 2025. in any case, it will be weeks, not days.

In the meantime, the only line from Vienna to the west is the old Westbahn, also the only option for freight at the moment. And it is partly single track also because of flood damage - many embankments are unstable.

ÖBB Infra said that all new infrastructure is built to cope with 100-year floods, but this weather event was unlike anything ever experienced or expected.

So no one should plan on anything resembling regular service for the foreseeable.

 

[TravellingPhil]

That doesn’t sound good. I’m meant to be taking the Nightjet from Brussels to Vienna on the 1st October. All the other Nightjet services are back running from tomorrow except the Brussels one, so I’m guessing it uses the HSL from St Polten.

Sounding like I may have to change my plans.

 

[Austriantrain]

That doesn’t sound good. I’m meant to be taking the Nightjet from Brussels to Vienna on the 1st October. All the other Nightjet services are back running from tomorrow except the Brussels one, so I’m guessing it uses the HSL from St Polten.

Sounding like I may have to change my plans.

I don’t know where you looked, but please don’t believe current ÖBB timetable data on the Weststrecke They cannot cope with entering data ATM, unfortunately, and even two days ahead normal service is being displayed even though it will be anything but.

 

[TravellingPhil]

I don’t know where you looked, but please don’t believe current ÖBB timetable data on the Weststrecke They cannot cope with entering data ATM, unfortunately, and even two days ahead normal device is being displayed even though it will be anything but.

Indeed. The best thing is to plan for the worst at the moment. Thankfully, we’re on Interrail this time and our hotel in Vienna is booked on a flexible rate so we can still have a great time going somewhere else if we need to without a great financial loss.

We’ve treated ourselves to opera tickets in Vienna and they aren’t refundable…but that’s a question for my travel insurance provider. We’ll wait and see, still over a week to go. Just grateful we planned the flexibility into this one. Vienna can wait until another time if the worst happens and we’ll make the best of it if we need to.

My small dilemma is nothing compared to what the people of Central Europe have been through. What a terrible storm. Fingers crossed they can rebuild and repair as quickly as possible.

It was an OBB Facebook post from their official page I got the information from by the way. All Nightjets except Vienna to Brussels to resume from the 20th.

 

[Beebman]

There's been some bad weather overnight in Emilia Romagna which is affecting train services in that part of Italy. The Trenitalia website has details on its disruption page at https://www.trenitalia.com/it/informazioni/Infomobilita/notizie-infomobilita.html in the third red drop-down below the top. Google translation:

19.09.2024​

Update - 8:45am
Traffic remains suspended between Forlì and Faenza, between Ravenna and Castelbolognese, between Ravenna and Ferrara, between Ravenna and Faenza, and between Varano and Loreto due to critical weather conditions that are causing the risk of flooding of some rivers.
High Speed, Intercity and Regional trains may be subject to route restrictions or cancellations and may be rerouted on an alternative route.
Due to the impassability of the roads, bus services are not guaranteed.
It is advisable to reschedule your trip.

After that there's a list of the current cancellations and alterations for High Speed and Inter City services as well as diversions taken by last night's ICN trains.

 

[Austriantrain]

Good news - the HSL Vienna - St Pölten might reopen sometimes in October. It is obviously not reliable information yet.

 

[tynesider]

I appreciate this is likely an impossible question to answer, but I was looking to Interrail in Austria / Poland week commencing 14th October.
Do we know if the extent of the damage is likely to affect Vienna - Bohumin - Krakow / Wroclaw for the next month?

 

[rvdborgt]

I appreciate this is likely an impossible question to answer, but I was looking to Interrail in Austria / Poland week commencing 14th October.
Do we know if the extent of the damage is likely to affect Vienna - Bohumin - Krakow / Wroclaw for the next month?

We don't really.
For train services Poland-Czechia, keep an eye on announcement here:

Komunikaty

Strona internetowa przewoźnika kolejowego PKP Intercity S.A. należącego do grupy PKP, obsługującego kolejowe dalekobieżne przewozy pasażerskie: pośpieszne (Twoje Linie Kolejowe i InterCity) oraz ekspresowe (Express InterCity i Express InterCity Premium).

www.intercity.pl

Currently cancelled until at least the 23rd.

 

[nwales58]

Do we know if the extent of the damage is likely to affect Vienna - Bohumin - Krakow / Wroclaw for the next month?

Someone who speaks Czech or Polish will have more accurate information.

CD's web site currently: No trains Hranice na Morave - Ostrava until further notice but bus replacement now running. Not possible to travel to Poland until further notice.

On CD's web site in english look for the 'this could affect you' orange bit. The disruption detail is only in Czech, if you select Kraj Moravkoslezsky kraj (moravia-silesia) you will get latest the info on the Ostrava-Bohumin Odra catastrophe.

For Slovakia via Puchov is running and from 21/09 some Zilina trains will run from Hrance to Cesky Tesin with a stop at Ostrava Vitkovice (suggests through Studenka is open again). RegioJet are operating via Vitkovice too.

That the RRBs only run to Svinov and Ostrava Stred, not Hlavni nor Bohumin, suggests the situation along the river valley is pretty awful. For those who don't know the area, from Hranice north-east through Studenka to Ostrava the Odra (Oder) has a massively wide flood plain with lakes and the railway is right on the edge of it. At Ostrava the chemical works and main station are on the flood plain, the land rises slighlty towards the city centre, north of the border in Poland the flood plain widens along lakes to Raciborz.

I would use CD to Vitkovice then Flixbus to Katowice. Ostrava bus station is easy to get to by tram from Vitkovice, Stred is across a footbridge from the bus station. The motorway is mainly elevated along and across the valley so it survived, although the earthworks have probably moved a bit.

 

[route101]

I was in Poland earlier in the week. I used a IC service from Wroclaw to Katowice, this was delayed by around an hour.

 

[rg177]

Seems that there's been a few runs today to retrieve displaced ČD stock and bring it back to Prague.

vagonWEB » Řazení vlaků » 2024 » ČD Sv » Sv 98201

www.vagonweb.cz

 

[nwales58]

Seems that there's been a few runs today to retrieve displaced ČD stock and bring it back to Prague.

Interesting:
Suggests Oswiecim-Bohumin is passable as far as Detmarovice
I hadn't realised Comfortjet sets were used into Poland yet
There will be PKP stock in Czechia too.
Presumably ÖBB will get their (SBB) Graz-Przemysl set back soon if they have not already.

 

[rg177]

I hadn't realised Comfortjet sets were used into Poland yet

In passenger service I don't believe they are. So I suspect they're either pre-emptively cleared or the paperwork for running them as a one-off isn't as onerous as it would be here!

 

[route101]

Interesting:
Suggests Oswiecim-Bohumin is passable as far as Detmarovice
I hadn't realised Comfortjet sets were used into Poland yet
There will be PKP stock in Czechia too.
Presumably ÖBB will get their (SBB) Graz-Przemysl set back soon if they have not already.

I seen a CD and MAV set near Katowice other day. Warsaw to Budapest service.

 

[TravellingPhil]

Notice bookings have been stopped for the Brussels-Vienna Nightjet for the next two weeks…so not holding much hope that we’ll be on the one we’ve got booked from Brussels on the 1st October.

What I’m hoping for now is that they’ll give us at least a bit of notice if it is cancelled. I already have a plan B but obviously don’t want to act on it without confirmation that our train is cancelled. I understand that it’s a very difficult situation for them though. It’s an amazing achievement what they have managed to get running since the storm passed.

Hoping we’ll make Vienna one way or another! With a bit of notice, I can try to move my Eurostar reservation back a day and use day trains to get there. I’ll just have to lose an extra travel day on my Interrail.

 

[nwales58]

Hoping we’ll make Vienna one way or another!

See austriantrain's earlier posts.

ÖBB are now doing a pretty good job of communicating the situation (I'm replanning for someone else who is away at present, hence my day by day interest), a new page appeared today I think:

Unwetterschäden

Seit 4. November: Deutliche Angebotsverbesserung im Nahverkehr - Bahnhof Tullnerfeld wieder geöffnet.

www.oebb.at

with clear today/tomorrow maps and night trains operating today/tomorrow. And a picture of a swimming pool in a tunnel entrance.

'Zugbindung aufgehoben' indefinitely between Vienna and Salzburg plus ÖBB and Westbahn mutual ticket acceptance.

Use ÖBB and Westbahn's sites for up to date timetable though, international planners using MERITS are wildly out still.

From Brussels, if ICEs are still ending at Passau the R/REX trains Passau-Linz are probably pretty crowded.

 

[TravellingPhil]

See austriantrain's earlier posts.

ÖBB are now doing a pretty good job of communicating the situation (I'm replanning for someone else who is away at present, hence my day by day interest), a new page appeared today I think:

Unwetterschäden

Seit 4. November: Deutliche Angebotsverbesserung im Nahverkehr - Bahnhof Tullnerfeld wieder geöffnet.

www.oebb.at

with clear today/tomorrow maps and night trains operating today/tomorrow. And a picture of a swimming pool in a tunnel entrance.

'Zugbindung aufgehoben' indefinitely between Vienna and Salzburg plus ÖBB and Westbahn mutual ticket acceptance.

Use ÖBB and Westbahn's sites for up to date timetable though, international planners using MERITS are wildly out still.

From Brussels, if ICEs are still ending at Passau the R/REX trains Passau-Linz are probably pretty crowded.

I have to admit, the updates have been really good. And when there is news on our train, I know they’ll be quick to update.

We have Interrail tickets so if we can set off a day earlier, we can maybe have the time to find a more convoluted route to reach Vienna and stay away from the Salzburg route if that’s possible. We’d just have to sacrifice another travel day to do so.

I’ve got over a week yet…so no rush to think about alternatives.