Railjet 856 Stranded for Hours After Overhead Line Failure in Austria

Passengers on the Railjet 856 faced a lengthy delay on Friday evening after the train was stranded between Villach and Spittal an der Drau. The service, which runs daily from Vienna to Lienz via the Koralm Railway, was held up for over three hours due to technical issues. The delay began when an overhead line was damaged, leaving the train without power. Initially, passengers received no updates about the problem. As time passed, the situation worsened when the train’s emergency lighting switched on and the toilets stopped working.

Two other trains managed to pass the stranded Railjet on a nearby track, but the damage to an adjacent line added further complications. Eventually, a diesel locomotive was brought in to pull the Railjet back to Villach.

ÖBB, Austria’s federal railway operator, later apologised for the disruption. An investigation into the incident is set to begin early this week. The Railjet 856 finally resumed its journey after the intervention of the diesel locomotive. ÖBB has confirmed that a full review will examine the cause of the overhead line failure and the response to the delay. Passengers affected by the incident can expect further updates once the investigation concludes.