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Greens: The pioneering public transport package strengthens the railways in Styria in particular
Vienna (OTS) – “For the first time there will be a public transport ticket for the whole of Styria with the climate ticket. Together with the Austria-wide level and an infrastructure package totaling around 1.4 billion euros, this brings enormous benefits for Styrians, all public transport in Austria and, in particular, for climate protection, ”said a delighted Hermann Weratschnig, traffic spokesman der Grünen, on the groundbreaking agreements between the Climate Protection Ministry and the State of Styria, which were signed in Graz on Saturday
“Thanks to the joint financing and planning agreements, public transport in Styria can be made faster, cheaper and more convenient for all users this year. With the special focus on making rail connections more attractive, improving and decarbonising, Climate Protection Minister Leonore Gewessler and her highly committed team have once again demonstrated foresight for shaping the future and developing the region, ”explains Weratschnig.
In addition to the climate ticket, an unprecedented public transport and infrastructure package for the Green Mark will provide a lasting boost to the improvement of Styrian public transport, as the traffic spokesman for the Greens outlines: S-Bahn in the greater Graz area, with which we want to attract more commuters to switch from car to train. In addition, the state and federal government have fixed their respective stakes in the full expansion of the Koralm Railway, which also includes the four-track expansion Graz-Feldkirchen, the ‘airport branch’, the Wundschuh train station and the ‘connecting track north’. ”
The Graz-Köflacher-Bahn will experience one of the biggest quantum leaps through decarbonisation and expansion, as the Styrian Federal Councilor Andreas Lackner explains: “Here alone we can save 16,000 tons of CO2 annually by electrifying the GKB. And almost by the way, the train will also be considerably quieter, in the interests of the neighbors. ”The Styrian Ostbahn will also be operated electrically in the future, and the section in the Raab Valley will also be expanded for speeds of up to 160 km / h. This not only shortens travel times, but also condenses the cycles. “The Radkersburger Bahn will also be accelerated quickly in order to achieve a journey time of less than 30 minutes, which will increase its attractiveness and safeguard the existence in the long term,” says a delighted Lackner, to whom the Radkersburger Bahn is a matter close to his heart. At the same time, the two politicians thank the Neue Radkersburger Bahn interest group with chairman Armin Klein. “The aim must continue to be to reactivate the rail connection to Gornja Radgona,” says Lackner with certainty, reinforcing the regional initiative’s demands.
In addition to five level crossings in Graz, which are being redesigned in the interests of traffic safety, a station offensive has also been agreed, reports Weratschnig: “We have set ourselves the goal of making stations and stations more attractive and barrier-free. That is why investments in more comfort and quality will be made in Mitterdorf-Veitsch, Kindberg, Mixnitz, Gratwein-Gratkorn, Spielfeld-Straß, St. Michael and at the S-Bahn station at Graz Airport by 2027. More trains will also be used here. ”
The backbone of regional development and sustainable public transport in Styria are the numerous branch lines. “The ‘RegioBahn Steiermark’ will be fit for the future so that there will soon be no more blank spots in public transport. At the Salzkammergutbahn, stations such as Pürgg, Tauplitz, Bad Mitterndorf, Bad Mitterndorf-Heilbrunn and Kainisch are being made more attractive and an improvement concept is being developed for the thermal railway in the section between the state border of Lower Austria / Styria and Hartberg. The Hartberg – Fehring section will be included in the development of the 2040 target network. This also includes the Tauern / Pyhrn-Schober axis, the new Bosruck tunnel, the Koralmbahn-Styrian Ostbahn connection, the expansion of the Graz-Bruck and Werndorf-Spielfeld routes and the Selzthal loop as priority measures, ”says Weratschnig. The planning for these projects and routes should start as soon as possible.
Inquiries & contact:
Green Club in Parliament
+43-1 40110-6697
hurry@gruene.at
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