The closure of the Tauern railway line between Bad Hofgastein and Bad Gastein has been in effect since late Thursday evening. “Following the snowfall during the night, trees need to be removed from around eight kilometers of the overhead line by the emergency teams. Due to the heavy snow load, the trees are encroaching into the rail area,” reported the ÖBB. Similar to the mudslide in Styria, a substitute rail service has been established. However, passengers had to plan for significantly longer travel times.
On the railway line from Leobersdorf to Weissenbach-Neuhaus in Lower Austria, a precautionary traffic suspension from Saturday through Monday had already been announced on Thursday, and a substitute rail service will also be provided. The ÖBB issued a weather-related travel warning for all of Austria from Friday morning until approximately Sunday evening and recommended postponing non-urgent travel during this period. The binding of tickets for all national, international, and night train services has been lifted and these tickets are valid until Wednesday (September 18), inclusive.
Off the tracks, the Seefeld road (B177) between Zirl and Leithen was closed in both directions on Friday morning due to defective vehicles, as was the Lahnsattel road (B23) in Lower Austria for trucks over 3.5 tons. In the morning, most connections that had been blocked due to stranded vehicles were cleared again, according to the ÖAMTC. However, significant traffic disruptions were still reported in some areas due to fallen trees, such as on the Hochkönig road (B164) in Salzburg. Snow chains were mandated, particularly in Carinthia, Salzburg, Styria, and Lower Austria. The weather warning now also applies to all of North Tyrol.
Due to the adverse weather, initial safety closures were enacted on Thursday. Affected areas were, until further notice, the Sölkpass (L704) in Styria and the Grossglockner High Alpine Road between the toll station Ferleiten and Heiligenblut am Grossglockner. In Carinthia, the Nockalm road and the Malta High Alpine road were also closed due to heavy snowfall. The ÖAMTC and other organizations have called for a reduction in non-essential car travel in the coming days.
The traditional “Aufsteirern” in downtown Graz, which attracts around 100,000 visitors each year, was canceled by the event organizers on Friday due to the uncertain weather conditions and imminent danger. Snow and rain caused numerous problems in Styria, especially on higher mountain roads. Since there is currently no obligation to use winter tires, road users were surprised by the predictions of snow-covered roads – for example, at the Schanzsattel in Fischbach, where the fire department had to perform rescues.
In the federal state of Salzburg, continuous rain, but more so the snowfall at higher elevations, led to the first fire department operations from Thursday afternoon until Friday morning. According to the state fire brigade command, nearly two dozen call-outs were recorded in the Pinzgau and Pongau regions by 6:00 AM. Ten fire brigades, with around 100 emergency personnel, were engaged in retrieving vehicles that had slid off the road or removing the aftermath of downed trees. In Upper Austria, preparations were underway for a weekend of heavy rain, which is expected to mainly affect the southern part of the state. Snow at higher altitudes could mitigate the flood risk since it will not initially contribute to runoff, as stated.
In Lower Austria, despite the rain, the fire brigade operations remained manageable until Friday morning. The helpers remained on alert, according to the state command. Meanwhile, cities and municipalities in the region are naturally gearing up for the particularly heavy precipitation expected over the weekend. In Burgenland, the state security center mainly recorded storm damage so far. Water damage has been reported minimally according to the LSZ, despite heavy rainfall. No injuries have been reported.
The Danube power plant operator Verbund also prepared for the expected precipitation, according to a press release. All control rooms are staffed around the clock to manage the power plants on-site. According to the legally mandated operating regulations for weirs, water will be diverted over the weir fields. It was explained that river power plants do not have storage capacity for holding back floodwaters. To prevent the accumulation of debris, floating wood must also be removed from the turbine flow around the clock.
(S E R V I C E – ÖBB track information: https://go.apa.at/z2BTeYtg)