On 29 September, Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB) and Wiener Linien, the Viennese mobility operator, signed an agreement by which both companies will collaborate in the Austrian capital’s expansion project, which includes automating Line 2 and constructing the new Line 5 that will be fully automated and driverless.

The agreement, valid for three years and extendible, was signed by the president of TMB, Mercedes Vidal, and the CEO of Wiener Linien, Günter Steinbauer, during the closing session of the UITP Metro Assembly, held in Vienna.

The Viennese operator is working on a plan to improve its metro network which currently comprises five lines covering a total of 80 kilometres and 105 stations. The main actions planned are the renovation of Line 2 and the construction of the new Line 5, both fully automated and driverless.

Wiener Linien valued Barcelona’s experience, which has had automatic metro lines since 2009 with 25% of the current network operating without drivers, and sought TMB’s assistance in developing the extension and modernisation plans for their own network.

Barcelona and Vienna share similarities in terms of the size of the cities and their public transport networks as well as their public authorities’ commitment to sustainable mobility. From the perspective of the operators, the agreement reached provides opportunities for mutual learning.

 

Sources: TMB, UITP