The ÖBB will be climate-neutral in the mobility sector by 2030. That is what the Austrian railway company said on the occasion of the launch of the European Year of Rail on Monday. “By investing in the infrastructure, we are securing the capacity for the traffic transition. The current master plan with over 17.5 billion euros for the next six years is the highest amount that has ever been given for the expansion of the infrastructure, ”emphasised ÖBB’s CEO Andreas Matthä.

ÖBB has already saved around 4.2 million tons of CO2 per year with its transport services (by train and bus). In order for Austria to achieve the promised climate protection targets, around 8 million tonnes of CO2 must be saved in the transport sector alone by 2030. Without further shifts in traffic from road and air traffic to rail and public transport, it will not be possible to achieve the Austrian climate targets. Accordingly, the goal of the ÖBB Climate Protection Strategy 2030 is clear: CO2 neutrality in the mobility sector by 2030.

“The European Year of the Rail is a strong signal from the European Union and the European member states of the importance of the rail sector in the mobility transition. Only by consistently shifting freight traffic to rail and expanding international long-distance passenger transport can Europe achieve its climate goals and make the European Green Deal an overall success”, said Matthä.

Big plans for rail freight

For rail freight, the company has big plans. Matthä explained: “In rail freight transport, we rely on digital key technologies and further automation in rail operations. In addition, the digitisation and innovation offensive of the ÖBB Rail Cargo Group enables an increasingly smooth entry into rail logistics and multimodal transport.

“The 2020s will lead to a renaissance in rail freight transport, including the introduction of the digital automatic coupling. This leads to an improvement in efficiency as well as an increase in safety and an increase in capacity in the entire European rail system, ”emphasises Matthä.

Clemens Forst, CEO of freight division RailCargoGroup already said on Friday that the company is pursuing several projects in order to make rail more sustainable, in an exclusive interview with RailFreight Live. You can watch this interview below.