Every year until 2030, an average of 4,100 new employees are sought, said CEO Andreas Matthä on Tuesday at the Club of Economic Journalists in Vienna. He promotes the company as a secure and sustainable employer. Sales are increasing in the passenger and freight sector despite a gloomy economic situation.

Last Year, 6,200 New People Joined the ÖBB

Last year alone, 6,200 new people joined the ÖBB, which now counts a total of 45,520 employees, including the takeover of the regional German provider. In view of the immense number of applications, efforts are being made to treat them "with appreciation," said Matthä. In 2024, there were 120,000.

The ÖBB employs people in 130 professions. Around 2,000 apprentices are currently being trained in 28 apprenticeship professions. About three quarters of the fully trained young people are taken on by the corporation.

"Job-Shop", Bonuses, Cooperation with Companies that Reduce Staff

In order to attract the necessary number of people, the ÖBB also cooperates with larger companies that are reducing staff. This is the case with KTM in Upper Austria or Magna in Styria, said Matthä. In Vienna, there is also a "job shop" in a shopping center in the third district. There you can apply directly. In addition, there is an internal program through which employees can bring relatives or friends into the ÖBB.

Not enough, there are bonuses of two times 2,500 euros for individual jobs for successful entry. This applies to the shunter and train dispatchers. The first 2,500 euros are given after a probationary period, the second after successful final examination. Approximately 300 people are being sought for these two jobs this year.

The ÖBB still has a non-terminable employee share of 29 percent. In 1995, it was stopped to make contracts definite. In about ten years, the last people who benefit from this will slowly all be retired.

Wave of Retirements and Increasing Offer at the ÖBB

Staff is needed not only because of the wave of retirements, but also because the offer has been continuously increasing - and after a stable year 2025, the opening of the Koralmbahn tunnel will bring another increase in traffic performance next year.

While the Koralmbahn tunnel significantly increases the comfort and speed of travelers between Vienna and Klagenfurt via Graz, there is also a need for new interregional traffic in the Murtal and on the Pyhrnbahn, said the railway manager.

According to Matthä, annoyances at the ÖBB were caused by events abroad. "Fifty percent of all delays were caused this way." Major issues were strikes in Germany and closures of the German corner, which is so important for Austrian domestic traffic, among other things.

And for 2026, the closure of the Passau-Regensburg route is announced in Germany, to be replaced by a closure of the Regensburg-Nuremberg route in 2027. The plans for the detour traffic are already underway.

The ÖBB could try to recover additional costs with other railway companies, from Deutsche Bahn. Whether this will succeed is uncertain.

(APA/Red)

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