2025 annual results: Wiener Linien breaks the 900 million passenger barrier

Public transport is the favourite mode of transport for Viennese people

In 2025, public transport was once again the preferred mode of transport for people in Vienna. Just under 1.34 million people are already regular users, the majority of whom hold annual passes, followed by KlimaTickets and Top/Youth tickets. This means there are far more people in Vienna with an annual pass or another form of public transport season ticket than there are cars.

More annual passes

Initial calculations also show that the new fare structure has not affected the number of annual pass holders. Although the number of annual pass cancellations rose in November 2025, more new annual pass contracts were signed in December. In January 2026, there were 1.4% more annual pass holders than in November 2025, despite the price increase. The trend has continued into the new year: a particularly large number of new annual pass contracts were signed in February. This is mainly because many students switched to the new Youth Annual Pass once their semester tickets had expired.

An average of 2.47 million passengers per day on public transport

The trend towards public transport is also reflected in the daily passenger figures: an average of 2.47 million passengers travel by public transport every day. That is 3 per cent more than in the previous year.

Record: over one million WienMobil bike rentals in 2025

Vienna’s public transport infrastructure isn’t just made up of buses, trams and the underground: our fourth mobility service, WienMobil, is hugely popular and set new records again in 2025. The sharing scheme now comprises 3,100 bikes, 300 e-bikes and 100 electric cars. WienMobil bikes were hired more than 1.14 million times in 2025 (up 16% on 2024). This is not only good for fitness, but also for the environment: had the kilometres cycled been covered by car, 586 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents would have been emitted. People are also increasingly turning to WienMobil’s shared vehicles for car journeys: in 2025, the electric cars were hired over 68,700 times, an increase of 13% compared to 2024.

World-class public transport through high-quality training

More than 9,500 employees from 70 countries work for Wiener Linien, ensuring reliable, world-class transport services. To maintain the high quality of its public transport services, Wiener Linien continues to invest in training: in 2025, Wiener Linien trained 316 new tram drivers, 79 new underground drivers and 145 new bus drivers. In addition, there are a total of 368 apprentices across 11 trades, such as track construction and mechatronics.

Modernisation and Future Projects

In 2025, Wiener Linien continued its “Netz erst recht” modernisation programme, with a focus on track renewal. Around 11 kilometres of tram tracks and 45 sets of points were replaced. At the same time, Wiener Linien completed two new tram lines. The new lines 12 and 27 went into service in the autumn, comprising a total of 4.6 kilometres of new track. As for the underground, the focus was on the modernisation of the U4 alongside the construction of the U2xU5; improvements were also carried out on the U1 and U6 lines.

The year 2026 will be dominated by the construction of the new U2xU5 underground line. In addition, we are upgrading the U4 ahead of the closure of the ÖBB main line. There will also be modernisation work on the U3 and U6.

The first sod was turned in 2025 for the extension of line 18 to the U2 station at Stadion, marking the start of a major project that will be completed in 2026. This will provide passengers with a vital alternative during the closure of the ÖBB main line. Extensive track renewal works are also planned, including on the Ringstraße, Lerchenfelder Straße and at the junction in the Spitalgasse/Nussdorfer Straße area, which is served by seven tram lines. The tracks on Donaufelder Straße are also due to be renewed, which will bring significant improvements for passengers on lines 25, 26 and 27. In total, Wiener Linien is renewing 12.5 kilometres of tram tracks and 33 tram points this year.

In total, investments of around €759.9 million are planned for 2026, of which around €426.7 million is earmarked for the new underground line.

Faster Buses and Trams

But it’s not just about improving the infrastructure. Wiener Linien, in collaboration with the City of Vienna, has launched the “Faster Buses and Trams” initiative ("Mehr Tempo für Bus und Bim"). As part of this, 29 tram routes and 135 bus routes are being analysed, and targeted measures are being implemented to ensure public transport moves faster: Priority at traffic lights and green waves for buses and trams, the removal of critical illegal parking hotspots, the elimination of turning lanes, and new, dedicated lanes for buses and trams. 

Eurovision Song Contest and TRAM World Championship

A highlight for Wiener Linien this year will be the Eurovision Song Contest, during which the whole of Vienna will become a stage. Highlights for Wiener Linien include the WL x Song Contest Tram – a party tram that will operate as a rolling stage on Line 49 between Volkstheater and the Stadthalle during the week of the Song Contest – as well as appearances by U-Bahn stars across the public transport network and at the event hotspot Karlsplatz. In addition, the underground trains will run at shorter intervals, and in the area around the Stadthalle, the operating hours of tram lines 6, 18 and 49 will be extended.

Last year’s highlight was the World Championship for Tram DriversOpens in a new tab (TRAM-WM) in September. Here, Wiener Linien demonstrated to an international audience that Vienna not only has one of the best public transport networks in the world, but also world-class drivers. The victory at the TRAM-WM in front of local fans was a major boost to the city’s image and has strengthened enthusiasm for public transport worldwide.