Railjet passengers stranded for hours after overhead line failure near Villach

A Railjet service from Vienna to Lienz faced major disruption on Friday evening. The train, travelling via the Koralm Railway, came to a halt near Villach after overhead line damage left passengers stranded for hours. Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) later issued an apology for the lengthy delay. The incident began when Railjet 856 lost power due to a damaged overhead line. Emergency lighting flickered on as the train ground to a stop. Within minutes, the onboard toilets also became unusable, adding to passenger discomfort.

For over three and a half hours, the train remained stationary. Two other services passed by on an adjacent track, but no updates were provided to those onboard. Eventually, ÖBB arranged a diesel locomotive to tow the stranded train back to Villach. ÖBB has since acknowledged the disruption and pledged a full investigation. The incident left passengers frustrated, with many criticising the lack of communication during the delay. The company has not yet confirmed when repairs to the overhead line will be completed.