Public transport in Vienna is plentiful and generally well planned. This schematic map shows the U-Bahn (metro/subway), overland train lines (S-Bahn), and tram and bus lines. The Danube is represented by the wide diagonal blue line travelling from NW to SE.
This is the map of the U-bahn lines, with Stefansplatz in the centre:
A major improvement is the replacement of paper posters by digital displays, as above, and as we shall see later. This makes it much easier for any changes to the system to be advertised rapidly.
Most inhabitants have a very affordable season ticket, which allows unlimited travel. There are no ticket barriers to pass, though occasionally inspectors swoop in large numbers on targeted stations, and on the spot fines are levied on those who havent paid. This works very well.
Four stations of the U2 subway/metro line have been closed for a long time. The reason is the construction of a new line, the U5, that will connect the northwest part of the city and the suburbs and interchange with the U2 at the Rathaus station. This and several other recent closures have made it challenging to get around the city by public transport (or car). Last Friday, the U2 was restored. This section of the line will eventually be part of the U5, on which it is planned to use driverless trains. Presumably, in order to prevent anyone falling on to the line and not being noticed by the train, this has necessitated the installation of a barrier along the platform edges, with doors that open when a train stops. In stations with up and down lines in the same tunnel, the installation of extra glass now makes it extremely difficult to see the other platform, and the effect is a little claustrophobic.
This is what it looks like without a train in the station:
Here we see the platform and train doors open, waiting for passengers to alight or dismount:
With a train just about to depart: there are audible and visual warnings, including the display above the platform doors, before the platform and train doors are closed.
This display above the platform doors has many possibilities. This one shows where you are standing with respect to the train:
Here is another, self explanatory one. (The barriers on the platform mask the sound of an approaching train)
Inside the train, there are flashing red lights and beeps that advertise the closure of the doors. Here we can see that the train doors close before those on the platform, and also a selection of forbidden activities on the train:
I am not sure that I yet have seen all the possibilties of the displays above the platform doors. Here are some more:
This shows that there are spaces for wheel chairs in the carriage:
The arrow underneath this display shows which carriage wil stop there. (At present the drivers do have to adjust this, but driverless trains will stop in the right place automatically, instructed by transmitters on the track.) I think the orange colours indicate here that the carriage is fuller than a green one, and the shade of the little men shows how full it is. But I was not there in rush hour to test this surmise.
Some of the rolling stock has been refurbished. New unupholstered seats look more spartan than previous models, but are very firm and comfortable. The glass panels will give some isolation from the sounds of crying babies and people shouting into mobile phones!
There are more digital displays above the doors. These display a wealth of information (perhaps too much), though you cannot read them from the seated area. The one over the left hand door often displays something different from the one on the right hand door, so tourists ideally need eyes in the back of their heads!
The next display shows that you are on the U2, which is going to Aspernstrasse, and the next stop is Schottentor, which has two widely separated exits from different ends of the platform, only one of which is wheelchair accessible. In the centre there is a comprehensive list of what the connecting tram lines are, with the time to next departure!
These displays are changing frequently, so you really have to be quick on the uptake.
The following displays track progress between stations. As they are reasonably close together, I find this to be overkill.
Eventually, this section of the line will be part of the new U5 line, with a big interchange at the Rathaus station. When this is complete, the U2 will continue from there to a station at Neubaugasse (another interchange, with the U3).
Apologies for the quality of the photos of the LED display screens: they are not easy to photograph.
David
