ÖBB CEO Andreas Matthä has today welcomed the Austrian Ministry of Mobility’s initiative to restructure the national railway company, calling for expanded entrepreneurial scope and faster adaptation to market and technological changes. The reform, commissioned by Federal Minister Peter Hanke, aims to make ÖBB more efficient and customer-focused, with a concept to be developed by the company ahead of a planned 2027 start of restructuring.
“We expressly welcome the initiative announced today by the Ministry of Mobility to initiate a reform process for the ÖBB structure and thus expand the ÖBB’s entrepreneurial scope,” Matthä said on 17 February 2026. What the reform will look like in practice is still unclear, but it is intended to enable ÖBB to respond more quickly to growing demand for public transport, rising competition and rapid technological change — particularly in digitalisation.
“We need framework conditions that make us more agile,” Matthä stressed. “We must be able to react faster to market developments — this may also require an amendment to the Federal Railway Act.” Federal Minister for Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure Peter Hanke has tasked ÖBB with developing a comprehensive reorganisation concept. The company will prepare a proposal to serve as the foundation for the structural reform, aiming for implementation at the start of 2027.
‘Focus on strenghening, not personnel’
Matthä said he does not want to allow speculation about personnel changes. “This is not about new names or faces. It’s about strengthening ‘one ÖBB’, making it more resilient so that we can respond better to crises and current market developments”, he said.
He pointed to past emergencies — including the COVID-19 pandemic and the refugee movements of 2015 and 2022 — as proof of rail’s critical role in national resilience. “Even in times of crisis and disaster, a functioning rail system is crucial for the supply and transport of people and goods,” Matthä noted.
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