City Airport Train

The City Airport Train (CAT) is an airport rail link train that connects Vienna International Airport and Vienna city center (Wien Mitte railway station) in 16 minutes without intermediate stops.

City Airport Train
Overview
LocaleVienna, Austria
TerminiVienna Airport
Wien Mitte
Websitehttps://www.cityairporttrain.com/en/home
Operation
Opened2002
OwnerCity Air Terminal Betriebsgesellschaft m.b.H
Technical
Line length19 kilometers (12 mi)
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge

Basic facts
Interior of the train

The City Air Terminal Betriebsgesellschaft m.b.H., owned 50.1% by Vienna Airport and 49.9% by Austrian Federal Railways, was founded in 2002 to operate the express train service.

Trains run between the airport and Wien Mitte train station daily every half hour from 05:37 am to 23:39 pm. For the approximately 20 kilometer route the CAT requires 16 minutes without intermediate stops. In the fiscal year 2016, 1.5 million passengers were transported, representing an increase of 4%, compared to 2015.[1]

Departure stations

At the airport as well as at Wien Mitte, the CAT departs from specially designated platforms. In Vienna the departure point, called City Air Terminal, is located on the ground floor of the shopping center Wien Mitte The Mall.

Services

Passengers can check in their baggage at the City Air Terminal at the railway station Wien-Mitte and get their boarding passes. The City Air Terminal offers all the services of an international airport terminal with both manned check-in desks and self-service check-in kiosks. This service is available from 24 hours until 75 minutes before departure. Airlines that offer check in include Austrian, Lufthansa, Aeroflot, Peoples Viennaline, Eurowings, Level and Swiss.

The CAT offers particularly wide aisles, ample luggage space, free Wi-Fi, power outlets and TV screens on the train providing visitors with information about Vienna. A variety of German and English newspapers and magazines as well as Epapers are available free of charge on the train and in the stations.

Tickets may already be booked on the Internet at www.cityairporttrain.com or at the CAT ticket machines at the City Air Terminal at Wien Mitte and the Vienna Airport.

The CAT BONUS CLUB is the customer club of the City Airport Train. Bonus Club members earn Bonus Points that can be redeemed for rewards. Membership is free.

For a short stay or stopover in Vienna, CAT offers special tickets as part of the CATch the City-offer. Packages include a CAT return ticket, a ticket for Viennese public transport (valid until midnight) and a sightseeing or culinary option for the pice of €39: http://stopover.cityairporttrain.com

Tickets

Tickets can be bought at both destinations from the CAT staff and the ticket vending machines, on the train (with additional charges) or online in advance. A combined ticket can be purchased for onward travel in Vienna.

Ticket prices are €12 (single) and €21 (return) - online prices are €11 and €19. Children under the age of 15 travel for free. For comparison: the normal price with a regular ÖBB-train from the airport to Vienna is €4.10.

Competition

The ÖBB Railjet trains also run every half hour and are slightly faster as well as cheaper. They run non-stop from Vienna Airport to Vienna's main railway station Wien Hauptbahnhof. ÖBB also operates suburban trains under the "Schnellbahn" brand to the airport as S7, calling at multiple stations downtown, including Wien Mitte. The ticket from/to Vienna city center by suburban or long-distance trains costs €4,20 one-way (compared to €11 for the City Airport Train, as of October 2018) or €8,40 return (€19 for the CAT). The journey on the S7 takes 23 minutes between the airport and Wien Mitte station. The City Airport Train offered shorter travel times (16 minutes vs. 23 minutes on the S7), with similar service frequency (30-min intervals) as the suburban trains, thus having a competitive advantage. Since December 2014, long-distance trains (initially ICE, then Railjet services) also reach the airport, offering a competitive schedule to Wien Hauptbahnhof, with significantly cheaper tickets. ÖBB has further extended the suburban train services in 2017, introducing more limited stop "Regionalzug" services between Wien Mitte (and other downtown stations) and the airport, continuing to Wolfsthal. In the current timetable (2018), an average of 6 suburban and long-distance services connect downtown Vienna and the airport every hour, while the frequency of CAT departures remain constant (2 trains per hour). To maintain revenues, CAT initiated an extensive marketing campaign at the airport. This includes announcements on airside buses and selling tickets to prospective customer within the baggage reclaim area, before they reach the ticket machines selling regular ÖBB tickets. However, CAT services became mostly unattractive for locals as well as tourists alike.

Environment

The CAT is powered by zero-emission traction current from 100% renewable energy (92% hydro, 8% wind power).

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References
  1. CAT Archived 2017-01-17 at the Wayback Machine: Press Release
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