From autumn 2025, the planned Koralmbahn will efficiently boost traffic between Graz and Klagenfurt and connect numerous cities. But one crucial question remains unanswered: Will the train also stop at Graz Airport? After years of political wrangling over this stop, the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) have now finally made it clear that high-level long-distance traffic will not stop at the airport station. This decision not only represents a rejection of the controversial project, but also causes disappointment among many Styrian politicians and airport representatives who had hoped for a direct connection to the airport.
The discussion about a separate train station at Graz Airport has been going on for years. There have been repeated initiatives from various political parties pointing to the need for a better connection between the airport and the national rail network. Recently, in particular, the new Styrian transport minister Claudia Holzer (FPÖ) has raised hopes that the airport could be subsequently included in the Koralmbahn network. In recent months, Holzer has repeatedly spoken out in favor of building a separate stop at the airport, thus maintaining political interest in the project.
But the ÖBB has now responded to the repeated request with a clear rejection. The Federal Railways' answer was clear: "In future, high-level long-distance traffic will serve the Graz and Klagenfurt hubs every hour on the hour. The number of intermediate stops is therefore strictly limited. For Graz Airport, this means that no train could currently stop at a new stop to be built," said a statement from the ÖBB to the "Krone". This decision is neither justified from an operational nor financial point of view, the ÖBB continued. A stop at Graz Airport would not only complicate the timetable, but would also incur high costs that would be difficult to justify to taxpayers.
The existing connections
Despite this rejection, the ÖBB does not consider Graz Airport's connection to the public transport network to be inadequate. On the contrary: the airport is already easily accessible via the existing S-Bahn station "Flughafen Graz-Feldkirchen". From this station it is only 400 metres to the airport grounds - a distance that can be covered on foot in around ten minutes. In addition, an S30 train runs every 5 minutes and takes just eleven minutes from Graz Central Station to the airport. This means that travellers from the entire surrounding area of Graz can easily switch to public transport to get to the airport.
The ÖBB also emphasizes that the existing S-Bahn connection is to be further improved in the long term. In the coming years, the "Graz-Feldkirchen Airport" stop is to be expanded to be barrier-free, in order to make travel even more comfortable for travelers. The connection to the urban transport network, in particular to local public transport in Graz, is also to be further optimized through modernization.
Resistance and Criticism from Styria
Despite the ÖBB's positive assessment of the existing connection to the airport, the rejection of the Koralmbahn stop has disappointed many politicians in Styria. In particular, the Styrian FPÖ, which is represented by State Minister for Transport Claudia Holzer, had been pushing for a better connection of the airport to the national rail network for years. Holzer had recently repeatedly stressed that the Koralmbahn was a "forward-looking project" for the region and that Graz Airport needed a direct connection in order to become even more competitive as an international hub.
Other political representatives, including members of the SPÖ and the Greens, have also criticized the ÖBB's decision. They argue that it is not enough to simply connect the airport via the existing S-Bahn line, as this traffic cannot keep up with the growing number of passengers in the long term. Particularly in view of the planned expansion and modernization of the airport, the Styrian people are entitled to a fast and direct connection to the country's major transport centers, according to the tenor of the criticism.
future prospects for the region
Despite the disappointment over the ÖBB's decision, there are also voices in the region who consider the existing S-Bahn connection to be sufficient and point out the advantages of the existing infrastructure. The Styrian transport experts emphasize that the S5 S-Bahn line offers a good and reliable connection that can be improved in the future. In addition, the airport's good accessibility via the public transport network also enables those who want to travel by other means of transport.
The final cancellation of the Koralmbahn stop could represent a further challenge for Graz Airport. Nevertheless, those responsible continue to see the airport as viable for the future, even without the direct connection to the Koralmbahn. Through the planned modernizations and expansions as well as the continuous improvement of the connections to the European and international network, Graz Airport should continue to exist as an important regional transport hub.
The final decision by ÖBB not to build a stop at Graz Airport may be disappointing for many in the region, but it does not mean the end of the discussion about the future of the airport's transport connections. Instead, the focus will now be on expanding existing connections and developing alternative solutions for the region.