The traditional connection

The traditional connection "Vindobona" between Berlin – Prague – Vienna is back

15/6/2020Press releases

The traditional direct connection, called "Vindobona", between Vienna, Prague and Berlin is back following a break lasting several years. The new train even reaches Graz in Austria and offers a direct connection from Brno to Dresden and Berlin, or from Ústí nad Labem to Vienna and Graz without for changing.

"We managed to negotiate with our partners from ÖBB in Austria and DB in Germany the restoration of the traditional direct connection between our capitals The role of České dráhy was to obtain the train for this route. And the train is a Railjet which goes about 1 000 km and offers a convenient and fast travel to passengers. The train makes it from Vienna to Berlin in about 8.5 hours and offers a direct connection without the need for changing. So if you are for instance going from Brno to Berlin, you will be there in seven hours and 15 minutes. If going from Ústí nad Labem to Vienna, it will take 5.5 hours.", says České dráhy CEO Václav Nebeský and adds: "Our seven Railjet trains will now operate not only in Austria and Slovakia, but also Germany. Our decision to purchase up to 20 more trains for long-distance passenger transport is another logical step on our way to fast and convenient railway connection between Prague and other big European cities."

The old-new Vindobona train makes it first ride from Berlin to Graz on Tuesday 16 June. Leaving Berlin at 6:17, it offers the first morning connection from Berlin to Prague, Vienna and Graz. The train arrives at 10:31 in Prague, 14:49 in Vienna and 17:33 in Graz. It will also be the last connection in the evening in the opposite direction. The train leaves Graz at 10:26, Vienna at 13:10, the Prague main railway station at 17:32 and arrives in the Berlin main railway station at 21:54.

The train will offer a fast and convenient ride without changing from Brno to Dresden (5 hours 15 minutes) and Berlin (7 hours 15 minutes) or from Ústí nad Labem to Brno or Austria (4 hours to Brno, 5 hours 30 minutes to Vienna, 8 hours 15 minutes to Graz).

"Besides being a fast and direct connection between several important economic centres of our country, Germany and Austria, Vindobona will offer a high standard of travelling and services between Berlin, Vienna and Graz as well. The cars have an A/C system, the train has a restaurant car, meals are served to passengers' seats, there is a business class for the most demanding clients. The train has space for wheelchair users and people travelling with children (a children's cinema, space for strollers and a baby changing desk are available), there is Wi-fi and many other great services. Railjets are the gateway to Europe for České dráhy and our passengers," says Jiří Ješeta, the České dráhy CEO business deputy about the restoration of the connection between Berlin, Prague and Vienna.

Vindobona: A tradition since 1957

The railways introduced this fast connection between Prague, Berlin and Vienna in 1957. The train was a west-European TransEuropExpress train, even though it could reach neither the speed nor the standard that was usual to the west of the then Czechoslovakia. But still, it was significantly faster and more comfortable when compared with other connections.

Since its start until 1979 the drive cars of ČSD, DR and ÖBB were taking it is terms, e.g. the legendary German motor trains "Flying trains", the Austrian "Blauer Blitz" (blue lightning), two GANZ trains carrying the colours of ČSD or drive cars M 296.1 from the Vagónka train plant in Studénka. But it was the smart DR trains of the SVT 175 series that became the true legend – they closed the era of motor drains on the Vindobona line in 1979. And since 1979, conventional fast train cars were used on the route.

From its introduction in 1957 until the beginning of the 1990s, Vindobona was riding on the Berlin – Dresden – Prague – Tabor – České Velenice – Vienna route. The whole route was about 735 km long and for several decades the ride took around 12 hours. But in 1992 traffic was moved between Prague and Vienna to a new rail line via Havlíčkův Brod and Brno, and later – as modernisation of the 1st railway corridor progressed – via Pardubice and Česká Třebová. At that time, the travel time of Vindobona started seeing significant reductions.

At the beginning of 1990s, modern comfortable cars were used and since 1993 it was one of our first trains on the European EuroCity high-convenience network. During the next years, the route for Vindobona was extended to Hamburg and Villach. In 2014, when Railjet trains were launched for the route Prague – Vienna – Graz, the direct train between Vienna, Prague and Berlin was terminated.

České dráhy turned back to the traditional name Vindobona last year when renaming their long-distance lines. Starting with the 2019 timetable, Vindobona is back on the route between Prague and Vienna and in the summer of 2020 the traditional connection between Berlin, Prague and Vienna was restored.