OEBBKonzernkomm · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Seven carriages with lower entrances
The order was an expansion of an earlier purchase, rather than 19 trains entering service immediately. ÖBB said the combined fleet would reach 27 new-generation Railjets by autumn 2028. That was the delivery timetable announced in 2024. For passengers, the stated design change was more immediate: lower entrances in most carriages, tactile features and stronger visual contrasts. Seven low-floor carriages out of nine also means that the announcement should not be read as step-free access throughout every part of the train. ÖBB chief executive Andreas Matthä linked the extra order to growing demand for rail travel and the company’s response through additional modern trains.
A closer look at the wheelchair area
The independent-living organisation BIZEPS inspected a train before the launch and published its account on the same day as the announcement. It described three wheelchair positions in the multifunction carriage, situated in second class. Each position had a view of a passenger-information screen. BIZEPS also recorded a folding table, a staff-call button, power and USB-A connections, a reading light and an emergency intercom. An accessible toilet was close to the wheelchair area. These details concern the space passengers actually use during a journey.
A change from the earlier layout
BIZEPS highlighted the move of wheelchair accommodation from first class in the older Railjet layout to second class in the new train. Its description makes the practical distinction clear: an increased emphasis on accessible boarding does not by itself describe the location or facilities of the reserved space. Travellers comparing services need both pieces of information. A visible information screen and a reachable call button can be relevant independently of whether somebody can enter the carriage without using a lift.
Reservations remain part of the journey
ÖBB’s current equipment information describes online selection of priority seats in the new-generation Railjet through the booking option for travel with a disability. It also lists designated assistance-dog seats in first and second class. The company distinguishes priority seats from wheelchair accommodation and describes separate wheelchair-space reservations. The 2024 rollout therefore added a particular train design to a mixed fleet; a passenger still needs the equipment and reservation information for the actual service being booked.