Construction works between Salzburg and Zurich in October

Talby74

Hello,

I am booked to travel between Salzburg and Zurich on 15th October on a direct train (RJX160). However, I can see on the SBB website there are planned construction works for that date showing on the timetable between Otztal and Bludenz.

Would anyone know exactly how these works will affect my journey? For example, will I get the train so far and if so to where and then have to take a bus all the way to Zurich or will there be a bus replacement for part of the journey and I rejoin a train and then travel onto Zurich or are there other arrangements?

Interestingly there is no mention of these works or disruption on the OBB website when you book tickets for travel at this time.

Thanks

AuroraD

Hello Talby74

You will have to take a bus from Oetzal to Buchs SG/Sargans in our timetable you have the informations and also on the ÖBB Website.

You can use the same ticket, if you have booked one.

Have a nice day.

Greetings, AuroraD.

RolandP

Hello Talby74

There has been a post concerning your question: [Info] Zurich HB - Innsbruck: line closure from 09 OCT 2023 to 06 NOV 2023

Kind regards,
Roland

Talby74

RolandP

Hello RolandP and AuroraD,

thank you very much for the quick replies.

So, as I understand it, the train will run normally from Salzburg to Otztal departing at the schedule time, then I would transfer on to a bus as far as Buchs SG, then I would get another train from there and complete the journey to Zurich by rail.

Is this bus section likely to impact on the journey time as timetables are showing a journey time that is the usual journey time for the normal service when the train operates on the whole route, i.e. 5h 24m. I assume the part of the journey by bus will take much longer than it would by train and the arrival time into Zurich will be later than normal?

I have been trying to reserve seats on the train through the OBB site but for my journey it says ‘tickets not available’. I notice that this seems to be the case for all of the journeys on this route during the engineering works. However, the advice on the OBB website is to reserve a seat as the demand is likely to be high for this journey.

Would it be saying tickets not available because all seats are booked which seems unlikely or is it because the route is affected by a replacement bus and it just won’t be possible to reserve seats at all? The SBB website doesn’t allow you to book seat reservations on this route at this time either.

Thanks

RolandP

Hello Talby74

You are right, the timetable has still not been updated and this makes an itinerary planning and a reliable international train travel impossible.

Unfortunately, the SBB timetable fully relies on information from ÖBB, as long as they have not sent timetable updates, the SBB cannot publish the effective times either, neither is the ticket sales possible.

I suggest that you should wait another two weeks. Trains won’t be fully booked, and you will still be able to secure a ticket.

Kind regards,
Roland

Talby74

RolandP

Hello and thanks again. The lack of detailed information is frustrating, I have contacted OBB twice now using their online contact form but have not had any response at all. I wondered if because the train terminates at Otztal it might be possible to reserve seats from SalzBurg to Otztal, but it was not possible. However, it is possible to reserve seats on the same train from Saltzburg to Innsbruck which is the stop before Otztal, so I don’t know whether just to reserve those if I can.

Regards