Vorarlberg S-Bahn


The Vorarlberg S-Bahn is a local transportion project of the Austrian state of Vorarlberg. The basis for the development is the 2006 Vorarlberg traffic plan.
According to the plan, the Vorarlberg Railway line from Lindau, Germany to Bludenz, along with a spur from Bregenz to St. Margrethen, Switzerland make up the "backbone of public transportation development". Subsequently, other transport systems will be integrated into the system, including the Montafonerbahn, the St. Gallen S-Bahn, the three-country Feldkirch–Buchs railway, and the Vorarlberg State and City Bus system.
The goal is to provide on all major axes a 15-minute clock service in peak hours and a continuous half-hourly clock service in the remaining times as well as on the side lines.
As of December 2005, the first Talent Engines of ÖBB were labeled with "S-Bahn Vorarlberg". In the meantime, trains of the Montafonerbahn were also designed accordingly. Meanwhile, all ÖBB S-Bahn trains run with a corresponding label. Even though the term "S-Bahn" was used of the transport association, the trains continued to be operated as regional trains. With the timetable change in December 2011, two lines are operating as scheduled S-Bahn trains halfway through the week from 5 am to 11 pm. Since December 2017, the trains of the S-Bahn Vorarlberg have been operating on the route between Bregenz and Bludenz on nights before Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.

Lines

S1: Lindau - Bludenz

The Vorarlbergbahn has a very dense train traffic. At the peak times run on individual sections S-Bahn and Regional-Express trains already in train sequences of less than ten minutes. Since December 2011, between Bregenz and Bludenz there is a time interval of 30 minutes until 23:00. The most important urban transport hubs along the route are Bludenz Station, Bregenz Railway Station, Dornbirn and Feldkirch.

S3: Bregenz - St. Margrethen

This line currently runs every half an hour. The exception are some trains at hourly intervals in the morning and evening. The line was expanded to an almost continuous half-hourly clock until 2016. With its terminus in St. Margrethen, the S3 provides connection to the S-Bahn St. Gallen. The most important metro node along the route is Lustenau. All former R and REX trains on the route become S-Bahn trains but retain their old stopping pattern. Nevertheless, the majority of all trains stop at Hard - Fussach.

S4: Schruns - Bludenz

The trains of the Montafonerbahn between Schruns and Bludenz operate mainly on an hourly basis.