A separate operating company, City Air Terminal Betriebsgesellschaft m.b.H., was founded in February 2002 to operate the CAT. It is jointly owned by ÖBB-Personenverkehr AG (49.9% of the shares) and Flughafen Wien AG (50.1% of the shares). The company is based at Vienna Airport.The concept of the train type was presented to the public at the 2003 Danube Island Festival, and operations commenced on 14 December 2003.
The trains run between Vienna Airport station and Wien Mitte station every half hour from early morning until around midnight. (36 journeys per direction and day) The CAT takes 16 minutes to cover the approximately 20-kilometre route without intermediate stops.
Trains temporarily stopped running from 19 March 2020 to 28 March 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
With 20 million passengers in 20 years, the CAT can look back on an unprecedentedly successful development. (2023)[2]
Departure stations
Both at the airport and in Vienna city centre, CAT trains depart from their own underground station areas. In Vienna, the departure point called City Air Terminal with the Check-in counters for various airlines is located at ground level in the entrance area of The Mall shopping centre, near the Marxergasse exit. At the airport station, the train stops at the eastern end of platform 3.[3]
Services
Passengers can check in their baggage at the City Air Terminal at the railway station Wien-Mitte and get their boarding passes. The City Air Terminal offers all the services of an international airport terminal with both staffed check-in desks and self-service check-in kiosks. This service is available from 24 hours until 75 minutes before departure. Airlines that offer check in include Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Bulgaria Air, Croatia Airlines, Eurowings, Lufthansa, Luxair, Norwegian, Swiss, TAP Air Portugal and Wizz Air.[4]
The CAT offers particularly wide aisles, ample luggage space, free Wi-Fi, power outlets and TV screens on the train providing visitors with information about Vienna. A variety of newspapers and magazines as well as Epapers are available free of charge on the train and in the stations.
Tickets may already be booked on the Internet at www.cityairporttrain.com or at the CAT ticket machines at the City Air Terminal at Wien Mitte and the Vienna Airport.
The CAT BONUS CLUB is the membership scheme of the City Airport Train. Bonus Club members collect journeys that can be redeemed for rewards. Membership is free.
Tickets
Tickets can be bought at the information desk or ticket machines at both terminus stations, on the train or online in advance. Single and return tickets as well as an annual ticket are available. A combined ticket can be purchased for onward travel in the entire Vienna city area (‘Vienna core zone’), which includes travel on the CAT and a Vienna single ticket or is optionally valid for 24 hours or 7 days. Tickets for the City Airport Train cost EUR 14.90 for a single journey and EUR 24.90 for a return ticket.
Thanks to the cooperation with ÖBB, VOR and Wiener Linien as well as the KlimaTicket, holders of a Wiener Linien annual ticket, a KlimaTicket or an ÖBB-Vorteilscard as well as the Top-Jugendticket and the Wiener Linien Semesterkarte can use the CAT at a discount of more than 50%. The discounted CAT tickets therefore cost € 7 (one-way) and € 12 (return). The train category is a premium product with a corresponding price structure. However, a discount is granted for holders of various customer cards. Children up to the age of 15 are transported free of charge.[5]
From 2027, three new Stadler KISS bilevel EMUs will replace the existing rolling stock.[7]
Competition
In addition to the City Airport Train (CAT), Vienna Airport is served by long-distance and suburban rail services operated by ÖBB. Railjet and other long-distance trains operate at regular intervals between Vienna Airport and Wien Hauptbahnhof. Suburban services (S7) connect the airport with several stations in central Vienna, including Wien Mitte.
The CAT operates non-stop between Vienna Airport and Wien Mitte in 16 minutes, with departures every 30 minutes. As a dedicated airport express service withouth intermediate stops, it provides the fastest rail connection between the airport and Vienna's city centre. The S7 suburban line serves multiple intermediate stations and takes approximately 23 minutes between the airport and Wien Mitte, also running at 30-minute intervals.
As of 2026, a standard one-way ticket for the CAT costs €14.90, with reduced and promotional fares available under certain conditions. A return ticket costs €24.90. For journey with ÖBB suburban services (S7 or REX7) between the airport and Vienna city centre, tickets for two fare zones are required. As of 2026, the standard adult fare is €5.40 one-way, while children aged 6 to 14 pay €2.70. Long-distance train fares vary depending on ticket type and booking conditions.
Environment
The CAT is powered by zero-emission traction current from 100% renewable energy (92% hydro, 8% wind power).
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
