On January 15th, Schiene OÖ GmbH published the tender for the Gallneukirchen/Pregarten preliminary project. The two-stage award procedure was advertised across the EU. The contract for the best bidder and thus the start of the preliminary project should take place in autumn 2024. The responsible state councilor Günther Steinkellner is pleased that this will create further planning security with the involvement of the Mühlviertel communities. For the two managing directors of Schiene OÖ GmbH, Herbert Kubasta and Sonja Wiesholzer, the regional light rail line towards Gallneukirchen and Pregarten will be the “new main artery of public transport for the lower Mühlviertel”.
The main goal of the preliminary project is to develop the exact route in terms of position and height. This is also intended to reduce the clear corridor to the extent that is actually required. This would also give the affected communities more planning security for future developments, according to a statement from Schiene OÖ GmbH.
The planning activities include, for example, track routing, stop planning, the planning of various structures such as tunnels, retaining walls, bridges and the creation of a tunnel safety concept. Furthermore, aspects such as noise, vibrations, groundwater and other impacts on people and the environment are taken into account in the preliminary project.
20 kilometer long route
The regional light rail line S7 will start at Linz main station (where it will be coupled with the existing S-Bahn line S5 Linz – Eferding) and run via Europaplatz, university clinics and over the new railway bridge to the Urfahr-Ost local transport hub in the area of the former Lindbauer inn. From there the S7 runs over the area of the flood protection dam to Linz Auhof and on to Gallneukirchen. At Treffling a branch branches off towards Pregarten. By the end of 2026, the entire route will be developed and planned in sections and various variants for the branch line to Gallneukirchen will be examined. Over a total length of 20 km, the new Linz Auhof – Gallneukirchen/Pregarten line is intended to ensure a fast, comfortable and, above all, traffic jam-free connection from the region to the state capital. Several tunnels and bridges are planned along the route for this purpose.
