More and more, European railways are introducing the Integrated Periodic Timetables (ITF). The idea of the ITF is simple: Trains from different directions meet at hub stations at the same time in regular intervals. Thus optimal connections with short waiting times can be provided. In Austria the first nationwide ITF, the 'NAT91', was implemented in 1991. Only a few ideal ITF–hubs were possible then, because this timetable was introduced without any prior infrastructure improvements. But short– and long–term plans to upgrade the infrastructure were already made at that time. Unfortunately the short term improvements were not carried out, so the NAT91 couldn't be developed further. It was drastically reduced in 1996 and then the ITF–philosophy lost popularity amongst railway managers and politicians.
The new long–term strategy for the Austrian railway infrastructure (the 'Zielnetz 2025+') now again contains a long term ITF goal. The fact, that the first designs for many major infrastructure projects of the 'Zielnetz 2025+' were made already back in the early/mid 1990ies, now helps to plan the future ITF: the upgraded Westbahn between Wien and Wels as well as the new Koralm–line between Graz and Klagenfurt were always designed to fit into an ITF–hub system.

timetable; railway; infrastructure