Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) closed the crucial Innsbruck Hbf–Rum section of the Weststrecke on 7 January to replace the century-old Rauchmühl Bridge. The 20-day blockade, scheduled to last until 29 January, severs Austria’s main east-west artery and forces long-distance services between Vienna and Vorarlberg, Switzerland and southern Germany to detour over a freight bypass—adding roughly 60 minutes to travel times. ([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-10/at/innsbruck-bridge-works-add-an-hour-to-east-west-rail-journeys-for-three-weeks/))
ÖBB has mobilised 90 coaches for rail-replacement buses, but tour operators warn that capacity is tight during the alpine ski-season peak. Freight forwarders are rerouting cargo via the Brenner and Tauern corridors, anticipating bottlenecks and higher trucking costs. The timing is awkward for Tyrolean resorts, whose Saturday change-over days now coincide with construction-related traffic jams on the Inn valley motorway. ([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-10/at/innsbruck-bridge-works-add-an-hour-to-east-west-rail-journeys-for-three-weeks/))
![Three-week rail block near Innsbruck adds an hour to east-west journeys]()
For business travellers, the diversions can create missed connections in Salzburg, Munich or Zurich and may require overnight stays that count against the 90/180-day Schengen rule. Companies with cross-border commuters from Bavaria and Graubünden are revising rosters to stay within EU working-time limits. Travel-management firms recommend flexible tickets and building extra buffer time into agendas through the end of January. ([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-10/at/innsbruck-bridge-works-add-an-hour-to-east-west-rail-journeys-for-three-weeks/))
Should the extended itineraries push travellers close to their Schengen-zone stay limits, VisaHQ can step in to calculate remaining days, arrange appropriate visa extensions or secure multi-entry permits. Its dedicated Austria portal (https://www.visahq.com/austria/) also tracks any temporary entry-rule changes, helping companies avoid compliance pitfalls amid the disruption.
ÖBB argues the works are unavoidable after engineers discovered steel fatigue that could become dangerous once spring thaw accelerates metal expansion. A dedicated microsite offers live bus timetables and push alerts. Mobility managers should circulate the link, review duty-of-care plans for employees with disabilities and budget for higher last-minute airfares on the Vienna–Innsbruck shuttle. ([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-10/at/innsbruck-bridge-works-add-an-hour-to-east-west-rail-journeys-for-three-weeks/))
ÖBB has mobilised 90 coaches for rail-replacement buses, but tour operators warn that capacity is tight during the alpine ski-season peak. Freight forwarders are rerouting cargo via the Brenner and Tauern corridors, anticipating bottlenecks and higher trucking costs. The timing is awkward for Tyrolean resorts, whose Saturday change-over days now coincide with construction-related traffic jams on the Inn valley motorway. ([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-10/at/innsbruck-bridge-works-add-an-hour-to-east-west-rail-journeys-for-three-weeks/))
For business travellers, the diversions can create missed connections in Salzburg, Munich or Zurich and may require overnight stays that count against the 90/180-day Schengen rule. Companies with cross-border commuters from Bavaria and Graubünden are revising rosters to stay within EU working-time limits. Travel-management firms recommend flexible tickets and building extra buffer time into agendas through the end of January. ([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-10/at/innsbruck-bridge-works-add-an-hour-to-east-west-rail-journeys-for-three-weeks/))
Should the extended itineraries push travellers close to their Schengen-zone stay limits, VisaHQ can step in to calculate remaining days, arrange appropriate visa extensions or secure multi-entry permits. Its dedicated Austria portal (https://www.visahq.com/austria/) also tracks any temporary entry-rule changes, helping companies avoid compliance pitfalls amid the disruption.
ÖBB argues the works are unavoidable after engineers discovered steel fatigue that could become dangerous once spring thaw accelerates metal expansion. A dedicated microsite offers live bus timetables and push alerts. Mobility managers should circulate the link, review duty-of-care plans for employees with disabilities and budget for higher last-minute airfares on the Vienna–Innsbruck shuttle. ([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-10/at/innsbruck-bridge-works-add-an-hour-to-east-west-rail-journeys-for-three-weeks/))
