Fit for the fu­ture of pub­lic trans­port: Graz is ex­pand­ing

As part of the city centre relief and completion of the Neutor line, extensive work has been carried out on the routes in the west of Graz this year, which will lead to improvements in the future.

The focus is on the further development of public transport. In order to increase the frequency and relieve the tram network in Graz, construction work on the new Neutor line has been underway since March 2023. The new tram line through Neutorgasse, which runs via Andreas-Hofer-Platz, over the Tegetthoffbrücke bridge, past the Bad zur Sonne spa and into Vorbeckgasse in Annenstraße, will relieve traffic on Herrengasse. With the connection of the tracks from Vorbeckgasse to those on Annenstraße, the link has been completed and the work has been finished on schedule. The first trams (lines 16 and 17) will run on the ‘Neutor line’ from 29 November.

This period was used to carry out further important infrastructure and maintenance work. These infrastructure measures required extensive rail replacement services for lines 1, 4, 6 and 7 from May to September 2025. Several rail construction projects were combined with a focus on the west-east public transport axis between depot 2 and depot 3 in order to avoid multiple suspensions of tram services on this busy route. Tracks were replaced, stops were extended, work was carried out on Depot 3 and renovations were carried out in the underpass area of the local transport hub at the main station (see below for details).

In addition, the double-track expansion of line 1 in the Hilmteich area will also begin this year.

Since March 2023, the new line has been under construction, starting at Jakominiplatz, continuing along Radetzkystraße, into Neutorgasse, across Andreas-Hofer-Platz, over the Tegetthoff Bridge, along Belgiergasse and Vorbeckgasse to Annenstraße. The project will not only make travel more comfortable for passengers, but will also bring improvements for all road users. During the construction work, the Tegetthoff Bridge was structurally reinforced and widened, new cycle paths and footpaths were created, and utility lines were renewed.

From May to August 2025, the tracks were connected to the existing line on Annenstraße. To this end, a large-scale rail replacement service was set up for tram lines 1, 4, 6 and 7, which was also used to carry out further infrastructure work in parallel – for example, on tracks, stops, depot 3 and the main station. The construction phase will be completed by the start of the school year in autumn, after which test runs and official inspections will begin.

From 29 November 2025, the new tram lines 16 and 17 will go into operation, serving the stops ‘Andreas-Hofer-Platz/Joanneumsviertel/tim’ and ‘Bad zur Sonne/Stadtbibliothek’.

This will noticeably relieve congestion in the city centre and ensure that lines 1, 4, 6 and 7 can continue to operate via Neutorgasse during events or closures in Herrengasse. The relief route will enable greater capacity, more frequent services and better connections to the main railway station.

Graz is thus setting the course for sustainable, efficient mobility in a growing city.

Below you will find photos of the work on the Tegetthoff Bridge!

As part of the inner city relief project, public transport capacities are being expanded and, in the course of this, depot 3 in Eggenberg must also be adapted accordingly for the 15 new, long streetcars.

The construction project includes the adaptation of the existing hall, the construction of a new streetcar wash hall and the construction of the stabling facilities in two expansion stages as well as the renovation of the existing track systems in the final stage by 2026. The depot 3 is in operation during the entire construction period with selective restrictions.

Initial work since 4.3.2024

The first preparatory construction work for the expansion began on 4.3. In March, tree pruning was carried out in the area of the former allotment gardens (a total of 3 trees requiring approval, which will also be replanted).

Work in the year 2025:

• Between May 3 and July 4, a number of construction measures will be implemented at Remise 3 – including:
• Renovation of the west-side points in Eggenberger Straße
  Construction of a new entrance to the east-side extension of the coach house area
• Between May 3 and May 23, there will be a replacement service for lines 4 and 7 (streetcars will run to Laudongasse, from there E4 to Reininghaus and E7 to Wetzelsdorf) before the replacement service for lines 1, 4, 6 and 7 begins.

The underpass area of the local transport hub (NVD) was renovated and cleaned, and the track curves at the underground tram stop were replaced.

Track systems have different service lives, depending on their geometry and load (number of trains passing over them). While straight tracks can last up to 50 years, the service life is significantly shorter for tight track curves and heavily used switches. Here, the service life is between 10 and 15 years.

For this reason, Graz Linien replaced the track curves in the NVD during the period when rail replacement services were necessary anyway due to the track connection of the Neutor line in Annenstraße.

Currently, streetcar line 1 is operated on average at 10-minute intervals. One of the reasons for this is that the streetcars only have access to one track over a length of 900 meters in Hilmteichstraße.

Streetcar project with added value
With the construction of the second track between Auersperggasse and the Mariagrün stop, streetcars will be able to run every 7.5 minutes in the morning peak and, in the best-case scenario, take 1,500 passengers per hour in each direction to their destination. The municipal council gave the green light for the approximately 20 million euro project in December 2024, with the state of Styria and the federal government contributing more than half of the project costs.

Construction is scheduled to start at the end of 2025/beginning of 2026, the first streetcar should be back on track in December 2027 and the project will be completed in June 2028.

Information for citizens
An initial information dialog is planned for spring 2025. Further information will follow in due course.

In addition to the double-track extension:

• 27 new climate-friendly trees, shrub beds and meadow areas will be planted.
• new footpaths and cycle paths will be created.
• the existing canal will be enlarged to improve the water quality in the nearby streams.
• the historic bus shelter will be used as a bus stop in Hilmgasse.

All of this work was or will be carried out during the rail replacement service – a lot of work will be combined in order to minimize major traffic disruptions in subsequent years

UKH Eggenberg:

At the turning loop at the terminus, the tram-free period was used to replace the rails.
Construction period: 5.7. – 19.7.

Asperngasse – Eggenberger Straße:

Switches and bends were being renewed in the track triangle.
Construction period: 5.7. – 7.9.

Erzherzog-Johann-Brücke:

As long as there was no streetcars or other traffic running over the main bridge, the bridge’s roadway crossings and the track pull-outs were renewed.
Construction period: 19.7. – 8.8.

Hauptplatz:

Because new, longer streetcars will also be on the road from the fall, it was necessary to adapt the bus stop areas.
Construction period: 5.7. – 19.7.

Jakominiplatz I:

The stop areas on Jakominiplatz also needed to be adapted for the new, longer streetcars in the area of the stops for lines 1, 3, 6 and 7.
Construction period: 19.7. – 8.8.

Jakominiplatz II:

After the resumption of all streetcar traffic in the fall, the stop for bus lines 30, 31 and 39 will be built.
Construction period: fall (September – November/exact period still open)

Odilieninstitut:

It moved the existing stop towards the city center and was merged with an existing bus stop in this move. At the same time, Energie Graz was laying a new power line through this construction site and the municipal department for green spaces was realizing new tree locations in parallel.
Construction period: 5.7. – 1.8.