Austria to resume train services to Germany

Some train services connecting the Austrian city of Salzburg to the neighbouring German state of Bavaria are to resume on Thursday after having been frozen due to the massive number of migrants wishing to travel.

ORF reported Wednesday for now only local train services travelling shorter distances across the border will be in use, with the Austrian Federal Railways (OeBB) and private German train operator Meridian offering 22 such services for Thursday.

Services from the Salzburg Hauptbahnhof train station to longer-distance destinations such as Munich or Rosenheim will remain frozen, and long-distance trains in Austria heading to Munich or elsewhere in Germany via Salzburg will continue to terminate in Salzburg.

The OeBB said there will be strict controls on passengers using the cross-border trains, such as ticket checks upon entry to determine the number of travellers, with a 200-passenger limit imposed. It additionally expects German police will conduct thorough checks at the final stop in Freilassing just across the border.

Authorities acknowledge however that it is not fully clear how border control efforts will take place in order to prevent uncontrolled crossings, with the train operators and police still in the process of finding a solution to enable orderly crossings. Enditem