Three five-car KISS trains will bring roughly 300 seats, expanded luggage space and step-free features to the airport express after Vienna’s main S-Bahn works.
Stadler and City Airport Train representatives present the new KISS double-decker fleet planned for CAT rail service between Wien Mitte and Vienna Airport from November 2027. — Credit: CAT / Hammerschmid
- CAT plans to introduce three Stadler KISS double-decker trains when rail service between Wien Mitte and Vienna Airport resumes in November 2027.
- Each five-car train will be about 133 metres long, seat around 300 passengers and have a maximum speed of 200 km/h.
- Airport-focused features include generous luggage areas, extra-wide seats, Wi-Fi, power and USB connections at every seat, real-time passenger information and ambient lighting.
- Wheelchair spaces, accessible toilets, pram areas, low-floor boarding and an intuitive passenger guidance system are built into the fleet design.
(NEWS) VIENNA, Austria, 2026-Aug-31 — /Travel PR News/ — Vienna’s dedicated airport express is preparing to return to rail operations with a purpose-built fleet after a lengthy interruption to its usual route. From November 2027, the City Airport Train (CAT) is due to deploy three new Stadler KISS double-decker trains between Wien Mitte and Vienna Airport, pairing the reopening of the rail link with a significant change in the passenger experience.
The timing matters for travellers because CAT is currently operating by road rather than rail while Vienna’s main S-Bahn line is modernised. The central section used by CAT and the S7 is closed to regular rail traffic, and CAT is providing premium replacement coaches between Wien Mitte and the airport, with up to five departures per hour. The operator says the rail disruption is expected to continue until the end of October 2027, with the new trains scheduled to enter service the following month. CAT’s current passenger information on the main-line closure outlines the temporary arrangements and alternative airport connections.
A fleet built around airport luggage and accessibility
The new five-car trains are being configured specifically for airport-transfer traffic rather than as standard commuter units. Each will be approximately 133 metres long, accommodate around 300 seated passengers and have a maximum speed of 200 km/h, according to details published by EuropaWire from Stadler’s presentation of the fleet.
For passengers travelling with suitcases, the design places particular emphasis on circulation and storage. The trains will have generous luggage areas, wide gangways and low-floor boarding and alighting zones, while the seating specification includes extra-wide seats. Free onboard Wi-Fi, power sockets and USB connections at every seat are also planned, together with a real-time passenger information system and a dedicated lighting concept.
Accessibility is another central part of the specification. The fleet will include wheelchair spaces, accessible toilet facilities and dedicated areas for prams, supported by an intuitive wayfinding and passenger guidance system. For an airport service, where passengers may be unfamiliar with the network and carrying more luggage than on a typical urban journey, those features are intended to make boarding and movement through the train more straightforward.
Christian Diewald, CEO of Stadler in Austria, said at the Vienna presentation that the small order size did not prevent the manufacturer from tailoring the trains closely to CAT’s brand and operating requirements. Michael Forstner, Managing Director of CAT, said the development process had focused from the outset on the needs of airport passengers, including comfort, natural materials and a premium interior environment.
New trains follow a temporary switch to buses
The three KISS units were manufactured at Stadler’s production site in St. Margrethen in eastern Switzerland. Stadler’s official project announcement describes the fleet as a tailored solution for the Vienna airport transfer market, while CAT’s own service information now gives November 2027 as the planned start of operations for the new trains.
Until then, the airport transfer landscape in Vienna remains temporarily altered by the infrastructure works. CAT’s replacement coaches continue to operate directly between Wien Mitte/Landstraße and the airport, while long-distance Railjet, RJX, IC and REX trains continue to link Vienna Hauptbahnhof with the airport. The S7 is operating on a shortened route during the closure, requiring a change for passengers continuing towards the city centre.
Once rail operations return, the new Stadler fleet is intended to restore CAT’s direct city-centre airport connection with more capacity and a cabin designed around the practical demands of air travel. CAT says the KISS200 trains will enter service from November 2027. The airport express operator, formally City Air Terminal Betriebsgesellschaft m.b.H., is a joint venture between Flughafen Wien AG and ÖBB.
