The new tram line 12 now runs to Vienna's Nordbahnviertel district – with glass fibre reinforcement from PohlCon.
Northwest of Vienna's city centre, the Nordbahnviertel district is one of the most ambitious urban development projects in the Austrian capital. For several decades, new urban space has been gradually created on the approximately 85-hectare former railway site. The sub-project ‘Freie Mitte – Vielseitiger Rand’ (Free Centre – Versatile Edge) is currently in its final development phase, which is scheduled for completion in 2030.
New infrastructure connection
A key component of the development of the district is its connection to public transport. To this end, a new tram line was built and line 12 was introduced. After around 14 months of construction, the 2.2-kilometre-long new line went into operation in September 2025 and now connects the central and south-eastern areas of the Nordbahnviertel with Vienna's tram network.
Wiener Linien GmbH & Co. KG relied on the support of PohlCon for the construction of the route. FIBERNOX® V-ROD GRP reinforcement was used, which was installed in the track support slab of the road-level track, particularly in the area of electric points. The reinforcement ensures that any forces that occur are reliably dissipated into the ground. A total of more than 3,200 kilograms of straight and curved GRP reinforcement was installed, supplemented by matching plastic spacers. This corresponds to around 7,500 kilograms of conventional steel reinforcement.
The smart alternative to conventional reinforcement
Glass fibre reinforcement offers decisive advantages in tram construction: it is corrosion-free, low-maintenance and insensitive to environmental influences such as road salt. In addition, it is non-magnetic and non-conductive, which means that return currents can be specifically dissipated via the rail. This prevents unwanted stray currents. Another advantage is that measuring cables could be easily laid in the upper concrete to ensure the operation of induction loops. The low weight of the reinforcement also facilitated installation and shortened the construction time.
The new tram line in the Nordbahnviertel district is thus another infrastructure project that relies on PohlCon's proven solutions and many years of experience.
