The City Air Terminal Betriebsgesellschaft m.b.H., owned 50.1% by Vienna Airport and 49.9% by Austrian Federal Railways, was founded in 2002 to operate the express train service. Trains run between the airport and Wien Mitte train station daily every half hour from 05:37 am to 23:39 pm. For the approximately 20 kilometer route the CAT requires 16 minutes without intermediate stops. In the fiscal year 2016, 1.5 million passengers were transported, representing an increase of 4%, compared to 2015.
Departure stations
At the airport as well as at Wien Mitte, the CAT departs from specially designated platforms. In Vienna the departure point, called City Air Terminal, is located on the ground floor of the shopping center Wien Mitte The Mall.
Services
Passengers can check in their baggage at the City Air Terminal at the railway station Wien-Mitte and get their boarding passes. The City Air Terminal offers all the services of an international airport terminal with both manned check-in desks and self-service check-in kiosks. This service is available from 24 hours until 75 minutes before departure. Airlines that offer check in include Austrian, Lufthansa, Aeroflot, Peoples Viennaline, Eurowings, Level and Swiss. The CAT offers particularly wide aisles, ample luggage space, free Wi-Fi, power outlets and TV screens on the train providing visitors with information about Vienna. A variety of German and English newspapers and magazines as well as Epapers are available free of charge on the train and in the stations. Tickets may already be booked on the Internet at www.cityairporttrain.com or at the CAT ticket machines at the City Air Terminal at Wien Mitte and the Vienna Airport. The CAT BONUS CLUB is the customer club of the City Airport Train. Bonus Club members earn Bonus Points that can be redeemed for rewards. Membership is free. For a short stay or stopover in Vienna, CAT offers special tickets as part of the CATch the City-offer. Packages include a CAT return ticket, a ticket for Viennese public transport and a sightseeing or culinary option for the pice of €39: http://stopover.cityairporttrain.com
Tickets
Tickets can be bought at both destinations from the CAT staff and the ticket vending machines, on the train or online in advance. A combined ticket can be purchased for onward travel in Vienna. Ticket prices are €12 and €21 - online prices are €11 and €19. Children under the age of 15 travel for free. For comparison: the normal price with a regular ÖBB-train from the airport to Vienna is €4.10.
Competition
The ÖBBRailjet trains also run every half hour and are slightly faster as well as cheaper. They run non-stop from Vienna Airport to Vienna's main railway stationWien Hauptbahnhof. ÖBB also operates suburban trains under the "Schnellbahn" brand to the airport as S7, calling at multiple stations downtown, including Wien Mitte. The ticket from/to Vienna city center by suburban or long-distance trains costs €4,20 one-way or €8,40 return. The journey on the S7 takes 23 minutes between the airport and Wien Mitte station. The City Airport Train offered shorter travel times, with similar service frequency as the suburban trains, thus having a competitive advantage. Since December 2014, long-distance trains also reach the airport, offering a competitive schedule to Wien Hauptbahnhof, with significantly cheaper tickets. ÖBB has further extended the suburban train services in 2017, introducing more limited stop "Regionalzug" services between Wien Mitte and the airport, continuing to Wolfsthal. In the current timetable, an average of 6 suburban and long-distance services connect downtown Vienna and the airport every hour, while the frequency of CAT departures remain constant. To maintain revenues, CAT initiated an extensive marketing campaign at the airport. This includes announcements on airside buses and selling tickets to prospective customer within the baggage reclaim area, before they reach the ticket machines selling regular ÖBB tickets. However, CAT services became mostly unattractive for locals as well as tourists alike.
