• 1882 – Gradual nationalisation of the railway network of the
Austro-Hungarian Empire into the
Imperial Royal Austrian State Railways (
Kaiserlich-königliche österreichische Staatsbahnen, kkStB). By the outbreak of the
World War I, the only major railway in Austria to remain in private hands was the
Austrian Southern Railway (
Südbahn). • 1918 – After the break-up of the Austro-Hungarian Empire following the World War I, the Austrian rump of kkStB remained in state control under the name
Deutschösterreichische Staatsbahnen (DÖStB), which was renamed the
Österreichische Staatsbahnen (ÖStB) in 1919. • 1923 – Foundation of the independent, commercial enterprise, the
Bundesbahn Österreich (which used the abbreviation BBÖ, because ÖBB was already taken by the
Swiss ''
). This company took over the assets of the ÖStB and the Südbahn'', together with other minor railways, like the . • 1938 – The
Anschluss of Austria into the
Third Reich. The BBÖ was taken over by the
Deutsche Reichsbahn. During
World War II about 41% of the Austrian railway network was destroyed. • 1947 – The company was reformed using the slightly different name of
Österreichische Bundesbahnen and the abbreviation ÖBB (by that time the Swiss private railway used the abbreviation SP for its goods wagons in international traffic, so its abbreviation ÖBB could now be appropriated) as a state-owned company. Their infrastructure was rebuilt and electrification was accelerated. • 1969 – A new federal railway law was enacted. The ÖBB became a non-independent, economic entity, that was run as a branch of the government's industrial programme and remained entirely within the Federal budget. • 1992 – The ÖBB were broken out of the federal budget and turned into company with its own legal status (a cross between a
GmbH and an
AG in Austrian commercial terms). The company is 100% owned by the Republic of Austria. This change had two primary aims: 1. It had to conform to EU rules on the admission of Austria into the
European Union. 2. The financial demand on the public purse was to be reduced as a result of improvements in efficiency and the pressure of competition. • 2004 – The ÖBB were reorganised into ÖBB Holding AG and a number of operating subsidiaries. The holding company was to oversee the operations of the companies assigned to it, coordinate a coherent strategic approach and allocate tasks for the whole enterprise. • 1 January 2005 – The subsidiaries of ÖBB-Holding AG became autonomous and independent operationally. • In 2012, ÖBB celebrated the 175th anniversary of the
Nordbahn, the earliest predecessor company marking the start of
rail transport in Austria. ÖBB CEO
Christian Kern inaugurated an exhibition on the company's collaboration with
Nazi Germany, named "The Suppressed Years – Railway and National Socialism in Austria 1938–1945". He referred to that period as "the darkest chapter of our company history," adding that the company must accept this period as part of its legacy. The exhibition later went on tour and was presented at the
European Parliament's
parliamentary building in Brussels. The Austrian rail system is largely electrified. Electrification of the system began in 1912 but did not reach an advanced state until the 1950s. The last steam locomotive in regular service on the
standard gauge network was retired in 1978. The post-war laws related to the Austrian railways were the: •
Eisenbahngesetz (EisbG 1957), •
Schieneninfrastrukturfinanzierungsgesetz (SCHIG 1999), •
Eisenbahnhochleistungsstreckengesetz (HIG 1999) and •
Bundesbahngesetz (1992). == Logo history ==