Experiences in Austria: Lienz station

During the trip to South Tyrol I took in February 2022, I managed to visit Lienz, in Austria, by train. This was the first time I had ever been in an Austrian station, and I have to say, I was quite impressed by it. The building was modern and clean, and it was very easy to figure out which train to take by looking at the displays; plus, it was only a short walk away from the town centre.

However what I think struck me the most was how easy and convenient it was for someone to arrive by bus and take the train, or viceversa. I did not take a bus during that trip, but the stop being integrated right into the station building itself was quite impressive to me, and clearly showed care and attention for people using buses to get to the station.

The bus terminal at the Lienz train station. Connecting from bus to train only takes a few steps.

The bus terminal felt open and spacious, simply a continuation of the station itself - in fact, as seen from the picture platform 1 is directly next to the bus stop: transferring couldn't be easier, and access to the other platfoms is of course trivially easy as well. The entire thing was screaming "multi-modal mobility", with the train station being much more than that: a transportation hub for the entire town, and even neighbouring areas thanks to the bus connections.

Often, bus infrastructure is subject to a lack of care and attention, even at major transfer points like at train stations. Such is the case where I live: bus stops at railway stations only have the usual shed to protect from the rain, and transferring requires crossing the road (and thus waiting at a crosswalk). It's no wonder that most people travel by car then: transit is clearly not considered a priority, and only there because "it has to exist".

This station, however, provides an excellent experience for any transit rider, protecting them from the rain and summer heat and also making transfers extremely easy.