# #PublicTransit in the news

October 17, 2026 at 04:20 PM

> Wiener Linien Warns Against Subway Phone Stunt · Vienna S-Bahn Section Closed for Bridge Work · Vienna Expands Employer Levy for Subway Growth

[Wiener Linien Warns Against Subway Phone Stunt](<https://austriareport.com/article/wiener-linien-warns-against-subway-phone-stunt-af06501b>)
*October 17, 2026 at 04:20 PM* - Vienna's transit authority bans the viral social media trend of taping smartphones to subway trains due to safety and filming violations.

[Vienna S-Bahn Section Closed for Bridge Work](<https://austriareport.com/article/vienna-s-bahn-section-closed-for-bridge-work-bd920df6>)
*October 16, 2026 at 07:50 PM* - Crews begin demolishing 170-year-old viaducts between Hauptbahnhof and Praterstern to make way for a new bridge and modernized platforms.

[Vienna Expands Employer Levy for Subway Growth](<https://austriareport.com/article/vienna-expands-employer-levy-for-subway-growth-753c6d0f>)
*October 8, 2026 at 09:17 AM* - Finance Councilor Barbara Novak announces tax expansion to freelancers and older workers to fund U2 and U5 subway line extensions.