A new cross-border connection is being tested between Slovakia and Austria. On 28 September 2026, the trial operation of bus line 902 started, linking Bratislava with Berg, Kittsee, Edelstal and Prellenkirchen. The three-month pilot is implemented by Bratislavská integrovaná doprava (BID).
One of the key ambitions of NUTSHELL@CE is to test practical solutions that improve public transport connections in rural and peripheral areas and address missing links in existing public transport networks. The new pilot between Bratislava and neighbouring Austrian municipalities puts this approach into practice.
Connecting communities across the Slovak-Austrian border
On 28 September 2026, the trial operation of the new cross-border bus line 902 officially started.
The route connects:
Bratislava – Berg – Kittsee – Edelstal – Prellenkirchen
The pilot responds to the mobility needs of communities located close to the Slovak-Austrian border, where administrative boundaries do not necessarily reflect people’s everyday travel patterns.
Improving such cross-border connections can provide residents with an alternative to individual car travel while also improving access to Bratislava and strengthening links between neighbouring Slovak and Austrian communities.
Testing the missing link
The service is being tested for a period of three months. During the pilot, passenger demand, the use of individual connections and practical operational experience will be monitored and evaluated.
The collected data will provide valuable evidence for assessing the potential of the connection and the possibilities for a future regular cross-border public transport service.
Line 902 operates on weekdays and Saturdays at two-hour intervals. To encourage passengers to test the new connection and to collect meaningful information about potential demand, travelling on the line is free of charge during the pilot period.
From NUTSHELL@CE methodology to a real transport service
The pilot is implemented by Bratislavská integrovaná doprava (BID), a partner of NUTSHELL@CE, as part of the project’s Public Transport Missing Links & Catchment Areas pilot activities.
It represents a concrete example of the NUTSHELL@CE approach: identifying gaps in existing mobility networks, working with territories and stakeholders, and testing practical solutions under real-life conditions.
Instead of stopping at mobility analysis and planning, the pilot makes it possible to observe how a new connection performs in practice and to generate evidence that can support future decisions on cross-border public transport.
Towards better-connected border regions
Cross-border areas face particular mobility challenges. People may live in one country while working, studying, shopping or accessing services in another, while public transport networks often remain organised primarily within national boundaries.
By testing line 902, NUTSHELL@CE and BID are exploring how one of these missing links can be addressed in practice.
The three-month pilot will therefore provide important information not only for the Bratislava region and neighbouring Austrian municipalities, but also for the wider NUTSHELL@CE partnership. The experience can contribute to the exchange of approaches for improving accessible, integrated and sustainable mobility in rural, peripheral and cross-border areas across Central Europe.
The pilot line is now running – and passengers are invited to test the new cross-border connection.
Line timetable: https://www.idsbk.sk/download/22xc9001sp51d.pdf
Stop timetable: https://www.idsbk.sk/download/22xc9002sp50d.pdf