Melbourne-based rail specialist International Rail has announced they have been appointed the exclusive Australian distributor for the Austrian Railways (OEBB) services.

This partnership adds to IR's increasing range of European railway representation which already includes Italian and German Railways.

The direct access to the OEBB reservation system will result in IR being able to offer highly competitive fares and better availability on key Austrian routes for both Australian agents and consumers.

Managing director Jonathan Hume commented that by becoming an official partner with Austrian Railways consumers will be offered new benefits such as advance purchase discounts up to 65 per cent off standard day and overnight fares not only within Austria but across Austrian boarders to other countries.

He said, “We now have access to several different railway reservation systems, which makes booking rail tickets across Europe a lot more cost effective for agents.

Astrid Mulholland-Licht, director of the Austrian National Tourist Office in Australia, says IR’s engagement comes just at the right time, as Australian travellers increasingly prefer travelling by train rather than flying within Europe. “The number of travellers from down under using Austria’s excellent network is steadily increasing”, she comments. “There is great market potential: After an all-time high in Australian visitor numbers in 2011, amounting to a record number of 300,000 Australian overnights for the first time, we expect 2012 to be another great year.”

Travel from Vienna to Prague from $73 per person for first class, which is 50 per cent cheaper than other rail providers or for those travelling extensively around the country, purchase the Austrian Rail pass from $30 per day in second class.