In 2010, a total of 99,267 vessel units were locked through upstream and downstream at the nine Austrian Danube locks (excluding the Jochenstein power station at the Austro-German border). 45,046 of these units were motor cargo vessels and motor tankers (+7.8% compared to 2009), 22,068 were pushers (-1.6%) and 32,153 were passenger vessels (+1.3%). 52,261 cargo and tank lighters or barges (+7.1%) were locked through as part of convoys.

Compared to 2009, the number of cargo vessel units that passed through the locks on the Austrian section of the Danube increased by 4.5%, while the number of locked-through passenger vessels rose by 1.3%. On average, this marks an increase of 3.5% in the total number of all locked-through vessel units in 2010. Cargo traffic accounted for 67.6% (+0.7% over 2009) and passenger traffic for 32.4% (-0.7%) of the total vessel volume. The lower number of vessel movements in June can be attributed to the fact that individual stretches of the Austrian Danube waterway had to be closed to navigation for a period of up to four days due to high water in the beginning of that month. In cargo transport, traffic to and from the Main and Rhine was interrupted in February because of the ice-related closure of the Main-Danube Canal. In general, the vessel volume in passenger transport is considerably lower during the winter months of November to March (particularly so in January and February).

Over the whole of 2010, an average of 11,030 convoys and individual vessels passed through any given lock on the Austrian Danube (an increase of 369 vessel units compared to 2009). This amounts to 919 (+31) vessel movements per month and an average of almost 30 locked-through units per day and lock.

The highest vessel volume in 2010 was again recorded at the Freudenau lock in Vienna with 14,016 vessel units that passed through (+4.7% over 2009), followed by the Greifenstein lock with 11,295 units (+4.6%). The lowest volume was again reported by the Aschach lock, the westernmost Danube lock in Austria, with 9,701 units (-0.7%).

As far as vessel configurations are concerned, cargo transport passing through the Freudenau lock in 2010 showed a ratio of 47% to 53% between trips of individual vessels and convoys. In relation to the overall size of the vessel units (number of cargo carrying units), the ratio was 30% to 70% (individual vessels to convoys).

The major part of the locked-through pushed convoys (pusher + lighters) were 2-unit convoys (70%); 18% of the pushed convoys included one lighter, 8% comprised four lighters and 4% consisted of 3 lighters. As regards coupled formations (motor cargo vessel or motor tanker + lighters), 88% travelled with one lighter, 8% had three lighters and 4% were equipped with two lighters.