A turbine includes a stator (10) and a rotor (20); a plurality of turbine stages (30) through which a flow path of an operating fluid extends; an axial thrust balancing piston (40) arranged at the rotor and a first piston chamber (41) connected to one of the turbine stages (30.1) so that the operating fluid can be conveyed into the first piston chamber with a first fluid pressure, and a second piston chamber (42) has a counterpressure so that an axial thrust opposed to a flow direction of the operating fluid can be exerted on the rotor; and a pressure control device (60) connected to the second piston chamber. The pressure control device constructed to vary the counterpressure by controlled removal of fluid from the second piston chamber so that the axial thrust of the axial thrust balancing piston can be varied.