After traveling more than 14km beneath the Alps, TBM Flavia has completed excavation works on the Italian side of the Brenner Base Tunnel, the longest railway tunnel in the world.
The milestone occurred within Lot Mules 2–3, delivered by a consortium led by Webuild on behalf of Brenner Base Tunnel south-east (BBT SE).
Marking this symbolic achievement for Europe’s infrastructure system were the President of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano – South Tyrol, Arno Kompatscher, the Governor of Tyrol, Anton Mattle, and European Commission’s DG DEFIS representative, Herald Ruijters.
Once completed, the 64km Brenner Base Tunnel will redefine rail connections between northern and southern Europe, strengthening sustainable mobility and helping reduce the environmental impact of transport across the Alpine region.
The project is part of the Munich–Verona railway axis and forms the central element of the Scandinavian–Mediterranean Corridor of the TEN-T network. It is also its most crucial section, as it allows for the crossing of the natural barrier of the Alps.
The Tunnel will connect Fortezza, about 50km north of Bolzano on the Italian side, to Innsbruck in Austria. Passenger trains will be able to travel at speeds of up to 250km/h, cutting travel time between the two cities from 80 minutes to just 25.
Lot Mules 2-3, which forms the main section on the Italian side of the tunnel and is also the largest lot, is a key component of the project.
It involves the excavation of a complex tunnel system stretching 65km, more than 40 of which were excavated using tunnel boring machines (TBMs).
On this lot, which has now reached 98 per cent completion, TBM Flavia was used to excavate the westbound main tunnel, while TBM Virginia had already completed the eastbound tunnel in March 2023.
Webuild, a major leader in sustainable mobility infrastructure with a track record of nearly 3500km of tunnels built worldwide, is also involved in several other sections of the rail system connected to the Brenner Base Tunnel.
In addition to the Mules 2-3 lot, Webuild is working on the Austrian side with the Sill Gorge–Pfons lot and previously completed the Tulfes–Pfons section, also in Austria.
On the Italian side, it built the Isarco River Underpass, which marks the southernmost point of the tunnel before reaching the Fortezza station.
Along the Munich–Verona railway axis, Webuild is also constructing on behalf of RFI (Italian State Railways Group), the upgrade of the Fortezza–Ponte Gardena section and the Trento Bypass. These projects will further strengthen the connectivity and functionality of the Brenner Base Tunnel system.
Do you have news for the international trenchless industry? Contact journalist Gerald Lynch at gerald.lynch@primecreative.com.au
