BRENNER BASE TUNNEL MARKS FIRST CROSS-BORDER BREAKTHROUGH
On 18 September, the Brenner Base Tunnel project celebrated a major milestone with the first cross-border breakthrough of its exploratory tunnel. The event in Brenner was marked by Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas, together with Italian Infrastructure and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini and Austrian Climate Action and Mobility Minister Peter Hanke.
The 56 km exploratory tunnel, launched in 2007, runs beneath the two future railway tunnels and provides essential geological data, reducing construction costs and risks. Once operational, it will also serve drainage, technical installations, and maintenance functions. By August 2025, 88% of the Brenner Base Tunnel’s excavation works had been completed, with all excavation activities on the Italian side finalised this year.
The EU has contributed €2.3 billion under the TEN-T and CEF Transport programmes. Part of the Scandinavian–Mediterranean Corridor, the Brenner Base Tunnel will be the world’s longest underground railway tunnel at 64 km once completed.
The new link will provide a flat, high-capacity route through the Alps, greatly enhancing cross-border connectivity and competitiveness for freight transport. It is expected to cut travel time between Fortezza, Italy, and Innsbruck, Austria, from 80 to 25 minutes, enabling freight trains to run at up to 160 km/h.
Further information on the project can be found here.
Source: European Commission