Brussels, 18/04/2011 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 18 April, Austria and Italy approved the launch of construction work on the Brenner Base cross-border rail tunnel. The 55-kilometre long low-gradient tunnel with two parallel tunnels between Innsbruck (Austria) and Fortezza (Italy) will remove a major bottleneck for both freight and passenger transit between Austria and Italy.
The two countries had previously agreed on the total cost and financing of the project. The total cost has been set at €8 billion, including risk provisions. This amount includes the €786 million committed by the EU from the TEN-T budget during the financial perspective 2007-13. Overall, the EU committed €1 billion to Priority Project 1, including subsidies to the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS). The tunnel is the centrepiece of Priority Project 1, the high-capacity rail axis from Berlin to Palermo which is part of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). When connected south of Innsbruck with the already existing underground bypass, the world's longest underground railway will be created, with a total length of 64 km.
Excavation works on the exploratory and access tunnels already started in 2008 and are making good progress. With Monday's decision, works on the main tunnel can now begin, starting from Innsbruck in the north and from Fortezza in the south. The central part of the tunnel between Ahrental and Trens will be excavated from 2016. The tunnel is scheduled to be completed in 2025.
The approval given by the two countries on Monday was immediately hailed by Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas and by European Coordinator for Priority Project 1 Pat Cox, who paid tribute to his predecessor, the late Karel Van Miert, who was “instrumental in keeping this complex process moving forward at every stage”. (E.H./transl.rt)