Investment in the Austrian-Italian Brenner Base Tunnel increases to EUR 11.7 billion

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On October 20, the project company for the Brenner Base Tunnel, jointly implemented by Austria and Italy, approved a revised construction plan, raising the project's estimated total investment from EUR 10.5 billion to EUR 11.7 billion, an increase of EUR 1.2 billion, and postponing the start of formal railway operations from 2032 to 2034. The adjustments involve upgrades to railway technical systems, conversion of the exploration tunnel, and additional underground structural works. Construction is scheduled to be completed in 2033, with system testing, trial operation, and operational approval to be carried out in 2034.

This budget adjustment is based on an updated design of the railway system. The project's original railway technical scheme was developed in 2008. In the new round of design, the project company has reconfigured the systems related to safety, communications, control, and operations and maintenance, and plans to convert the exploration tunnel located beneath the two main tunnels into a permanent service tunnel. Some technical equipment originally planned for installation in the main running tunnels will be relocated to the service tunnel, allowing maintenance vehicles and personnel to access the equipment areas through an independent access route.

According to the technical scheme published by the project company, the conversion of the exploration tunnel also requires additional connecting passages, equipment niches, and related underground structures to meet the installation and maintenance requirements of the railway technical systems. Umberto Lebruto, head of the Italian project company, disclosed that of the additional investment, approximately EUR 850 million is for technical system adjustments and approximately EUR 350 million corresponds to additional civil engineering works. The extended construction period, updated equipment safety standards, and inflation have also been incorporated into this cost recalculation.

The Brenner Base Tunnel connects Innsbruck in Austria with Fortezza in Italy. The main tunnels are approximately 55 km long, and together with the existing underground railway connection in Innsbruck, they form an underground railway corridor of approximately 64 km. The project adopts a structure of two main tunnels and a lower exploration tunnel, with a designed maximum operating speed of 250 km/h for passenger trains. In July 2026, the project completed the breakthrough of the two main tunnels at the Austrian-Italian border, and the remaining underground works and railway system installation are continuing.

Project funding is jointly borne by Austria, Italy, and the European Union. According to the financing plan published by the project company, the European Union has allocated a cumulative total of approximately EUR 2.3 billion in funding support; under the current EU funding period, 50% of eligible project costs are covered by the EU, with the remainder shared equally by Austria and Italy. Under the adjusted construction schedule, the main construction work will be completed in 2033, followed in the next year by joint equipment commissioning, trial operation, approval by the competent authorities, and finishing works.