Construction of the Brenner base tunnel could receive its final go-ahead when the German, Italian and Austrian transport ministers meet to sign final documents on May 18. The announcement comes after Austrian Infrastructure Minister Doris Bures announced that legal procedures were now complete.
The cost of the project is estimated to be €6bn. The funding is expected from the European Investment Bank and a reserve fund from tolls on the Brenner motorway, the Railway Gazette reported.
Construction of this project will be carried out by Galleria di Base del Brennero – Brenner Basistunnel BBT SE.
The construction includes two single-track bores with a distance of 70m between the track centres, a drainage tunnel of 12m lower than the running tunnels and cross-passages every 333m.
The passages will work as emergency stations at Trens, Steinach and towards the northern end of the tunnel.
The passenger trains running at 250km/h and freight at 160km/h will be installed with European Train Control System (ETCS) Level 2.
Work is expected to be completed by December 2025.
