Herrenknecht Machines Break Through at Brenner

Herrenknecht announced that all mechanized tunnelling on the Italian side of the Brenner Base Tunnel has been completed using its equipment. The final breakthrough was made by one of three tunnel boring machines supplied to construction lot H61 Mauls, part of a cross-border effort to build a 64 km underground rail connection between Innsbruck in Austria and Franzensfeste in Italy. The company adds that this section was excavated by a joint venture led by Webuild, using two 10.65 m diameter Double Shield TBMs for the main tubes and a 6.8 m machine for the parallel service and rescue tunnel.

The Brenner Base Tunnel is a key component of the Scandinavian–Mediterranean Corridor, a trans-European route intended to shift freight and passenger transport from road to rail. The flat rail alignment through the Alps is designed to support long-distance, high-capacity services with reduced environmental impact. Four of the company’s TBMs are continuing work on the Austrian side of the tunnel, while another previously completed the Austrian section of the service tunnel in 2020.

For more information