For the first time Italy and Austria are united by an underground connection dug under the Alps. After many years of intense work, on both sides, in the Brenner base railway tunnel the miners celebrate a historic breakthrough. In the H53 Pfons-Brennero construction lot, on the Austrian side, at dawn on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, the last rock diaphragm gives way: dust rises, light penetrates through the new openings and, at this precise moment, a new page of history is written in the construction of the Fortezza-Innsbruck base tunnel. Moments later, the miners and project managers enter the tunnel section on the other side of the state border, shaking hands with their Italian colleagues.
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With this diaphragm breakthrough, the Austrian excavation of the H53 Pfons-Brennero construction lot has joined the main tunnels already completed in the Italian H61 Mules 2–3 lot. At about 1,400 meters deep under the Brenner Pass, two new cross-border connections between Austria and Italy have thus been created. The state border in the heart of the Brenner has been crossed again: after the diaphragm breakthrough in the exploratory adit last September 18, Austria and Italy are now also connected through the two main railway tunnels.
Two excavation methods
With this event, not only are two tunnel sections completed, but two construction sites that have been carried out independently for several years also meet: the Austrian H53 Pfons-Brennero construction lot and the Italian H61 Mules 2-3 lot. Two different excavation methods were used to achieve this milestone. On the Italian side, the mechanical tunnel boring machines (TBMs) Virginia and Flavia mechanically excavated the two main tunnels up to the state border. On the Austrian side, the advancement was done traditionally, through blasting excavation. The diaphragm broken today therefore not only connects two countries and two construction sites, but also two proven methods for tunnel excavation.
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This significant chapter therefore represents much more than a simple engineering success. It symbolizes the close collaboration between two states, engineering excellence, and the tireless commitment of all project participants, who are building this railway work with skill and passion.
For the two members of the Bbt (Brenner Base Tunnel) Management Board, Martin Gradnitzer and Umberto Lebruto, July 28 represents one of the most important milestones in the history of the Brenner base tunnel project: “With the joining of the two main Bbt tunnels,” explain the two managers, “our project reaches a fundamental stage. In the future, freight and passenger trains will pass here between Austria and Italy. This success extraordinarily demonstrates what is possible when working beyond borders towards a common goal. The project has many names, but above all it bears the signature of the people who have built it day by day.”
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