Brenner Base Tunnel
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Location | Brenner Pass |
| Status | Under Construction |
| System | Brenner railway |
| Start | Innsbruck, Austria |
| End | Franzensfeste, Italy |
| Operation | |
| Work begun | 2008 |
| Constructed | 2006– |
| Opened | Scheduled 2026 |
| Traffic | freight trains and passenger trains |
| Character | Twin tube Passenger and Freight |
| Technical | |
| Length | 55 km (34 mi) |
| No. of tracks | Double track |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
| Electrified |
Electrified 25kV 50 Hz AC |
| Operating speed | 250 km/h (160 mph) Passenger 160 km/h (99 mph) Freight |
| Highest elevation | 840 metres (2,760 ft) |
| Grade | Austria 7.4/1000 Italy 5/1000 |
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The Brenner Base Tunnel (German: Brennerbasistunnel; Italian: Galleria di base del Brennero) is a planned 55-kilometre (34 mi) long railway tunnel through the base of the Eastern Alps beneath the Brenner Pass. It will run from Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof in Austria to Franzensfeste (Fortezza) in Italy, replacing part of the current Brenner railway. The line is part of Line 1, the Berlin to Palermo route, of Trans-European Transport Networks (TEN-T).
The Brenner Pass, in the Alps at the border between Austria and Italy, is one of the most important traffic connections between northern and southern Europe, and the motorway going over it is infamous for its frequent traffic jams. Pollution from this traffic is a major concern.
The hope is to relieve this situation by greatly improving the railway connection between North Tyrol and South Tyrol with the new tunnel, which will allow trains to cross the Alps much faster. Currently, speeds in the Brenner region barely exceed 70 km/h (43 mph) due to the steepness of the existing tracks, which cross the pass at a rather high elevation.
The project is funded by Austria and Italy, and a contribution by the European Union. Due to the magnitude of the project (it will be the world's second longest tunnel, after the Gotthard Base Tunnel), the funding promised so far will not suffice for the estimated costs. The tunnel is scheduled to be completed in 2025.
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Wikipedia