On Saturday 7 January 2023, the TBM Martina - diameter 10.03 m, length 150 m and weight 1,750 t - began excavation from the Campagna di Lonato site  of the 4782 m second tube of the Lonato rock tunnel, on the HS/HC railway line Brescia Est - Verona.  

Back in September 2022  the TBM Martina reached the Desenzano del Garda (BS) construction site, breaking through for the first tube (4751 m) of the Lonato tunnel. The TBM was then dismantled and transported from the Desenzano del Garda site to the Lonato adit for its reassembly.  

RFI awarded the construction of the new section to Cepav due, the Eni Consortium for High Speed, with the Works Management of Italferr. The Lonato tunnel construction – was assigned to Seli Overseas, winner of the European tender in 2020.  

The completion of the Milan - Verona line, of which the Milan - Treviglio section and the Treviglio - Brescia section have already been in operation since 2007 and since 2016, will reduce problems between the various transport flows, making circulation more fluid and increasing traffic capacity in the railway junctions of Brescia and Verona, which will increase regularity and punctuality, both for long-distance and regional services, as well as for freight transport. The construction of the HS/HC Brescia East - Verona railway line is currently approximately 45% complete: it will be ended in January 2024.   

All the construction railway works have started while the preliminary activities - such as the acquisition of the areas, the war reclamation, the archaeological investigations, the demolition of the interfering buildings, the environmental reclamation and the resolution of the public services - are being completed. 

For further information click here and it/264 for tunnelbuilder archive and visit https://www.rfi.it and  https://www.cepavdue.it/. 02/23