The new Brenner Base Tunnel, which is the responsibility of BBT, is being built to boost the capacity of the Verona-Fortezza access line from the south, which is being built by RFI. The line is an integral part of the TEN-T Scandinavian-Mediterranean European Core Corridor, linking Helsinki and La Valletta, through Central Europe, the Tyrrhenian ridge and the main Sicilian cities.
The network capacity will be increased by over 50%, and the capacity which can be taken by rail will be increased by 80%, the line will increase running speed, regularity and punctuality standards throughout the network.
A key aspect to allow the new performance levels will be the radical reduction of the maximum gradient: this will be restricted to a maximum of 6.7 in the Brenner Base Tunnel, and to 12‰ on the Fortezza-Verona line, where the existing infrastructure shows gradients that reach 26 in the pass and 22% between Fortezza and Verona, which limits train speed to 60km/h on the most windy sections.
The increase in capacity of the Verona-Fortezza access line from the south involves the quadrupling of the current railway which is largely unchanged from the current route. There are four priority sections which will be made by RFI:
• Fortezza - Ponte Gardena segment (section 1). The project calls for the creation of a new section of railway, of around 25 km, of which 22 will be in tunnels, from the Fortezza interconnection to the Ponte Gardena station. The two new tunnels will be joined by a viaduct over the Eisack River. The maximum gradient will be reduced from the current 22% to 12%.
The Memorandum of Understanding between the Province, the Municipalities concerned and the RFI for this project was signed in July 2019 and provided for the tender to be issued in 2020 and the completion of the works in 2027.
• Rail loop around Bolzano (section 2). The rail loop will mean that freight and passenger traffic can be separated (regional and medium-long distance). The deviation will also mean goods traffic can be kept away from the town of Bolzano.
• Rail loops around Trent and Rovereto (section 3). The rail loops will mean that freight and passenger traffic can be separated (regional and medium-long distance). The shunting yard will also mean that goods traffic can be kept away from the urban areas of Trent and Rovereto. The new line will start at Roncafort, around the Trent interport, and will connect to the existing line in the Marco area, south of Rovereto, after around 30 km.
Two dual-track tunnels (Trento 12 km-long and Zugna 17 km-long) will also be built.
• Northern entrance to the Verona railway hub (section 4). The new rail section, of around 9.5 km, will be partly laid next to the existing line, and part in a deviation from the line. Design of the work is currently being revised and integrated into the terminal section so as to improve the overall functioning of access to the hub. For further information please click it/270 for the RFI’s tender about Lot1, published yesterday. For further information on the Verona-Fortezza line visit https://www.fsitaliane.it and click here. 34/20.
