Rail Network Expansion: German Railways Push for Progress on Brenner Northern Approach

In an ambitious announcement towards the end of the year, Deutsche Bahn revealed its intention to rapidly advance the planning for the German feeder line to the Brenner Base Tunnel in the high mountains. Klaus-Dieter Josel, the soon-to-be-departing representative of Deutsche Bahn in Bavaria, informed that the developed route variant is to be submitted to the Bundestag and the Federal Ministry of Transport shortly. The goal is to present the project for parliamentary consultation by spring 2025. The Brenner Base Tunnel, stretching between Austria and Italy, aims not only to accelerate the prolonged freight and passenger traffic on the existing leisurely rail line from Germany to Italy but also to provide relief to the beleaguered residents in the area of the Brenner motorway. This region has been confronted with environmental and traffic burdens for decades. The strategic significance of the Brenner Pass for European traffic highlights the urgency of the project, as the traffic to and from the Mediterranean affects numerous countries. A doubling of truck traffic at the Brenner since 1998 emphasizes the necessity for infrastructure improvement. However, the planning of a new 54-kilometer route away from residential areas, with 30 kilometers planned as a tunnel, has not appeased all critics - local citizens' initiatives continue to call for the modernization of the existing route instead of new construction. While progress on the track layouts of the southern approach is already noticeable in Austria and Italy, Germany still grapples with acceptance and legal prerequisites. However, Josel expressed optimism regarding construction rights at the beginning of the 2030s and possible commissioning in the early 2040s. The targeted timeframe for completing the Brenner north access line presupposes the absence of further significant delays and is accompanied by discussions about costs and route planning – a particular point of contention is the crossing over or under the Inn, which could have substantial financial implications. Meanwhile, in Bavaria, there is growing dissatisfaction with the political handling of the expansion project, not only at the federal level but also locally – economic losses due to bottlenecks and traffic jams are amplifying the demand for rapid solutions. In Vienna, there is keen anticipation of the developments, as four-track capability seems essential by 2040 for the high-quality handling of traffic volumes.