Paolo Pediconi presents the Brenner Base Tunnel Project at the ATS2020+1 in Melbourne

The Australasian Tunnelling Conference (ATS2020+1), premier tunnelling event, was held in Melbourne between the 10th and the 13th of May.

The ATS2020+1 is an event that places a strong emphasis on the future direction of our industry as well as celebrating all the remarkable achievements to date. The conference is a great opportunity for professionals to learn from and reflect on the many advances made by the industry.

This Year, Paolo Pediconi, technical director Ghella Australia, was invited to discuss, for the Major Projects Category, the long and deep hard rock TBM tunnelling under the Alps also known as the Brenner Base Tunnel Project which Ghella is actively realizing.  

The Brenner Base Tunnel is what will one day become the longest high-speed underground rail link in the world. The project is part of the Trans-European transport network TEN-T, nicknamed “the European underground”, and more precisely of the Scandinavian-Mediterranean corridor. The “Mules 2–3” section, the tunnel’s longest one, started in September 2016: “it includes over 20 of the 64 kilometers of the railway line that will run beneath the Alps..

Once the new high-speed line will be completed, the time needed to cross the Brenner will be down to a third of the current travelling time. The “Mules 2–3” section, on the Italian territory, will then join Italy with Austria.

On the occasion of the event Ghella co-sponsored the “Women in Construction” Breakfast at the ATS.