Southern railway connection: Tyrol and Bolzano are committed to the future of rail transport!

Southern railway connection: Tyrol and Bolzano are committed to the future of rail transport!

In the current discussions about improving the transport infrastructure in the Alpine regions, the southern railway connection is increasingly coming into the spotlight. In particular, the Tyrolean Chamber of Commerce and the Bozen Chamber of Commerce have worked together to promote the expansion of this important transport axis. The aim is to establish a direct, efficient rail connection between Vienna and Zurich, which runs via Lienz and Innsbruck. This initiative is intended not only to improve East Tyrol's connection to national and international transport networks, but also to serve as a cross-border transport axis that connects and strengthens the regions, as meinbezirk.at reports.

Barbara Thaler, President of the Tyrolean Chamber of Commerce, emphasizes the need to expand rail connections in the south of Austria in the long term. “The southern railway connection should not only benefit passenger traffic, but also significantly stimulate freight traffic and open up new economic perspectives,” she said during the discussions. Michl Ebner, President of the Bozen Chamber of Commerce, also emphasizes the urgency of closing the gap between Lienz and Franzensfeste. There is currently no direct train connection from Lienz to Innsbruck, which severely limits traffic.

The Brenner Base Tunnel as a key project

The Brenner Base Tunnel, which is scheduled to go into operation from 2032, plays a central role. This ambitious project will not only noticeably relieve traffic on the road, but will also ensure that a continuous flat railway will be available between Munich and Verona in the future. Every year, over 2.5 million truck journeys travel along the Brenner Motorway, which once again underlines the need to shift freight transport to rail. The northern feeder route between Munich and Innsbruck is an essential part of this project, which is being implemented as part of the Brenner-Nordzulaufs.

The current political efforts to promote the transport transition are intended to ensure that rail freight transport becomes more attractive for companies. The new line in particular will create space for more connections. Long-distance transport is being upgraded with modern, faster services, which not only promotes environmental protection, but also contributes to achieving the EU's climate goals.

EU funding for pioneering projects

In the wake of these developments, it is noteworthy that the European Commission is providing over 7 billion euros in grants from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) for a total of 134 projects. Around 80 percent of these funds are earmarked for railway projects. Germany will receive 479 million euros to, among other things, promote the southern access route to the Brenner Base Tunnel. These projects contribute to improving cross-border rail connections and are a sign of the common European transport policy, as germany.representation.ec.europa.eu remarkably emphasizes.

In summary, it can be said that the southern railway connection, coupled with the construction of the Brenner Base Tunnel, not only opens up new perspectives for the regions around Tyrol and East Tyrol, but could also make a significant contribution to environmentally friendly mobility. Experts emphasize that this solidarity between the institutions is crucial for the future development of the regional transport network.