Brenner Base Tunnel: 5km Excavated, Costs Soar, 2032 Target

Brenner Base Tunnel’s “Wilma” hits 5km milestone, but project costs soar to €8.37B with a 2032 launch, impacting trans-Alpine freight transport.

Brenner Base Tunnel: 5km Excavated, Costs Soar, 2032 Target
January 21, 2026 1:39 pm
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🛑 Key Takeaways:
  • Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) “Wilma” has excavated 5 km of the western main tunnel in the Brenner Base Tunnel’s (BBT) Pfons–Brenner section.
  • The project’s cost is now estimated at €8.37 billion, a 40% increase from initial figures, with an operational date pushed to 2032 (16 years behind schedule).
  • This milestone advances a critical Austrian section of what will be the world’s longest underground railway link, vital for shifting trans-Alpine freight from road to rail.

INNSBRUCK, AUSTRIA – The “Wilma” tunnel boring machine has completed 5 km of excavation in the western main tunnel of the Brenner Base Tunnel’s (BBT) Pfons–Brenner section. The machine, which began operations in September 2024, has now bored approximately 70% of its 7.4 km route. This progress occurs within a project whose total cost has been revised to €8.37 billion, with a new operational target of 2032.

CategorySpecification / Detail
ProjectBrenner Base Tunnel (BBT), Pfons–Brenner Section
Revised Budget€8.37 billion (per Nov 2025 ECA report)
Initial Budget€5.97 billion (2019 estimate)
Operational Date2032 (revised from 2016)
Key StakeholderBBT SE (Project Company)
TBM Progress (Wilma)5 km of 7.4 km excavated (Western Tunnel)
Total Tunnel System Length230 km

Operational & Technical Details

The Wilma TBM achieved the 5 km milestone over a year and a half, excavating northward toward the Italian border. It has 2.4 km remaining on its section. Concurrently, its “twin sister” TBM, “Olga,” is progressing in the eastern main tunnel. Olga has completed nearly half of its more than 7.6 km route, also drilling northward. The Pfons-Brenner section is the final segment of the BBT on the Austrian side. The complete BBT will connect Innsbruck, Austria, with Fortezza, Italy, creating a 64 km line, making it the world’s longest underground rail connection.

Market Impact Analysis

This operational milestone provides a tangible sign of progress for a project defined by significant delays and budget overruns. According to a European Court of Auditors (ECA) report, the project is 16 years behind its original schedule and costs have inflated by 40%. The revised €8.37 billion figure is, however, down 1% from a 2020 estimate, suggesting some recent cost control. Upon completion, the BBT is expected to fundamentally alter European logistics by enabling a major shift of freight traffic from the congested Brenner Pass motorway to rail, a key objective for EU transport and environmental policy.

📅 Originally Published: December 2025
To understand the groundwork for Prague’s light rail expansion, here’s a look back at the initial announcement.

➤ Read More: Prague to Expand Light Rail Network, Boosting Urban Mobility


FAQ: Quick Facts

What is the current estimated cost of the project?

The November 2025 report by the European Court of Auditors revised the project’s total investment cost to €8.37 billion.

When is the expected completion date?

The Brenner Base Tunnel is scheduled to become operational in 2032.