Successful breakthrough of Semmering Base Tunnel

Semmering Base Tunnel Breakthrough. Image: Copyright ÖBB

This infrastructure project now connects Mürzzuschlag and Gloggnitz in the state of Lower Austria for the first time through the future railway tunnel. An Erkat transverse drum cutter played a crucial role in this achievement.

Excavation of the two tubes, each approximately 27.3km long, has been ongoing since 2014. The completion of all tunnelling work in the Semmering Base Tunnel is expected in the first quarter of 2025.

Austrias Minister for Climate Protection, Leonore Gewessler, said, “The Semmering Base Tunnel is a long-awaited milestone in rail expansion. It will significantly reduce travel time between Vienna and southern Austria, creating more attractive rail connections for both passengers and freight in the heart of Europe.”

Erkat transverse drum cutters are suitable for profiling rock or concrete walls, tunnel construction, trenching, excavating frozen soil or soft rock in quarries, as well as for demolition work.

What is the Semmering base tunel project? 

The Semmering Base Tunnel ranks amongst the most complex tunnel building projects in Europe.

The tunnel is 27km in length and work started in 2012 - it is expected to be complete in 2030. The rail link will be part of the new Southern Line in the Baltic-Adriatic Corridor in Europe. In the future, travellers and goods will be able to travel from Graz to Vienna about 50 minutes faster. Currently, the fastest trains between the two cities take around two and a half hours.