World record made in Europe: The world’s longest railway tunnel is being built under the Alps

Published on 01/05/2026 - 15:00 GMT+2

Steinach americium Brenner is an Alpine colony successful Tyrol and 1 of the largest operation sites successful Europe. The Brenner Base Tunnel is being built here. The passageway connects Austria with Italy and is the cardinal nexus successful the trans-European railway corridor between confederate and bluish Europe.

With a full magnitude of 64 km, the gigantic operation volition beryllium the longest underground railway enactment successful the world. Project manager Sebastian Reimann: “Europeans tin beryllium arrogant of what they are creating here. This is simply a associated effort by Europeans.”

His workfellow Andreas Ambrosi adds: “Eleven nations from each implicit Europe enactment here. And apical European companies enactment here. Herrenknechtalone has 8 tunnelling machines successful use.”

Herrenknecht is simply a marketplace person for ample tunnelling machines – made successful Europe. The monolithic machines present 6,000 horsepower. Some of these stone-devouring constructions are astir 20 metres precocious and respective 100 metres long.

Herrenknecht employs astir 5,000 radical worldwide. The institution has an yearly turnover of implicit EUR 1 billion. Herrenknecht drilling machines passageway beneath the Yellow River and the Panama Canal arsenic good arsenic through the Alps and mountains successful the Himalayas.

The institution was founded fractional a period agone by technologist Martin Herrenknecht, 1 of the starring voices successful German industry.

Euronews: “Brussels is discussing whether determination should beryllium a European penchant for products made successful Europe – for example, successful nationalist procurement. What bash you think?”

Herrenknecht: “That’s the lone option. If you look astatine however we are being pressured by the Chinese done terms dumping. Here, a welder earns EUR 50 (gross per hour); successful China, EUR 15. China operates with dumping alloy prices. Half the price! We cannot stimulate the system (in Europe) nether specified conditions.”

Euronews: “Should Europe respond with protective tariffs?”

Herrenknecht: “Without tariffs against China, Europe volition collapse. Brussels is discussing whether to acceptable up a satellite commercialized organisation without China and Russia. But those successful Brussels support debating and instrumentality nary action.”