# Brenner Base Tunnel: Austria and Italy Connected in Both Main Tubes **Category:** Industry News | **Source:** Frachtportal Redaktion | **Published:** 2026-08-03 | **Updated:** 2026-08-10 **Tags:** Brenner, Brennerbasistunnel, Österreich, Italien, Tirol, Südtirol, Bahngüterverkehr, Alpenverkehr, Schienengüterverkehr, Brennerkorridor, Intermodalverkehr, Infrastruktur, Logistik News, Transport News, Fracht News, Speditions News, Supply Chain News, Zoll News, Frachtportal News, Seefracht, Schienentransport, Digitalisierung > Both main tubes of the Brenner Base Tunnel have been broken through at the border between Austria and Italy. However, the new rail connection is not yet complete. --- An important milestone has been reached in the construction of the Brenner Base Tunnel. Under the Brenner Pass, the final rock layers between Austria and Italy have been removed from both future main tunnels. This means that the Austrian tunnel sections of the Pfons-Brenner construction lot are now connected to the already completed tunnels on the Italian side. The breakthrough occurred approximately 1,400 meters below the Brenner Pass. An exploratory tunnel connecting the two countries had already been opened in September 2025. However, the breakthrough does not mean that the tunnel is close to opening. Further sections still need to be excavated in the direction of Innsbruck. This will be followed by interior construction and the installation of tracks, overhead lines, signaling technology, and safety systems. Subsequently, the entire facility must be tested and approved. Commissioning is scheduled for 2032. Until then, the existing Brenner corridor with its inclines and capacity limitations remains critical for freight transport. The actual base tunnel is 55 kilometers long. Combined with a section of the existing Innsbruck railway bypass, this creates a 64-kilometer-long underground connection. This will establish a largely flat rail route between Innsbruck and Franzensfeste. Freight trains will be able to operate longer and heavier loads than on today's mountain route. The EU expects that up to 50 million tons of freight per year can eventually be transported through the tunnel. However, whether this volume will actually be achieved depends not only on the tunnel itself. Access routes in Austria, Germany, and Italy, available train slots, terminal capacities, and competitive rail pricing are equally decisive. For Swiss freight forwarders, the Brenner represents both a complementary and a competing Alpine corridor. Traffic between southern Germany, Austria, and northern Italy could increasingly be routed via the Brenner. For other routes, the Gotthard and Lötschberg corridors remain more economical alternatives. --- For daily disposition, nothing will change for the time being. The tunnel is not yet operational and currently cannot offer additional slots or shorter transit times. For long-term tenders and rail concepts, the Brenner Corridor should be monitored, however. From 2032 onwards, it could create additional opportunities for transport between Germany, Austria, and Italy. This could also affect prices and available capacity at the Gotthard. Shippers should not only focus on the tunnel opening. A new tunnel is of limited value if bottlenecks continue to exist on the approach routes, in marshalling yards, or at terminals. Complete transit time and cost comparisons from the place of dispatch to the recipient are important. Forwarding companies should therefore examine early on: Which corridors could feasibly operate via the Brenner in the future. Which operators are planning corresponding train products. Which terminals and pre- and on-carriage services will be required. Whether the Gotthard, Brenner, or a combination of corridors offers the most stable solution. How reliable the 2032 deadline remains as the project progresses further. In short: The double breakthrough is a major construction milestone. However, freight forwarders will have to wait several more years for operational relief of goods transport. --- The breakthrough occurred on July 28, 2026. Both future main tunnels were opened at the border between Austria and Italy. Construction sections H53 Pfons–Brenner and H61 Mauls were connected. The breakthrough point is located approximately 1,400 meters below the Brenner Pass. The exploratory tunnel has been cross-border connected since September 2025. The remaining main tunnel sections in the direction of Innsbruck have not yet been fully excavated. The actual Brenner Base Tunnel is 55 kilometers long. The frequently cited 64 kilometers include nine kilometers of the existing Innsbruck bypass tunnel. The planned commissioning is 2032. The tunnel is not yet completed and not yet operational. The forecast of approximately 50 percent rail share by 2040 is not a guaranteed outcome of the tunnel construction. ## Related Entities ### Countries - [Austria](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/at) - [Italy](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/it) ### Glossary - [Freight forwarding](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/freight-forwarding-2) - [Alternative Freight Transport Solutions](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/alternative-freight-transport-solutions) - [rail siding](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/rail-siding) - [Rail consignment note](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/rail-consignment-note) - [Environmental Stewardship Freight Logistics](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/environmental-stewardship-freight-logistics) - [Alternative Routes Alps](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/alternative-routes-alps) - [Go Live](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/go-live) - [rail freight transport](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/rail-freight-transport-2) - [Accompanied intermodal transport](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/accompanied-intermodal-transport) - [Rail EDI](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/rail-edi) --- *Canonical URL: [https://www.freight-academy.com/en/news/brennerbasistunnel-oesterreich-und-italien-in-beiden-hauptroehren-verbunden-20260803200626](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/news/brennerbasistunnel-oesterreich-und-italien-in-beiden-hauptroehren-verbunden-20260803200626)* *Markdown mirror: [https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/news/en/brennerbasistunnel-oesterreich-und-italien-in-beiden-hauptroehren-verbunden-20260803200626](https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/news/en/brennerbasistunnel-oesterreich-und-italien-in-beiden-hauptroehren-verbunden-20260803200626)*