Eiffage wins above-ground contract on France-Italy rail tunnel

Eiffage will use excavated material from the Lyon-Turin tunnel in its above-ground works. Image: ReutersConnect

The work, to be undertaken by Eiffage’s subsidiaries Eiffage Génie Civil and Eiffage Rail, will include the construction of 1,700m of rail platforms, 15km of retaining walls (between 2m and 13.5m high), 10km of noise barriers, two 55m rail bridges and a number of large hydraulic structures for platform crossings.

Several road repairs are also included in the scope of work, which is expected to start in May, with completion due in May 2032.

The work will be carried out in phases, with work alternating between track and infrastructure development, including signals and overhead contact lines work.

Circular economy principles will be employed by the construction teams, who will preserve resources by using up to 1.5 million m³ of material excavated from the under-construction Lyon-Turin rail tunnel to create railway embankments.

Longest rail tunnel

Eiffage is currently leading the preparatory works for lot 1 of the Lyon-Turin base tunnel, operating from the French side of the tunnel.

This project includes the construction of two 22km sections of the tunnel, excavated using a TBM (tunnel boring machine).

The overall TELT line will extend for 270km, with 70% running through France and the remainder in Italy.

The rail tunnel itself will ultimately stretch to approximately 57.5km, making it the longest of its kind in the world.

When completed, the Lyon-Turin line will form a significant part of the European Union’s Trans-European Transport (TEN-T) network, which aims to promote the sustainable movement of people and goods throughout the bloc.