Turin-Lyon tunnel: 3 billion euros tender to carry out railway works
A tender worth three billion euros was published in the Official Journal of the European Union for implementing railway and technological equipment in the Turin-Lyon tunnel. This tender does not only include the project and construction phases, but also maintenance works for seven years after the commissioning of the facility.
As TELT, the company overviewing the project, said, these works will turn the tunnel into a proper railway line. The biggest works revolve around laying 140 kilometres of rail track as well as overhead lines. Moreover, two control and command stations will be built at the extremities of the tunnel. Over 900 cameras will be installed to make sure that the infrastructure is monitored 24/7.
The tender also includes the construction of five safety areas and five ventilation plants. The underground areas will also be equipped with anti-fire systems that will allow to immediately find the exact location of accidents. If a fire starts out, a system of water sprays will go off at the location identified by the anti-fire system. As solutions in cases of emergencies, two evacuation trains and six bimodal vehicles will have to be provided as well.
The recent turmoil surrounding the Turin-Lyon
The project for the tunnel connecting Italy and France across the Mont d’Ambin mountain has been under the spotlight since its announcement. Various former and current French politicians have repeatedly expressed their voices, some against and some in favour. Groups of people against the project are also present in Italy, with the so-called ‘No Tav’ movement being on the front.
Last month, the French government decided to invest up to three billion euros despite advisory bodies suggesting otherwise. The French Orientation Council of Infrastructure proposed that construction of the access routes to the tunnel from Lyon should be postponed and more focus should have been put on the Dijon-Modane line.
On the other hand, Italy seems to be more keen on investing in the project. More recently, Italy received 44 million euros from the Connecting Europe Facility allocated to the Turin-Lyon tunnel. With these funds, it will be possible to start undertaking the needed work to create the access routes to the tunnel from Italy. Once again, the French did not come up with a proposal that would contribute to the projects from their side.
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