Italy to upgrade railway in Brenner Pass

Italy has promised to modernise the railway of the Brenner Pass , which crosses the Alps on the border between Italy and Austria. At the same time, it is asking Austria to make an end to the newly imposed highway toll for truckers, banning trucks with an Italian origin due high pollution levels.

This was stated in a manifesto by the Northeast Italian Chambers of Commerce, which explained that they need a transitory period not only to upgrade the track fleet but also the rail track. Furthermore, they want to build a new rail tunnel in the Brenner Pass, expected to be completed by 2027.

Discrimination

In the manifesto they note that the new tolls impact Italian transport costs and create a discriminatory situation, as Austrian operators do not have to pay them. The Italian representatives proposed EU sanctions against the Austrian authorities, especially in the Austrian region of Tyrol. They explained that the Austrian local and regional governments should have discussed its new rules with the EU authorities, setting a timeframe for the measures while the new rail tunnel is built.

Several German Chambers of Commerce have supported the manifesto, as the Brenner Pass is an essential corridor for international trade across Italian, Austrian and German territories since the Roman Empire.