By ashleykaren
The tunnel boring machine Martina, has a diameter of 10.03 m, 150 m in length, and 1,750 t in weight. On 7 January, it started its boring from the Campagna di Lonato site of the 4782 m second tube of the Lonato rock tunnel on the HS/HC railway line Brescia Est – Verona.
Previously in September 2022, the machine Martina arrived at the Desenzano del Garda (BS) construction site, breaking through for the first tube (4751 m) of the Lonato tunnel. Then Martina was disassembled and moved from the Desenzano del Garda site to the Lonato adit for its reassembly.
Italian Rail Network (RFI) has granted the construction of the new section to Cepav due – the Eni Consortium for High Speed – with the Works Management of Italferr.
The Lonato tunnel construction was assigned to the winner of the European tender in 2020, Seli Overseas.
Once completed, the Milan – Verona line will decrease problems between the different transport flows, making circulation more fluid and boosting traffic capacity in the railway junctions of Brescia and Verona, which will improve regularity and punctuality, both for long-distance and regional services, plus freight transport. The Milan – Treviglio section and the Treviglio – Brescia section are parts of this line and have already been in operation since 2007 and 2016.
The HS/HC Brescia East – Verona railway line’s construction is currently about 45% complete and is said to finish in January 2024.
All the construction works of the railway have begun, whereas the initial activities such as the acquisition of the areas, the war reclamation, the archaeological investigations, the demolition of the interfering constructions, the environmental reclamation and the resolution of the public services – are being done.
