Turin-Lyon Main Line
From approval of the final design for the Italian section to launching of the first TBM works on the French side.
Tuesday 1 April was a historical day for Transalpine transport, with the Infrastructure and Transport Minister, Matteo Salvini, and the French Transport Minister, Philippe Tabarot, heading up the event that marked upgrading of rail links between Italy and France.
Starting from Turin, with a meeting of the Turin-Lyon Observatory, where the final design for the Avigliana-Orbassano-Bivio Pronda Italian section that takes in Milano Centrale was presented, with inauguration of the Milan-Paris High Speed rail link, in the form of a trip by the Frecciarossa 1000, through to launching of excavation work on the Turin-Lyon base tunnel, using a new TBM "Viviana" mechanical boring machine.
Italferr plays a leading role, along with Gruppo Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane, in heading development of the Turin-Lyon line, a strategic part of completing the "Mediterranean" TEN-T European corridor.
Italferr Chairman and CEO, Prof. Dario Lo Bosco, illustrated the final design for the Italian section, in the presence of Minister Salvini and illustrious institutional representatives.
The work involves constructing a new variant line, measuring 24 km overall, as far as the freight hub in Orbassano. The route winds through a 14 km long natural tunnel below Collina Morenica before continuing in an artificial tunnel about 4 km long. The line will end with a section out in the open, entering and passing through the Orbassano hub, and then join up with the existing access line to the Turin Junction.
"This work follows months of research, development and collaboration between territorial institutions and other players in the sustainable development of this strategic area of the Country, in order to optimise large-scale freight and passenger traffic. This infrastructure is crucial for functioning of the entire Europe-Mediterranean Corridor in the TEN-T network, which drives development of areas and provides growth opportunities for the communities", pointed out Prof. Lo Bosco, going on to say, "Italferr, in line with Gruppo FS goals, is once again playing a leading role in an epic transformation, adopting new innovative, digital approaches with the 4D and 5D BIM, for cutting-edge design, facilitating solutions that are environment friendly, while maximising the safety and quality of the works".
It was this very cross-border Turin-Lyon section that won the 1st edition of the "Top Projects Awards 2025” - prestigious international recognition by the IRJ - International Railway Journal magazine, in the “New construction - high-speed” category.
Currently Italferr, along with the French Setec, Systra France and Swiss Pini Group/ARX, is involved in Direction of Works for boring the base tunnel of Moncenisio on behalf of the bilateral TELT public promoter.
This is confirmation that, with the men and women who valorise its know-how, Italferr contributes to the successes of the "Country System" along with FS, ensuring a step ahead in engineering of a mobility and logistics network that brings the EU closer to attaining the modal shift from road to rail traffic, while moving freight trains from historical lines to new routes, resulting in advantages for the Metropolitan Railway Service.
The synergy between the institutions and work driven by MIT for the PNRR and large works, sees the Company ever more involved, alongside RFI - Rete Ferroviaria Italiana and Gruppo FS, in valorising Italy's engineering prowess worldwide.
