It’s time to celebrate at the BBT 'Sill Gorge-Pfons' tubbing ring factory in the presence of Tyrolean transport councillor René Zumtobel, BBT SE management and the construction companies. Approximately one month after the arrival of the tunnel boring machine named Lilia in the municipality of Navis on 6 October, today's event provided an opportunity to celebrate the completion of the main tunnel excavation works in the construction lot near the Europa Bridge.
To mark these important milestones, there were not only institutional guests and top management from the project company BBT SE and the construction companies, but also children from the St. Peter-Ellbögen primary school and the Matrei middle school. These classes chose the names 'Lilia' and 'Ida' for the two TBMs in this construction lot.
"For the Brenner Base Tunnel, 2025 was an extraordinary year in terms of construction progress. The two tunnel boring machines in this lot, Ida and Lilia, but also the TBM known as Flavia, in the Mules lot, successfully completed their respective sections. With the breakthrough in the exploratory tunnel last September, the project has experienced one of the most significant moments in its history, as emphasised by the two Members of the Board of Directors of BBT SE, Umberto Lebruto and Martin Gradnitzer, at the ceremony.
"With the arrival of Lilia, a further milestone has been reached in the construction of the Brenner Base Tunnel. And it means the end of a chapter for lot H41, with the completion of the excavation works. The next few years will see further construction work and the final completion of this section of the tunnel between the Sill Gorge, near Innsbruck, and Pfons. My thanks go to everyone who is working on this project, which is so important for our future, and who work every day to reach our common goal: the start of operations in 2032”, commented the Tyrolean Councillor for Transport, René Zumtobel.
"I am particularly happy that the children of the St.Peter-Ellbögen primary school and the Matrei middle school have been so enthusiastic about our two tunnel boring machines from the very beginning - even hand-painting some of the tubbing rings in the Ahrental plant, where our ceremony is taking place today. Their enthusiasm is an extraordinary example of how this railway project brings together people of every age group in this area”, was the delighted comment from Romed Insam, BBT project manager for this lot, regarding the children who took part in the celebration.
Erwin Scherer, Head Division Civil Engineering · Implenia, was also very satisfied with the completion of the excavation of the main tunnels: "Our team achieved this milestone with great commitment, technical expertise and excellent cooperation. Special recognition goes to our miners, who deserve our utmost respect. We are proud of this achievement and our contribution to a sustainable infrastructure project which is of fundamental importance for future mobility in Europe. Heartfelt congratulations and Glück auf!"
About 90 per cent of the BBT excavation works have been completed
Following the completion on 18 September of the first cross-border stretch in the BBT tunnel system and the arrival between August and October of the two TBMs known as Ida and Lilia, excavation of the main tunnels in the Sill-Pfons Gorge lot is now complete.
Of the nine TBMs in the project, only two are still operating: Wilma and Olga, working on the Pfons-Brenner construction site in the west and east line tunnels. There are now less than nine kilometres of main tunnels still to be excavated, located entirely in that construction lot.
The BBT excavation workss are therefore drawing to a close, in preparation for the next phase dedicated to railway equipment.
