Semmering Base Tunnel to Open in 2029

Why this is here: The Grasberg section of the tunnel required one year to excavate just 80 meters, despite the tunneling machine’s capacity of 32 meters per day.

ÖBB CEO Andreas Matthä and Minister Peter Hanke of Austria recently took a first ride through the Semmering Base Tunnel. The tunnel connects Lower Austria and Styria beneath the Semmering mountain. Construction has been ongoing for thirteen years, seven days a week.

The new rail line will reduce travel time between Vienna and Graz to one hour and forty minutes. This represents a time savings of forty minutes over the current route. Travel from Vienna to Klagenfurt should take two hours and forty-five minutes once the tunnel is fully operational.

The initial opening in 2029 will include test and training runs. The tunnel faced numerous challenges including a seven-year environmental review.

The Grasberg section proved particularly difficult, requiring a year to tunnel 80 meters. Four workers lost their lives during construction, and a moment of silence honored their memory. The project costs 2.4 billion euros.

Despite completion being pushed back from 2024, officials remain optimistic. Work continues to finalize the 27.3-kilometer tunnel.