The BERNARD Gruppe has been commissioned with the local construction supervision of the Brenner Base Tunnel as part of a consortium. On 7 March 2024, the first of the two tunnel boring machines for the H53 Pfons-Brenner construction lot of the Brenner Base Tunnel was formally accepted as part of this service contract.

The acceptance of the first of two tunnel boring machines for this construction lot took place on site on site, at the premises of the manufacturer, Herrenknecht AG in Schwanau, Germany. The double-shield TBM with a drill head diameter of 10.37 meters, a length of around 180 meters and a weight of 2,700 tonnes (including back-up equipment) was christened “Wilma”.

After successful acceptance, the tunnel boring machine will now be dismantled and transported to the assembly cavern in the H53 Pfons-Brenner construction lot south of Innsbruck, where it will be reassembled.

From autumn 2024, Wilma will start driving northwards to the neighboring construction lot H41 Sillschlucht-Pfons. It will cover around 7.5 kilometers of tunnelling.

Acceptance of the second tunnel boring machine is planned for April 2024.

Stephan Reider, BERNARD Gruppe