Turin-Lyon, Italy and France OK the projects for the entire section and the resumption of Afa

For the future of the Turin-Lyon rail link, this is a double step made within the IGC, the Intergovernmental Conference for the Turin-Lyon rail link. The first one looks at the future of the whole project - the international section, currently under construction, and the two national sections, in the planning stage - while the second one looks at the coming months and foresees the commitment of Italy and France to the resumption of the Autostrada Ferroviaria (Afa) service through the Frejus tunnel. This is in fact the only route that maintains a share of intermodal rail transport between the two countries. "After the landslide on the French side and the closure of the railway for two years, the service never resumed. With the changeover to the CIG and the decision taken by the two countries,' explains CIG president Paolo Foietta, 'it will be possible to restart the lorry transfer service by rail, we think, from October, reintroducing the incentive system.

The second dossier on the agenda was the execution decision forwarded by Italy and France to the European Commission, this is in fact the conclusion of the national process of the two countries and brings the project as a whole to the final stage of approval and publication in Europe. "This brings to a conclusion," adds Foietta, "the path initiated in 2020 by the IGC itself. A fundamental act for the future co-financing of the work, which includes the two national sections and now also the urban nodes of Turin and Lyon".

Yesterday, then, during the meeting of the coordination body, Italy and France came to an agreement on the resumption of the Autoroute Ferroviaire (Afa) service with the start of the notification procedure of the European Commission (competition and state aid) for the resumption of the service, as a support measure for combined rail traffic on the Aiton - Orbassano route.

On the excavation front for the construction of the base tunnel on the border between Italy and France, work is proceeding on the various open fronts, with the excavation of 26% of the tunnels already completed, out of a total of more than 160 kilometres, recalls Maurizio Bufalini, Telt's deputy general manager for Italy. Viviana, the first of seven tunnel boring machines that will complete excavation of the base tunnel, has arrived at the Saint-Martin-la-Porte site and will start work in September. Work has also begun on the final lining of the tunnel at the entrance to the tunnels at Saint-Julien-Montdenis. In parallel, excavation with explosives is progressing on the two base tunnel tunnels, which are approximately 1,700 metres from the mouth.

On the Italian side, in Chiomonte, the group of companies is carrying out environmental characterisation investigations on the site from where the excavation of one of the cutters, which has been ordered and will be transported to the site in 2026, will start. In parallel, the construction of the construction site junction on the A32, which will be used to ensure the movement of vehicles on the motorway, is nearing completion, and the construction of the new lorry park in San Didero is also at an advanced stage.