ÖBB-Infrastruktur has awarded a Rhomberg Sersa Rail Group and Porr Group joint venture a €76m contract to install slab track Semmering Base Tunnel.
The works cover the installation of 55km of slab track in the 27.3km twin-bore, as well as ballasted track, noise protection, substructure and steel construction, earthworks, concrete and ceiling works, and turnouts in both slab track and ballast track at the tunnel portals.
The joint venture will start planning and production of the track supporting slabs in June this year, and construction is scheduled to begin in April 2027.
Under the joint venture BTA Semmering Basistunnel 4.1, the two companies are already responsible for the railway technology for the tunnel. They are installing telecommunications, high-voltage systems, distribution systems, lighting, emergency escape signage, and mechanical systems for air conditioning, ventilation, and fire suppression.
“Once completed, trains will travel through the Semmering Base Tunnel at speeds of up to 230km/h. This means that these rail tracks must deliver top performance,” said Porr CEO Karl-Heinz Strauss.
“Within the joint venture, we are applying our extensive expertise in railway construction. The well-established Slab Track Austria system, developed by ÖBB and Porr, will be implemented to ensure the highest track quality and precision while minimising maintenance requirements.”
The Semmering Base Tunnel is being built from five locations, with 14 drives, for the ÖBB-Infrastruktur. The twin-tube railway tunnel between Gloggnitz and Mürzzuschlag will link the two federal states of Lower Austria and Styria. It is due to open in 2030.
