As part of the Stuttgart–Ulm railway project, the entire Stuttgart rail hub is being reorganised. With the start of operation of the project, the long-distance railway tube of the Prague Tunnel, which is over 100 years old, will become dispensable. The P-Option (Prag-Option) project will also use this tunnel to create a new double-track connection between Stuttgart Central Station and the 4800 line in Feuerbach.

Concrete construction is one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions in the construction sector. Tunnel structures, which form an essential part of the railway infrastructure, contribute about 9% to the total emissions per track kilometre of Deutsche Bahn and are thus among the most emissions-intensive engineering structures in Germany.

More and more electricity from renewable sources, hydrogen as an alternative energy source, and the expansion of district heating: the energy transition is in full swing worldwide, particularly in industrialized countries. It requires an enormous amount of new underground infrastructure for the generation and transportation of environmentally friendly energy. This also presents new challenges and opportunities for the tunnelling and trenchless construction industries and for manufacturers of mechanized tunnelling technology. The required infrastructure can be built using both tunnelling and trenchless installation methods. Which method offers the optimal solution depends on many factors, such as the intended use, size and location of the project. Using specific examples, this article presents the advantages in the realization of different types of infrastructure for the energy transition.

On 14 February 2025, the two tunnel boring machines (TBMs) for driving the second tube of the Gotthard Road Tunnel were started in Göschenen and Airolo. Numerous guests and employees of the...

Whether “Gateway to the World” or “Pearl of the North” – hardly any other city in Germany has as many affectionate nicknames as the old but lively Hanseatic city of Hamburg (Fig. 1). With almost two...

SBB is renovating the Simplon Tunnel over the next four years. The first construction phase started at the beginning of February 2025.