Exhausted but happy – that was the prevailing feeling among most participants at the STUVA Conference 2025 in Hamburg. As anticipated, the three days from November 25 to 27, 2025, at the Congress Center Hamburg were exceptionally intense: All exhibition space at STUVA Expo, covering approximately 7000 m², was allocated in no time at all, and the number of conference participants had been breaking records since the early registration phase. In the end, about 4400 people participated in the world‘s largest conference and trade fair for tunnels and infrastructure. For three days, participants focused on major current issues facing the industry: sustainability and CO2 reduction, digitalization and BIM, safety and availability, energy corridors and urban mobility – all with the familiar atmosphere that makes the STUVA Conference held every two years something very special.
STUVA regularly enhances its professional expertise through targeted continuing professional development. In addition to his ongoing project work, STUVAtec employee Ruben Deckers, M. Sc., has now...
How familiar is this scenario? A bid for a lucrative tunnel construction project is due, the general conditions are set, and the clock is ticking. The bid price is binding, but despite extensive experience in numerous tunnelling projects, not all details could be captured in such a short time. A risk remains that could ultimately determine the economic success or failure of the project or, in the worst case, the continued existence of a company. To address these issues, the company Flora Tunnelling pursues an approach that combines digital tools with a holistic view of process and design. Simulations and the use of intelligent assistance systems enable comprehensive understanding and optimization of project planning, coordinated equipment design, and risk management.
According to information from the project company Femern A/S, preparations for the special ship IVY, which plays a key role in the construction of the Fehmarnbelt Tunnel, were nearing completion at the end of January 2026.The approval of the immersion pontoon is almost two years behind the original schedule.
Tunnel construction activities in Germany at the turn of 2024/25 comprise 40 transport tunnel projects with a total length of around 83 km, thus stagnating at a historically low level. At the time of reporting, the volume of planned transport tunnels amounts to 156 individual projects with a total length of 659 km.
On 11 June 2026, the 11th Rock Mechanics and Tunnelling Day will take place at the WBI Center in Weinheim (Germany). The conference will be organized by WBI GmbH, sponsored by the German Railway (DB InfraGO AG) and supported by the German Engineering Association (Württembergischer Ingenieurverein, Arbeitskreis Bautechnik).
The expansion and modernization of the international Stuttgart–Zurich rail link is gaining momentum. On February 9, 2026, Deutsche Bahn began preparatory work for the excavation of the Pfaffensteig Tunnel.
Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) has commissioned a joint venture between Implenia and Marti (50% each) to build five of the six lots that make up the MehrSpur Zurich–Winterthur project: the Brüttener Tunnel (Lot 240), Winterthur section (Lots 140 and 141), Dietlikon section (Lot 340) and Wallisellen section (Lot 540). The contracts for the five lots were awarded in stages over the last few months. This large and challenging infrastructure project focuses on the mobility needs of future generations. The total order amounts to just under 1.7 billion Swiss francs. The construction phase of the project will take approximately ten years to complete.
In December 2025 the team from Porr Tunnelbau reached a significant milestone in the ElbX tunnel construction project, a central component of the SuedLink expansion by transmission system operator TenneT Germany: 50% of the tunnel has been excavated. Since excavation began in early February 2025, the TBM has worked its way through around 2800 m beneath the Elbe.
