Tunnelling works for northern tube of Koralm Tunnel completed
Together with partners, ILF Consulting Engineers has been involved in the site supervision of the Koralm Tunnel KAT2 contract section on behalf of the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) since 2010. After the start of the construction works in 2011 and the start of the TBM drive in 2013 the completion of the excavation works was celebrated on 18 Feb 2018. This means that over a period of 59 months of tunnelling some 17,145 m of tunnel were excavated for this contract section.
Forming part of the Baltic-Adriatic Axis, the Koralm Tunnel shall, after its completion, contribute to significantly reducing travel times in passenger traffic and to improving the conditions for environmentally friendly railway freight traffic. The 32.9 km long single-track railway tunnel was divided into three contract sections, with the 19 km KAT2 section being the longest one.
ILF is both in charge of the site supervision and of the technical management of the joint venture for the site supervision.
About Koralm railway
The Koralm railway is a 127 km-long double-track, electrified, high-speed railway that is under construction, and which will connect the Austrian cities of Graz and Klagenfurt.
Although construction will not finish until 2023, parts of the railway line are already open, or will be opened earlier, to enhance the quality of local commuter rail services. The railway is primarily built for intermodal freight transport but will also be used by passenger trains travelling at up to 250 km/h. The travel time from Klagenfurt to Graz will be reduced from three hours to 45 minutes. Commissioning of the first new track section began in 2010 and construction is expected to be completed in 2022.
The centrepiece of the new railway is the 33 km Koralm Tunnel under the Koralpe mountains that give the railway its name.
The project is currently the largest under way to expand the Austrian railway network with a budget of several billion euros, and will connect the federal state capitals of the adjacent states of Styria and Carinthia.
ILF in brief
The ILF Group is an international engineering and consulting firm that helps its clients successfully execute technically demanding industrial and infrastructure projects. With 2,000 highly qualified employees at more than 40 office locations across five continents, the companies of the ILF Group have a strong regional presence. This enables ILF to interact with clients and project parties on site. At the same time, close cooperation within the network of the ILF Group makes it possible to draw on international experts and make use of their special experience, processes, and tools.
The combination of local presence and international expertise ensures that client needs are met. The company is privately owned by the founding families and is therefore independent. It has no affiliation with manufacturers, suppliers, or financial institutions.
