Brenner Base Tunnel achieves breakthrough connecting Austria and Italy

A major milestone has been reached in the construction of the Brenner Base Tunnel, connecting Innsbruck, Austria, with Franzensfeste in South Tyrol, Italy. On July 28, 2026, the two separate construction teams successfully achieved a breakthrough, marking the first time the main tunnel tubes have been connected at the national border. The 55-kilometer project, which began in 2015, aims to allow passenger trains to traverse the Brenner corridor in just 25 minutes upon its scheduled completion in 2032.

In a separate enforcement action in Austria, the Federal Tax Office and the Anti-Fraud Office conducted a nationwide crackdown on the illegal use of vehicles with foreign license plates. During a major inspection period in May 2026, the financial police conducted 921 checks. These operations resulted in approximately 976,571 euros in prescribed Normverbrauchsabgabe (NoVA) and motor vehicle taxes. The authorities also identified various labor law violations, including undeclared employees and missing work permits.