With an action at several locations in the Bavarian Inn Valley, citizens’ initiatives protested again on Saturday against the German northern entrance to the Brenner base tunnel. Local residents want to demonstrate with torches and manifestos along the approximately 60-kilometer stretch from Grafing to Kiefersfelden. According to the “Brennerdialog Rosenheimer Land”, about 1000 red warning sticks along the planned route should illustrate the dimensions of the construction.
A dozen citizens’ initiatives are against the construction. The campaign is accompanied by three parallel meetings in Ostermunchen, Lauterbach and Oberaudorf. In Ostermunchen, funeral music is intended to indicate that the sports field must be “buried” there when the route is built. With a donation of ten euros or more, supporters can sponsor a memory stick, which is provided with a slogan and the name of the sponsor.
‘Climate train instead of speed mania’
Opponents have started a new petition. Under the motto “Climate train instead of madness of speed” they are campaigning for the release of new tracks that allow 230 km/h for passenger trains. They are preparing lawsuits against the billion dollar project. “We will soon make a decision on how to proceed,” said Lothar Thaler, president of the Brenner Dialogue. An enormous amount of CO₂ is emitted during the production of concrete and steel for the new line. “Even with the current CO₂ emissions from trucks, that would not be the same in a hundred years,” argues Thaler.
The trend is towards regionalization and deglobalization – and the growth rates on which the project was based no longer exist, the citizens’ initiatives said. In the distant future, trucks will also run more on diesel. “The project was conceived decades ago, but the conditions are no longer correct,” says Thaler.
The new line is to be a feeder to the Brenner base tunnel between Innsbruck and Fortezza, which is expected to be completed in about ten years. According to the current status, the German route could be put into operation in 2040. A southerly approach from Italy is also planned. One of them is further there than in Bavaria, according to a railway spokesman. Parts could even be ready for the Brenner base tunnel itself. The Brenner route is of particular concern to Austria, as it is hoped that it will greatly reduce truck traffic between Germany and Italy through Tyrol.
Bahn: ‘Only new construction can create capacity’
The opponents assume that an extension and modernization of the existing line will be sufficient, even if the number of 400 trains per day predicted by Deutsche Bahn and the German Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management is actually reached. Deutsche Bahn, on the other hand, argues that rail freight traffic will increase with the opening of the Brenner base tunnel. Only the construction of two new tracks can create the necessary capacity in the long term.
The railway has already largely determined the course of the route from Kiefersfelden to Grafing. This year she wants to bring forward the planning and optimize the routes. There are also geological explorations. “Our planners are on their way in the region and speak personally with the residents,” said a spokesman for Deutsche Bahn. The results must be included in the planning. The Bundestag will decide on the project in 2025.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
