Bureau: ARCADIS Nederland BV (Hoofdkantoor)

Alp tunnels between Lyon and Turin

To ensure the safety of two new rail tunnels between France and Italy, French and Italian safety philosophies had to be translated into an optimal feature package and a safety level that was acceptable to all parties involved.

A railway line with two tunnels through the Alps is being created between Lyon and Turin. One of the tunnels is 53 kilometres long, making it the longest tunnel in the world (together with the yet to complete Gotthard Base Tunnel). Travellers will be rushing through here in high-speed trains. But also freight trains and trucks will be led through, rather than over, the Alps.

Arcadis conducted a study to determine whether the safety requirements in and around the tunnels are sufficient to reduce disastrous effects of calamities. On top of that, additional measures to guarantee the safety of the tunnels were formulated.

The possible effects of a calamity in the tunnel with hazardous substances have been extensively analysed, using self-made models for smoke and fire development and explosions. Based on this study, measures have been taken to reduce the risks of freight transport and optimise the safety of travellers. For instance, the transport of flammable gasses by truck has been prohibited and minimal distances between freight and passenger trains have been determined. These measures have implications for the exploitation.

The study has resulted in a functional platform of demands for all safety aspects. The technical design in the next phase has to meet these demands.

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This project is part of 'Dutch engineers: creating all over the world'

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