Bregenz/Vienna/Sankt Pölten/Klagenfurt, March 20, 2025 – With the award of the ÖBB contract for the installation of the slab track in the Semmering Base Tunnel, the railway technology specialists Rhomberg Sersa Rail Group (RSRG) and PORR Group have once again secured the complete package for railway technology equipment in a major Austrian railway infrastructure project. The companies had already impressed with their comprehensive equipment of the Koralm Tunnel. The two partners are already involved in the joint venture "BTA Semmering Basistunnel 4.1," responsible for the railway technology of the 27.3-kilometer-long twin-tube tunnel.
This time, the approximately 76 million euro contract awarded by ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG includes equipping the Semmering Base Tunnel, a key section of the "Baltic-Adriatic Corridor," with 55 kilometers of slab track. Additional work includes ballast track construction, noise protection, substructure and steel construction, earthworks, concrete and ceiling works, as well as turnouts in both slab track and ballast track at the tunnel portals in the west and east of Semmering. The railway technology specialists will commence planning and production of the track supporting slabs in June 2025, with construction set to begin in April 2027. The Semmering Base Tunnel is scheduled to be commissioned in 2030. For this project, RSRG will take over commercial management, while PORR will lead the technical aspects.
Simultaneously, the joint venture partners are implementing the railway technology equipment for this crucial infrastructure project, installing telecommunications, high-voltage systems, distribution systems, lighting, emergency escape signage, and mechanical systems for air conditioning, ventilation, and fire suppression.
"Our experience with major projects and the comprehensive range of services across the railway construction sector, along with the resulting synergies, enable us to handle such complex projects efficiently," says Gernot Gassner, Managing Director of Rhomberg Sersa Rail Group. PORR CEO Karl-Heinz Strauss adds, "Once completed, trains will travel through the Semmering Base Tunnel at speeds of up to 230 km/h. This means that these rail tracks must deliver top performance. Within the joint venture, we are applying our extensive expertise in railway construction. The well-established Slab Track Austria system, developed by ÖBB and PORR, will be implemented to ensure the highest track quality and precision while minimizing maintenance requirements."
