Tunnel work starts on €1.2bn Slovenian rail project

The CPG consortium has started excavation work on two tunnels as part of a major project to construct a second railway line between Divača and Koper in Slovenia.

The CPG consortium, comprising Slovenian construction company Kolektor CPG and the Turkish firms Yapi Merkezi and Ozaltin, will construct a 1,154m-long tunnel above the Osapska valley and a 3,808m-long tunnel in Dekani, as part of its €628 million contract.

Once completed, the 27km line between Divača and the coastal city of Koper, will include seven bridges, with a total length of more than 20km – some 75% of the line’s length.

The longest tunnel, known as T1, will extend for more than 6.7km.

The tunnels, along with two bridges and two viaducts, are required due to both the rugged terrain along the route and to environmental considerations.

The line is being developed under the auspices of 2TDK, a company established by the Slovenian government in 2016. It will become part of a network offering a better connection between the capital Ljubljana and the coast, and also part of the wider Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) corridor.

Total investment in the project is estimated to be approximately €1.2 billion, with the European Investment Bank providing €250 million and the European Union €153 million, through its Connecting Europe Facility.

It is reported that up to €417 million will be provided by loans from international financial institutions and commercial banks.

The government of Slovenia will provide approximately €522 million for the project.

All images courtesy 2TDK