TELT Lyon Turin • The cross-border section

The cross-border section

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The cross-border section of the Lyon-Turin freight and passenger railway line extends over a stretch of 65 km between Susa in Piedmont and Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne in Savoy.
The main feature of the work is the 57.5 km long Mont Cenis base tunnel – 12.5 km in Italy and 45 in France – linking the international stations of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne and Susa, which constitute the connection points to the respective national lines in France and Italy.

The project

The cross-border section of the Lyon-Turin line constitutes the central hub of the Mediterranean Corridor, one of the nine TEN-T (Trans-European Networks – Transport) transport axes stretching 3,000 km, linking 7 EU corridors from east to west.

The European Union conceives the network as a “metro railway for Europe” to connect the continent rapidly, efficiently and sustainably along 17,500 km of railway tracks, linking ports, airports, intermodal hubs and large urban centres.

The new Lyon-Turin line is approximately 270 km long, with 70% in France and 30% in Italy.

Times and costs

The cost of the cross-border section is 11.1 billion euros, as certified by the international Grant Thornton Financial Advisory Services group.

It represents a rare example of infrastructure whose cost is certified by a third party. 40% of the sum is co-financed by the European Union on the basis of the Grant Agreement stipulated in reference to the CEF programme, while the remaining sum is divided between France and Italy, respectively 25% and 35%.

The calls for bids were launched in 2017 and the work will be completed in 2033.

Operational sites

The construction of the work is divided into 12 operational sites in Italy and France. Of these, 9 concern the civil construction and are divided by geographical area, while 3 concern the associated activities.

According to estimates, at the peak of activities, over 20,000 companies will be involved and approximately 8,000 workers, between employed directly and indirectly, will be working on the project.

The underground infrastructure

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Chronology of works

Roadmap 1990-2021

2021 | Quirinal Treaty

On 26 November 2021, Italy and France signed the 'Quirinal Treaty' for enhanced bilateral cooperation. Joint projects include cross-border connections, including the Lyon-Turin, "with the aim of making the tunnel and its access fully operational".

2020 | Naples Summit

The Italian and French governments met in Naples on 27 February 2020 to tackle strategic issues of common interest. During the summit, the two countries stressed “the importance of the completion of the Lyon-Turin cross-border section”. Moreover, Italian Prime Minister, Giuseppe Conte, and the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, wished for an increase up to 55% of the European co-funding.

2016 | Italy and France sign protocol for green light for project execution

The project for the new railway line between Italy and France is becoming a reality after the two countries signed the Additional Protocol for the start of the final work on the crossborder section of the project on March 8, 2016 in Venice. The latter was signed during the bilateral summit held between Italian Premier Matteo Renzi and French President François Hollande, by Infrastructure Minister Graziano Delrio and French Secretary of State for Transport Alain Vidalies.

2015 | Commitment by France and Italy for completion of the crossborder section

At the summit held on February 24 in Paris, French President François Hollande and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi confirmed the decisive commitment of the two countries to complete the crossborder section of the Lyon-Turin link. The Italian Infrastructure and Minister of Transport, Maurizio Lupi, and the French Secretary of State for Transport, Alain Vidalies, signed the agreement between Italy and France allowing the final work on the Lyon-Turin railway line to move forward.

2012 | New agreement between Italy and France sets the terms for project execution

On January 30 in Rome, Italy and France signed the final version of the international agreement for the construction of the transborder section of the Lyon-Turin line. The agreement was signed by the French Minister of Transport, Thierry Mariani, and by the Italian Vice-Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Mario Ciaccia. The wording, which updates the first agreement of 2001, establishes “the terms of project execution” and the conditions for operating the link once completed.

2004 | Raffarin and Berlusconi sign the “Memorandum of understanding” for financing

French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raﬀarin and his Italian counterpart, Silvio Berlusconi, met in Paris on May 5 to examine the matter of financing the Lyon-Turin line project. At the end of the day, both leaders reached an understanding and attended the “memorandum” signing by their respective Ministers of Transport, Gilles de Robien and Pietro Lunardi.

2001 | Amato and Chirac ratify construction of the Lyon-Turin line

The first agreement between Italy and France ratifying the intention of the two countries to build the high-speed link between them is reached in Turin after 5 pm on January 29. After a long tug-of-war, difficulties were overcome with an agreed understanding, marked by a final embrace between the Italian Minister of Transport, Pierluigi Bersani, and his French counterpart, Claude Gayssot. “For us, this is an irreversible choice” said French President Jacques Chirac with satisfaction, who, that very evening then telephoned the Italian President, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi.

1990 | Nice Summit

In June 1990, during the bilateral summit held in Nice, the Italian and French governments stressed their interest in evaluating the opportunity of a new rail link between the two countries. For this reason, Italy and France decided to study the feasibility of a new high-speed rail link connecting Turin to Lyon and the first studies began.

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The cross-border section

The underground infrastructure

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