Good news for train travel between France and Italy. The Fréjus Rail Tunnel will reopen on 31 March 2025, after almost two years of closure after the 27 August 2023 landslide in the southern Alps. The news enthuses rail industry blogs and trainfluencers. But there’s a but.
After an extended closure lasting nearly 600 days, the Fréjus Railway is poised to resume operations, promising to restore a vital corridor for both passenger and freight transit. But with new infrastructure developments on the horizon, the question arises: how long will this historic line remain relevant?
A rail artery reawakened
The Fréjus Rail Tunnel, also called Mont Cenis Tunnel, has been closed since 27 August 2023. This closure followed a devastating landslide near Saint-André à La Praz that caused extensive damage to the railway. As previously reported by RailTarget.eu, the incident brought passenger and freight services to a grinding halt on one of Europe’s most essential cross-border rail links.
Now, after 582 days of disruption, Alain Krakovitch, Director for TGV-Intercités at SNCF, has confirmed the reopening date: 31 March 2025. The announcement marks a significant milestone for the line, which has faced a complex and costly recovery process.
The landslide’s lasting impact
The landslide in the French Alps displaced an estimated 5,000 cubic metres of rock, burying a 300-metre stretch of railway and rendering the route impassable.
RailFreight reports that this natural disaster not only obliterated key infrastructure but also inflicted heavy losses on freight operators, who depend on the Fréjus Railway for their cross-border shipments.
The financial toll has been staggering, with annual losses for freight services running into tens of millions of euros. Rerouting cargo has caused delays and inflated costs, placing immense strain on the industry. Rail associations in France and Italy have been vocal in their demands for government assistance to alleviate these challenges.
Passenger services also suffered immensely. Trenitalia’s high-speed Milan–Paris service, launched just two years before the landslide, was abruptly suspended.
Other critical routes, including those linking Turin, Chambéry, and Lyon, were either cancelled or rerouted, creating longer journey times and fewer options for travellers.
Overcoming obstacles to reopening
Repairing the Fréjus Railway has been an arduous task, fraught with unforeseen complications. Stabilising the cliffs near the landslide site required extensive engineering efforts, including the use of dynamite to remove precarious rock formations.
As reported by RailTech, it was only after these cliffs were secured in November 2024 that crews could begin rebuilding the buried rail tunnel and replacing key systems such as catenary lines and signalling equipment.
Delays plagued the restoration process, with initial reopening estimates repeatedly pushed back. SNCF implemented temporary bus services to maintain connectivity, but these stopgap measures fell far short of meeting the needs of freight operators and passengers alike.
Finally, after months of speculation, Krakovitch’s announcement on social media has brought clarity.
“We are going to reopen our connections between Paris and Italy!”, he declared. “Turin and Milan are once again 100 per cent accessible on TGV Inoui after some difficult months following the Maurienne landslide. But without ever letting our customers down: a bus service was offered in the affected section. Reopening on 31 March.”
April’s Fool?
Passenger trains are scheduled to resume operations between France and Italy on 1 April 2025, just a day after the line’s official reopening. However, details about the reinstatement of freight services remain unclear.
What lies ahead for the Fréjus Railway?
While the reopening of the Fréjus Railway is undoubtedly a welcome development, its long-term future is uncertain. The Lyon – Turin high-speed railway, currently under construction, is set to become the primary link between France and Italy upon its completion in 2033.
As reported by RailTarget, this ambitious project promises faster, more efficient transit, potentially rendering the Fréjus line obsolete.
For now, however, the Fréjus Railway remains an indispensable connection for passengers and freight operators. Its reopening offers a reprieve for those who have endured nearly two years of disruptions, enabling smoother journeys between Paris, Milan, and Turin once again.
About the Fréjus Rail Tunnel
The Fréjus Rail Tunnel is a 13.7-kilometre (8.5-mile) long feat of engineering that traverses the European Alps. This essential infrastructure carries the Turin–Modane railway through Mont Cenis, connecting Bardonecchia in Italy to Modane in France. The tunnel’s altitude averages 1,123 metres (3,684 feet) above sea level, passing beneath the Pointe du Fréjus (2,932 metres or 9,619 feet) and the Col du Fréjus (2,542 metres or 8,340 feet).
The tunnel’s construction, which began in August 1857, was a bold and ambitious endeavour led by the Savoyard civil engineer Germain Sommeiller. At the time, both ends of the future tunnel lay within the Kingdom of Sardinia.
The project was a monumental undertaking, as the planned gallery was to be twice the length of any existing tunnel. Many doubted the feasibility of completing such a feat, with some predicting it could take up to 40 years.
However, the introduction of revolutionary technologies such as pneumatic drilling machines and dynamite significantly accelerated the work. These innovations allowed for faster excavation and overcame significant engineering challenges, such as ventilation difficulties. In fact, without these advancements, it was estimated the project would have taken 71 years.
Drilling began simultaneously on the Italian side at Bardonecchia in August 1857 and on the French side at Modane in December of the same year. The teams worked tirelessly, eventually meeting on 26 December 1870. The alignment was impressively precise, with deviations of only 40 centimetres horizontally and 60 centimetres vertically.
On 17 September 1871, after 14 years of construction, the Fréjus Tunnel opened to traffic, heralding a new era of connectivity between France and Italy.
A historic achievement
At the time of its completion, the Fréjus Tunnel was the longest tunnel in the world and was hailed as one of the greatest engineering feats of the 19th century.
Evolution and modernisation
Over the years, the Fréjus Tunnel has undergone numerous improvements to maintain its relevance and functionality. During the 2000s, extensive modernisation efforts were undertaken.
These included enlarging the tunnel’s bore to accommodate wider rail vehicles, enabling the passage of container trucks on piggyback wagons as part of the Autoroute Ferroviaire Alpine initiative. Additional upgrades included replacing the track, lowering the track bed, and enhancing ventilation and safety features.
Despite these improvements, the tunnel’s significance has been somewhat overshadowed by the construction of the Lyon–Turin high-speed rail project. The new Mont d’Ambin Base Tunnel, expected to open in 2033, is poised to become the primary transit route between France and Italy.
Military and historical significance
Beyond its transportation role, the tunnel has played a strategic military role. Following the 1860 transfer of Savoy from Sardinia to France, the tunnel became a potential invasion route. As a result, extensive fortifications were constructed in the surrounding area, including the Fort du Replaton and the Fort du Sapey.
One notable structure is the maison penchée (‘leaning house’), a blockhouse built in 1939 to guard the tunnel.
In 1944, retreating German forces detonated explosives, causing a munitions magazine to detonate and leaving the blockhouse tilted. Today, it stands as a unique tourist attraction and a reminder of the tunnel’s storied past.
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