Time to maintain tunnels 2026
As part of our ongoing goal to build a European knowledge network, we organised a two-day workshop for the owners of both road and railway tunnels. During the workshop, we shared best practices, smart tools and new insights.
The theme was: Skills and resources – better, smarter, together.
Too much work, too few staff and insufficient budgets: this challenge was heard throughout Europe. This meant that we had to perform better, work smarter and develop together into the professional asset management organisations we aimed to be.
Fortunately, we did not have to invent everything ourselves. Colleagues from across Europe were ready to share what they had learned. From the Netherlands and Flanders, we shared our free and openly accessible e-learning courses on how to renovate tunnels. We also presented our model for calculating the number of working hours required for a renovation by tunnel owners, contractors and engineering firms.
We welcomed more than 40 participants from Switzerland, France, Austria, Belgium, Portugal, the Netherlands, Cyprus, Italy, Norway, Germany, Luxembourg and England.
In early August, we will share the knowledge gathered during the workshop, together with the questions that were raised.
Are you a tunnel manager, tunnel safety officer or director responsible for tunnels, and are you not yet part of our international group? You can join by contacting ellen.vaneijk@cob.nl.
Partnering for the preservation of tunnels in Europe
Key issues
For the majority of European countries, the Refurbishment and Renewal of Critical Objects (tunnels and bridges) is high on the political and implementation agenda. In April 2024 the Declaration of Dublin was signed by the GB members to encourage a process of collaboration and common research on these two critical nodes. What are the key issues?
- The task is huge and acute. If these critical nodes fail, entire regions and corridors will fail, with major economic and social damage.
- The available resources are insufficient. Not only in terms of finances, but also available capacities at both clients and contractors. The feasibility of the task must be more effective and smarter.
- The costs for management and maintenance are significantly higher after renovation and existing budgets and organisations are not set up for this.
- Actual residual life is unknown in many aspects; unexpected failure is lurking.
- The social requirements (cyber security, sustainability, new fuels) make the manager uncertain: is my infrastructure object future proof after renovation?
Steps towards a transnational tunnel programme
Based on the key issues as indicated above, a document is designed with the help of CEDR members. This document, Time to maintain tunnels, presents the practical translation of the Declaration of Dublin for Tunnels. It has been built from input from national and local tunnel owners/managers from Austria, Belgium-Flanders, CERN (Europe), Denmark, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden and United Kingdom in both national workshops and meetings, further detailed in the Invited sessions on the 16th of October 2024 in Antwerp, following the Beyond a tunnel vision conference. As such, this document is a stepping stone in a process of building a transnational network for effective knowledge exchange and knowledge development on the challenges of refurbishment and renewal of ageing tunnels in Europe.
Are you interested in Time to maintain tunnels? Please send an email to Ellen.vaneijk@cob.nl
