The main contract section H5 is a part of a new high speed railway line in the Lower Inn Valley between Kufstein and Innsbruck. The railway forms part of the northern feeder line within the development of the Brenner railway corridor, between Munich and Verona.
Due to limited land available in the Lower Inn Valley and opposition to building the line above ground, the preferred solution was to construct much of this section of the new railway line underground.
The 8,480m long tunnel is the longest section and was constructed using the conventional tunnelling method drill and blast and mechanical excavation using tunnel excavators. The transition section to the Terfens gallery was constructed using open cut methods.
For safety and security during construction of the railway tunnel a 5,600 m parallel exploration and emergency tunnel (which was completed in advance of the H5 contract works), three escape shafts, three side tunnels and 18 cross passages between the main and emergency tunnels were constructed.