We will not stop

Building means working together towards a common goal. And this is precisely what the new Lyon-Turin base tunnel embodies: engaging in dialogue, finding solutions and moving forward step by step to create an infrastructure that Italy, France and Europe have sought to bring people together, not to divide them.

The more than three thousand workers of the construction sites, the technicians at TELT, the dozens of Italian, French and international companies, and institutional partners at every level are committed to building this railway in the best possible way, whilst keeping to the schedule and budget. Work is progressing across 15 excavation fronts, alongside activities for the above-ground works in Italy and France.

The aim is not merely to provide a more sustainable means of transport for freight and passengers and to ensure greater safety and speed of travel. It is to ensure that projects of this scale deliver benefits even during the construction phase: local benefits in terms of employment and the economy, technological advances, and new techniques that are more environmentally conscious and sustainable.

It was demonstrated through both actions and words. Following the attack that took place at the Chiomonte construction site on Saturday, 25 July 2026, the entire institutional system reaffirmed its shared commitment to ensuring the continuation of this strategic project, in compliance with the rule of law and with the protection of workers. This commitment was expressed by everyone, from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who visited the construction site to show her solidarity alongside Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, to the Italian and French Ministers of Transport, Matteo Salvini and Philippe Tabarot, as well as the President of the Piedmont Region, Alberto Cirio, regional councillors, mayors and ordinary citizens.

The EU Commissioner for Transport Apostolos Tzitzikostas also wished to highlight the importance of delivering the Lyon-Turin project for Europe:

As a key element of the Mediterranean Corridor and the TEN-T network, the project will improve connections between countries, make the transport of freight and passengers more efficient, and strengthen the European transport network.

Mathieu Grosch, the European coordinator for the Mediterranean Corridor, described it as a “strategic investment” for Europe.

This project remains open to ongoing dialogue at every level: with citizens, mayors, institutions, social partners and civil society. However, violence is “unacceptable”, as emphasised by the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella:

Violence is a lethal virus for democracy and social life. Those who practise it, those who preach it and those who justify it are attacking the Constitution.

The Lyon-Turin line is a project for the future of Italy, France and Europe. And it will not be stopped.