SECTOR | TRANSPORT/RAIL & METRO TUNNELS


Right, figure 2: Global –


Tunnel Construction Project Pipeline, Value by Sector (US$ m)


0 200,000 400,000 600,000 800,000 1,000,000 1,200,000


Electricity Transmission Tunnel Roads Tunnel Water and Sewage


Mining Tunnel Oil & Gas Tunnel Railway Tunnel


dominated by transport (road and rail/metro), at just


over US$1,000 billion (91% of the total value). Of that dominant transport sector, the majority of


tunnel-based infrastructure projects, by value, are in rail/metro –approximately US$750 billion, and more than double that of roads projects with a degree of underground works. For rail/metro, this includes planning, design, excavation and construction, and also fit-out (tracks, M&E, signalling, ventilation and fire safety, control systems, rolling stock, etc).


GEOGRAPHICAL OVERVIEW Geographically, the global total of tunnel-based infrastructure projects are significantly dominated by Western Europe (Germany and Alpine nations, and UK) and Northeast Asia (primarily China and Japan). Far behind those totals, that of North America ranks in


third place – though is only slightly ahead of the cluster of all other regions in their comparable activities. In terms of the balance of execution to planning


phase activities, of the leading areas, Western Europe’s the execution of works is dominated by France, Italy, Austria and Germany. Its pipeline of proposed future projects is dominated in pre-planning and planning by Switzerland and Germany, and they do so by far. For Northeast Asia, China leads Japan in volume


of tunnel-based infrastructure works in execution and does so by a notable margin, yet the lead is only marginal in planning stages – although the activities for future projects are significant in both countries.


WESTERN EUROPE As noted by GlobalData’s latest quarterly report, the total of Western Europe’s tunnel-based infrastructure project pipeline is almost US$324 billion by value, cover all stages of project evolution from pre-planning to execution. The total is significantly dominated by tunnel- based projects for the transport sector – and within that most are for rail/metro works. Four nations each have total of more than US$30


billion of the total tunnel-based project pipeline – Germany, Switzerland, France and Italy. The UK and Austria are near the threshold but others are around US$20 billion or well below – Norway, Sweden, Belgium and Spain. Across the region, the tunnel-based infrastructure


projects are significantly dominated by execution- phase activities – totalling US$180 billion by value. Countries leading on that front are France (nearly US$44


10 | January 2024


billion) and Italy (about US$39 billion) with Austria and Germany each undertaking only half as much by value, and then Norway, UK and Belgium each doing half as much again. Pre-planning and planning stages, together, account


for approximately US$103 billion of Western Europe’s tunnel-based infrastructure project pipeline by value. Two nations, though, markedly dominate this activity – Switzerland and Germany.


NATIONS Germany has the largest share of Western Europe’s tunnel-based infrastructure project pipeline at almost US$64 billion by value, or 20% of the regional total. The total value is split about 2:1 on preparation against execution, although the latter includes the Fehmarn immersed tube road and rail project fixed link with Denmark – the latter country that is leading the project and funding, and doesn’t appear in the regional and national rankings. The report adds that strong civil engineering activity in Germany will support tunnel works, plus more planned railway network investment needed by 2027 was recently announced. The totals for the nations that follow Germany are


– Switzerland (almost US$52 billion – mostly pre- execution phase), France (just over US$44 billion – mostly execution phase), Italy (just over US$43 billion – mostly execution). The UK’s total for tunnel-based infrastructure project


pipeline by value is just over US$29 billion, mostly in procurement or execution. Little is in planning stages. In Austria, the total of almost US$28 billion by value is mostly for projects in execution phase with not much, relatively, in planning stages. The balance of planning to execution is relatively


more balanced in Norway, but it’s total of a little over US$20 billion by value is still led by execution, at slightly more than half of activity. Sweden’s planning to execution split is almost balanced, though, within its pipeline total of a little over US$15 billion. Belgium’s US$11 billion pipeline is mostly execution,


while that of Spain’s less than US$7 billion is split evenly between procurement preparations and execution.


SECTORS While noting the assignment of Fehmarn under Germany, it can still be noted in terms of sectors that total value – considered across all stages of development – of rail/metro is led by the country.


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