Puster Valley in Tyrol reopens after year-long renewal

Renewal on the Fortezza–Brunico section covered 27 km of track and catenary and included refurbishment at 13 stations, enabling the reopened 32 km stretch to return to regular passenger service. Photo: Julian Ceska, Wikimedia Commons.

Passenger services have resumed on the Puster Valley Line in South Tyrol after a year-long closure for renewal works on the Fortezza–Brunico section.

Services restarted on 27 January following the completion of track, overhead line and station works carried out by Italy’s infrastructure manager RFI, returning the line to regular service.

The reopened stretch runs for around 32 km between Fortezza and Brunico. The renewal programme was funded with around EUR 17.5m provided by the Italian transport ministry.

What was delivered during the closure

During the closure, RFI renewed around 27 km of track and overhead line equipment on the section. The scope also included refurbishment works at 13 stations along the route.

The works were carried out as a single programme, allowing multiple asset upgrades to be completed within one extended possession rather than through repeated shorter closures.

Why it matters: The Puster Valley reopening is an example of delivery: a defined renewal scope was completed, funding was used, and passenger services are back — showing how extended closures can be used to carry out bundled upgrades and restore availability on a regional corridor.