# 20-Year Battle Over Italian HSR



## WhoozOn1st (Mar 18, 2014)

Multiple issues - local to international - involved in the new France-Italy link of a "Mediterranean Corridor." Original line built in 1871.

"Italy Divided Over Rail Line Meant to Unite" -- http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/18/world/europe/italy-divided-over-rail-line-meant-to-unite.html?ref=todayspaper

"To get to the site of an exploratory tunnel now being bored into Italy’s northwestern Alps, visitors must first pass through a police checkpoint, then a military one. Tall fences topped with barbed wire roll along the mountainside. Armored vehicles cross paths with jeeps on winding roads lined by vineyards.

"In an area known for picturesque villages, winter skiing and summer Alpine excursions, the fortified construction yard is a jarring juxtaposition, betraying the bitterness of a two-decade battle over plans to build a high-speed train link between Italy and France.

"Over the years, the saga of the train line has been punctuated by episodes of popular resistance and colorful, thousands-strong demonstrations, but also by violent clashes, nighttime acts of sabotage and even accusations of terrorism."


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## Scott Orlando (Mar 19, 2014)

Quote: "Local people have long resisted the rail link, fearing damage to aquifers as well as the possible release of asbestos and radioactive materials during the excavation".

Wow. I did not realize they were tunneling through mountains filled with asbestos and radioactive material. This takes fear mongering to the uninformed people to a new level.


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## neroden (Mar 21, 2014)

The mountains this route goes through actually *do* contain substantial asbestos and uranium deposits.

The rail tunnel is, of course, designed to try to avoid these deposits (as it would drive up costs of worker safety a lot). They've got a bunch of precautions in place in case they run into them and need to dispose of them.

The Italian government has been handling this EXTREMELY badly -- frankly offensively. Claims of "national security" and similar BS.

Apparently the French government has been behaving itself, and so the French locals are fine with the project. So the French will finish their half of the tunnel and then they'll be left with half a tunnel.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/italy-erupts-over-plans-for-highspeed-rail-link-7534770.html


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## cirdan (Mar 31, 2014)

neroden said:


> The mountains this route goes through actually *do* contain substantial asbestos and uranium deposits.


Granite always is mildly radioactive. Yet nobody objects to its use in the construction business.


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