During its general meeting on Wednesday, September 16, in Lyon, the Transalpine Committee gave an update on the progress of Europe’s largest construction project and the upcoming milestones. The meeting focused on the Lyon-Turin high-speed rail link, a major infrastructure initiative connecting France and Italy through the Alps. Pierre-Olivier Boyer, president of the Territory Planning Commission of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry, opened the meeting by highlighting that the main challenge for the project is the realization of the French accesses and the CFAL, which stands for Lyon Agglomeration Railway Bypass. This bypass is a key component of the infrastructure aimed at improving regional connectivity and reducing traffic congestion around Lyon. Josiane Beaud, co-chair of the Intergovernmental Commission (CIG) for Lyon-Turin, reiterated the importance of viewing the project as a whole. She emphasized that the success of the Lyon-Turin project depends on the completion of a double-bore tunnel under the Alps, as well as the French and Italian access routes. This integrated approach, she said, is essential to achieving the performance and capacity expected from the new rail link. The project is expected to have significant environmental and logistical benefits, including the potential to shift one million heavy trucks from roads to rail each year. Currently, three million heavy trucks cross the French-Italian border annually, and the shift of one million of these to rail could result in a substantial reduction in carbon emissions. Specifically, the project could save one million tons of CO2 annually and reduce travel time for the five million people who use the route each year. These improvements are expected to make the journey more efficient and environmentally friendly. Despite the progress made, project stakeholders noted that there is currently no clear schedule for the construction phase or the timeline for when the service will begin. This lack of visibility on the timeline has raised some concerns among planners and officials involved in the project. However, the overall goal of completing the Lyon-Turin rail link remains a priority for both French and Italian authorities, as it is seen as a vital step in enhancing cross-border transportation and reducing the environmental impact of freight movement.