An exploratory tunnel connecting Italy to Austria was completed on Thursday, marking a milestone in the construction of a high-speed rail line intended to boost cross-border travel and trade. AdvertisementBilled as the “world’s longest” underground rail link, the Brenner Base Tunnel is part of an EU drive to bolster high-speed rail connections between the north and south of Europe. "It is a historic day for Italy, for Austria, and for the whole of Europe,” Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said at an official ceremony at the Brenner Pass on Thursday. Due to be completed by 2032, the link will be the first dedicated rail tunnel directly connecting Italy to Austria. Currently, around 70 percent of freight traffic transiting through the Brenner Pass travels by road, with only 30 percent moving by rail.