Webuild S p A : Construction work starts in August on 83km of railway lines in Southern Italy

Works worth more than 3 billion Euros are now underway for the construction of the Hirpinia-Orsara-Bovino section of the High-Speed Naples-Bari line and the sections between Giampilieri and Fiumefreddo of the doubling of the Messina-Catania line

• Naples-Bari: two additional sections underway, Hirpinia-Orsara and Orsara-Bovino
• Messina-Catania: the first and second functional lots, Giampilieri-Taormina and Fiumefreddo-Taormina/Letojanni sections underway
• Awarded to Webuild in consortium in 2021, the new sections will contribute to sustainable, fast and safe rail transport in southern Italy
• Webuild is active in the south, including the islands, on 15 projects, involving more than 2,300 companies and employing about 3,700 people directly and indirectly

Milan, 12 August, 2022 - Webuild begins construction on four work sites in southern Italy, two between Campania and Puglia, and two in Sicily. The works are underway for the construction of 83 kilometres of new railway lines, with an overall value of more than 3 billion euro. These are the remaining two construction sites of the Naples-Bari high-speed line, the Hirpinia-Orsara and Orsara-Bovino sections, 40 kilometres of line, and the construction sites for the first two functional lots of the Messina-Catania, Fiumefreddo-Taormina/Letojanni and Giampilieri-Taormina sections, for a total of 43 kilometres of line. The works are part of the 27 major infrastructure projects currently under construction by Webuild. The consortiums awarded the works by Rete Ferroviaria Italia (Gruppo FS Italiane) in 2021, both led by Webuild with a 70% share together with Impresa Pizzarotti with a 30% share, can now start construction after approval of the executive design.

The Hirpinia-Orsara section consists in 28 kilometres of line of which 27 kilometres will be in tunnels whilst the Orsara-Bovino section consists in the excavation of a twin-tube railway tunnel of about 10 kilometres and an additional 2km of line. The two contracts are part of the broader project to upgrade the Naples-Benevento-Foggia-Bari railway axis, which envisages doubling single-track sections and constructing variants to the existing route to improve the integration of the south-eastern railway system with the high-speed network. On the same route, Webuild is also building the Naples-Cancello section, 15.5 kilometres of track in the vicinity of the Naples-Afragola high-speed station, and the Apice-Hirpinia section, 18 kilometres of line to cross the Apennines.

The Taormina-Giampilieri section consists in 28.3 kilometres of line, including 25.2 kilometres in tunnels to be built with mechanised excavation using 3 TBMs (Tunnel Boring Machines), 7 viaducts and 2 railway stations. The Fiumefreddo-Taormina/Letojanni section stretches for 15 kilometres and includes the Taormina-Letojanni interconnection, the Taormina underground station, four tunnels and two viaducts. The two sections are part of the Palermo-Catania-Messina railway upgrading project, which aims to speed up the island's rail connections and improve the accessibility of the region. On the Palermo-Catania line, the Webuild Group is already building the Bicocca-Catenanuova section, which will help trains travel between the two Sicilian cities at a maximum speed of 200 kilometres per hour.

Webuild is currently engaged in the construction of 15 projects in the south, including the islands, involving more than 2,300 companies involved since the start of work and employing about 3,700 people, directly and indirectly. In addition to the initiatives already mentioned, there is the Third Megalot of the Jonian State Road, 28 kilometres that will improve the road network on the Ionian side in Calabria, and the Naples-Capodichino Station of the Naples Metro, which will help connect the city centre with the international airport.