Work continues on the new Naples–Bari High-Speed/High-Capacity (HS/HC) railway line, part of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) Scandinavian–Mediterranean Corridor. The future line will span 145 km of new railway, including 15 tunnels, 25 viaducts, and 20 stations and stops. Once completed, travel times between Naples and Bari will be reduced to two hours (from the current four); three hours between Rome and Bari; and four hours between Lecce and Taranto to Rome. Trains will be able to travel at a maximum speed of 250 km/h. 

The entire project involves a total investment of over EUR 6 billion and has been co-financed with funds from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). 

The works on the Apice–Hirpinia section - awarded to the Hirpinia AV Consortium with a total investment of around EUR690 million - have reached a new milestone, as the TBM Futura (with a cutterhead over 12 m in diametre) has completed the first 4 km of excavation on the Rocchetta Tunnel (total length: 6.4 km).

The civil works on the future Hirpinia station have also been completed. It is built on two levels with four tracks (two central and two lateral). It will be served by a dedicated access road network - construction of which began in recent weeks - including four roundabouts, eight roadways and a new parking area. This station will be a key hub connecting the inland areas of Avellino and Benevento to the national high-speed rail network. 

The Apice–Hirpinia section stretches 18.7 km across the provinces of Avellino and Benevento, with 13 km of tunnels, and represents the central section of the future Naples–Bari High-Speed/High-Capacity line. 

For further information click here and it/251 for the tunnelbuilder archive. Visit https://www.fsitaliane.it/ and https://www.webuildgroup.com/. 46/25.