PRESS RELEASE
WEBUILD: THE FIRST SECTION OF THE NAPLES-BARI
HIGH-SPEED/HIGH-CAPACITY RAILWAY TAKES SHAPE
THE FIRST 2 KILOMETERS OF TRACK HAVE BEEN COMPLETED,
WHILE THE CASALNUOVO TUNNEL EXCAVATION IS IN ITS FINAL STAGES
- Activation of the Naples-Cancello section is scheduled for early 2026
- The new line will integrate regional rail networks with the Naples-Afragola high-speed station
Milan, 21 March 2025 - The first stretch of the future Naples-Bari high-speed/high-capacity railway is taking shape, with construction led by Webuild on behalf of RFI (FS Italiane Group). The initial two kilometers of track have been laid on the Naples-Cancello segment, while work on the Casalnuovo tunnel is nearing completion. This tunnel is being excavated using an innovative and sustainable hyperbaric technique, a first in Italy for projects interacting with groundwater.
Track installation for the 15.5 km Naples-Cancello section began at Acerra station (Naples province) and will progress toward Cancello (CE), with completion expected by the end of summer. In the final phase, the new tracks will connect to Naples-Afragola station, set to become a major transport hub. This will allow smoother integration between suburban, regional, and historic railway networks with the high- speed system.
With the activation of this section, new stations at Acerra and Casalnuovo will open, along with the planned Centro Commerciale stop. From early 2026, these additions will greatly improve access to the high- speed rail network across the Naples metropolitan area. Cities like Casoria, Casalnuovo, Afragola, Caivano,
and Acerra will benefit from better connections, thanks to the integration of regional lines with the Naples- Afragola high-speed station.
At the same time, construction of the Casalnuovo tunnel on the Naples-Cancello section is moving forward as planned, with more than 60% now complete. Around 650 meters of the tunnel, which passes through a densely populated area, are being excavated nonstop, 24/7, using a hyperbaric technique. This method, rarely used for projects of this kind in Europe, enables continuous excavation even in challenging conditions.
The future Naples-Bari high-speed railway will span 145 km and feature 9 tunnels, 25 viaducts, and 16 new stations and stops. Once completed, it will become a key mobility infrastructure for southern Italy, cutting travel time between Naples and Bari from around four hours to just two. This will significantly improve connections between Campania, Apulia, and the rest of central and northern Italy.
Webuild is involved in the construction on four sections of this route-Naples-Cancello, Apice-Hirpinia, Hirpinia-Orsara, and Orsara-Bovino. These projects are part of the 19 major initiatives the Group is developing across southern Italy and the islands, including over 300 km of new high-speed/high-capacity railway. To carry out this work, the Group currently employs more than 8,100 people across southern Italy, both directly and through contractors, and has engaged 5,400 companies in the supply chain since construction began.
***
Webuild is a global leader in the design and construction of large, complex infrastructure projects in sustainable mobility, hydropower, water treatment, and green buildings. A recognized leader in the water sector, it works in approximately 50 countries with over 92,000 people of 125 different nationalities. The Group boasts nearly 120 years of applied engineering on more than 3,700 completed projects, with a track record of 13,648 kilometres of railways, 891 kilometres of metro lines, 82,577 kilometres of roads and highways, 1,022 kilometres of bridges and viaducts, 3,462 kilometres of tunnels, and 318 dams and hydropower plants. Among its most famous projects: the expansion of the Panama Canal, the Long Beach International Gateway bridge in California, the Third Bosphorus Bridge in Turkey, the Sydney Metro Northwest skytrain viaduct and bridge, the Kingdom Centre skyscraper in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and numerous metro lines in Copenhagen, Paris, Rome, Milan, Naples, Doha, Thessaloniki, and Riyadh. Among the main ongoing projects, the following stand out: the New Genoa Breakwater, the Brenner Base Tunnel, Line C of Rome's metro network, the high-capacity railways between Genoa and Milan, the high-speed railway between Naples and Bari, the Palermo-Catania-Messina high-capacity railway, the Snowy 2.0 hydropower scheme in Australia, and the Trojena dam network in Saudi Arabia. As of December 31, 2024, the Webuild Group registered total revenues for €12 billion and a total backlog of €63 billion, with more than 90% of its construction backlog related to projects linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Webuild, subject to the direction and coordination of Salini Costruttori S.p.A., is headquartered in Italy, is listed on the Milan Stock Exchange, Borsa Italiana (WBD; WBD.MI; WBD:IM), and since 2021, it is included in the MIB ESG index of the Italian blue-chip companies with the best ESG practices.
More information at www.webuildgroup.com
Contacts:
Francesca Romana Chiarano
Senior Manager - Media Relations
Tel. +39 338 247 4827
email: f.chiarano@webuildgroup.com
Francesco Squitieri
Communications Manger (Campania, Calabria, Apulia) Tel. +39 335.5494594
email: f.squitieri@webuilditalia.it
Attachments
Disclaimer
Webuild S.p.A. published this content on March 20, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained therein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on March 21, 2025 at 06:56:51.478.
