Salerno-Reggio Calabria: Excavation of the Serra Lunga tunnel completed

Work continues on the new Salerno-Reggio Calabria high-speed/high-capacity line. On Lot 1A, Battipaglia-Romagnano, the "Leucosia" Tunnel Boring Machine has completed excavation of the Serra Lunga tunnel, approximately 800 meters long.

This is the second tunnel completed in this section, following the one called Caterina. During operations, the mechanized tunnel boring machine also created the tunnel's final lining, installing over 2.900 prefabricated segments.

At the same time, the "Mireille" TBM has begun excavating the Sicignano tunnel, over 2,5 kilometers long and located between the municipalities of Buccino and Sicignano degli Alburni. Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI) describes this as a "double advance," marking a further step in the construction of the infrastructure.

The project has been awarded by RFI, the project's client, to the Xenia consortium, consisting of Webuild, FS Rail Construction, Ghella, and Tunnel Pro. FS Engineering is managing the works. The total investment is estimated at approximately €2,9 billion.

On the Battipaglia-Romagnano section, construction of approximately 35 kilometers of new railway line is underway, with 20 tunnels and 19 viaducts planned along the route. Excavation is also progressing in the Saginara and Piano Grasso tunnels, work is underway in the Cerreta tunnel, and the first artificial tunnels and viaducts are being built.

The new Salerno-Reggio Calabria line, funded in part by NRRP resources, is part of the European TEN-T Scandinavian-Mediterranean corridor. According to RFI, the project will contribute to strengthening rail connections between North and South, reducing travel times between Rome and Reggio Calabria and also boosting freight transport, particularly connections to and from the port of Gioia Tauro.