The Webuild-led consortium managing the Salerno-Reggio Calabria high-speed and high-capacity railway has reached a major milestone with the completion of excavation works on the Caterina Tunnel in southern Italy.
The achievement marks significant progress on Lot 1A of a €1.6 billion project designed to modernise rail connectivity between northern and southern regions of the country.
Located in the province of Salerno, Lot 1A forms part of the Scandinavian-Mediterranean Corridor within the Trans-European Transport Network.
The section includes the construction of 20 tunnels and 19 viaducts that will strengthen Italy’s role in the cross-continental route linking Scandinavia to the Mediterranean.
The Caterina Tunnel extends for more than one kilometre and represents the first of the planned underground structures completed for this lot.
Excavation of the Caterina Tunnel was executed using an advanced tunnel-boring machine known as Mireille, a refurbished unit previously deployed on the Grand Paris Express.
The 1,200-tonne machine features a cutterhead exceeding 10 metres in diameter.
Its renovation was completed at Webuild’s specialist facility in Umbria before being transported to Salerno for deployment.
More than 100 technicians supported Mireille’s operations, working in shifts throughout the excavation process.
In the coming months, Mireille will be repositioned over a distance of approximately 400 metres to commence work on the Sicignano Tunnel, which is projected to extend another 2.5 kilometres.
Parallel to this, activity continues on other critical components of Lot 1A, including the Cerreta Tunnel (currently 450 metres in length and progressing through traditional excavation methods) as well as the construction of supporting infrastructure such as piers and abutments essential for future viaducts.
To sustain the pace of development, three additional tunnel-boring machines (Partenope, Leucosia, and Ligea) are simultaneously advancing work on separate sections of Lot 1A.
Each machine features a cutterhead larger than 13 meters and ranks among the most powerful systems operating in Europe under Webuild’s coordination.
Partenope is active within the Saginara Tunnel between Campagna and Contursi Terme, Leucosia is focused on the Serra Lunga segment and will later move toward the Acerra and Petrolla tunnels, while Ligea is currently engaged on Piano Grasso before proceeding to the Contursi Tunnel.
Across these sites, more than 300 technicians are employed to manage excavation and technical operations.
Lot 1A is managed by the Xenia consortium, composed of Webuild as lead partner alongside Pizzarotti, Ghella, and Tunnel Pro.
The team collectively employs over 1,400 professionals, including subcontractor personnel, and utilises services from more than 500 suppliers to sustain ongoing project requirements.
Further south, Webuild is also advancing work on the Cosenza-Paola and San Lucido track-widening portion of the same corridor.
That effort covers about 22 kilometres of new railway, including the 15-kilometre Santomarco Tunnel.
Together, these two regional developments form part of 21 infrastructure projects being carried out by Webuild across southern Italy, representing an overall investment exceeding €16 billion.
Since construction began, these operations have mobilised more than 10,200 workers and 7,500 suppliers, contributing to improved transport networks and employment throughout the region.
As the Salerno-Reggio Calabria high-speed line continues to take shape, the Webuild consortium anticipates delivering approximately 60 kilometres of new railway designed to accelerate travel times, enhance freight movement, and strengthen continental links between northern Europe and the Mediterranean basin.