WEBUILD CONSORTIUM WINS CONTRACT FOR HIGH-CAPACITY RAILWAY BETWEEN PALERMO AND CATANIA

Webuild and its consortium partner have won a contract to work on another section of a high-capacity railway under construction between Palermo and Catania in Sicily. Webuild will lead the consortium with Ghella to build 30 kilometres of high-capacity railway. Commissioned by Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI) (Gruppo FS Italiane), the project will support the development of infrastructure in Sicily and reduce the travel times between the island’s main cities, making rail transport more competitive.

Along the railway being modernised to connect Palermo, Catania and Messina, Webuild, with other Italian companies, has come to work on seven sections, or lots: apart from the latest awarded contract, they include the Bicocca-Catenanuova, Nuova Enna-Dittaino and Caltanissetta Xirbi-Nuova Enna and Lercara-Caltanissetta Xirbi between Palermo and Catania; and sections Taormina-Giampilieri and Fiumefreddo-Taormina/Letojanni between Catania and Messina. Work on these sections will create a combined total of 7,300 jobs, directly and indirectly, with the involvement of more than 580 direct suppliers.

Lot 1+2 will include 20 kilometres of parallel tunnels to accommodate travel in both directions, more than two kilometres of road and rail viaducts, more than seven kilometres of roads, and three stations. One of the stations – Valle del Torto – will be built and the other two – Cerda and Lercara – will be upgraded. Webuild and Ghella will apply systems to recover and reuse rainwater that is used in industrial processes. They will use four tunnel-boring machines (TBMs). The stations will come equipped with systems to ensure more efficient use of water and the capture of rain.

The new railway to connect Palermo, Catania and Messina is a strategic project for Sicily and Italy. It will make the transport of people and freight faster and more effective across the island, reducing travel times between Palermo and Catania by one hour, to two hours.