Naples, 21 July 2025
Today, the new High Speed/High Capacity Napoli - Bari line takes another important step forward. Excavation of the Casalnuovo tunnel on the Napoli - Cancello lot has been completed. This is the first tunnel in Italy to be built using hyperbaric excavation, an innovative technique involving the use of compressed air to keep groundwater out of the work area and carry out excavation operations in dry conditions.
Works on the Napoli - Cancello lot were entrusted by Rete Ferroviaria Italiana to Italferr’s Project Management (both companies belong to the FS Italiane Group) and to the NACAV Consortium led by Webuild, with a total economic investment of approximately EUR 500 million.
Excavation in the Casalnuovo tunnel - around 650 metres long - went on 24/7, through a densely urbanised area. And resorting to hyperbaric digging provided advantages from an environmental point of view, as it avoided bringing the water table in contact with cement mixtures and chemical additives. All vehicles used were electrically driven, with zero emissions. In order to complete the works, the tunnel was hermetically sealed and divided into watertight compartments, with workers accessing the area through an airlock where the pressure was gradually increased to allow adaptation to the hyperbaric environment. Specific health protocols, procedures and monitoring systems were set in place to ensure the safety and health of workers during excavation.
On the Napoli - Cancello lot, the laying of tracks in the direction of Naples, which began last February, is also continuing; more than 10 km of tracks have now been laid and this activity is expected to be completed by the end of the summer. The activation of the Napoli - Cancello section in the first months of 2026 will allow HS/HC Napoli - Bari trains to reach the Napoli Afragola station, which will become a strategic hub for the connection between North and South and between regional and national transport systems. Moreover, the new Acerra and Casalnuovo stations will become operational, thus increasing accessibility to the high-speed system for a vast perimeter of the Naples metropolitan area between Casoria, Casalnuovo, Afragola, Caivano and Acerra.
In total, the future high-speed line between Naples and Bari will have a length of 145 km of new railway, with 15 new tunnels and 25 viaducts, and will serve 20 stations and stops along the route. The HS/HC Napoli - Bari route is an integral part of the European TEN-T Scandinavia - Mediterranean rail corridor and is also financed with NRRP funds. With the activation of the Cancello - Frasso section, expected by the end of 2025, direct travel times from Bari to Naples will be 2h 40'. Upon completion of the entire project, it will be possible to travel from Bari to Naples in two hours, to Rome in three hours and from Lecce and Taranto to the capital in four hours.