Catania, 29 October 2025
The new Bicocca-Catenanuova line was activated, as part of the Palermo-Catania-Messina line, one of ten strategic projects Rete Ferroviaria Italiana is implementing, under Italferr’s technical direction (both belonging to FS Group), and Filippo Palazzo as Government Commissioner.
The maiden voyage, departing today from the Catania Fontanarossa station to reach the newly-built railway line between Bicocca and Catenanuova, hosted FS Group Managing Directors and General Managers, Aldo Isi (Rete Ferroviaria Italiana) and Dario Lo Bosco (Italferr), the Government Commissioner Filippo Palazzo, the President of the Sicilian Region, Renato Schifani, and the Mayor of Catania, Enrico Trantino. Matteo Salvini, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, spoke at the ceremony via video-link.
As of 2 November, Catania and Palermo will once again be directly connected, with the resumption of the commercial range, and a travel time of 2 hours and 57 minutes. Connection to the Catania Aeroporto stop will also be ensured.
This is an important piece of the new Palermo-Catania-Messina route, a project worth over EUR 13 billion, partially financed through NRRP funds. The project will ensure compliance with interoperability requirements, significantly increase the competitiveness of rail passenger transport, and meet mobility needs by reducing journey times, with increased frequency and regularity of service. It falls within the Cantieri Parlanti framework, developed by FS Group, RFI, and Italferr, in partnership with the MIT (the Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport), the Government’s Extraordinary Commissioner, to communicate the activities and benefits of the new infrastructure in a transparent manner, through public initiatives, infopoints, and a web page focused on the most strategic projects.
A new 38km double-track line was built along the Bicocca-Catenanuova section (lot 6 of the Palermo-Catania route), with a total investment of over EUR 600 million. An average of 250 workers were on the construction site every single day, +500 contractors were involved in the works, and more than 170 construction vehicles were employed. The line completion required the construction of 17 railway viaducts, 2 artificial tunnels, 8 road overpasses and 5 road underpasses, which allowed for the removal of all 14 existing level crossings, providing an alternative road system without interferences the railway line. During the track-doubling works, the Catania Bicocca, Motta S. Anastasia, Sferro and Catenanuova stations also underwent an upgrade.
Moreover, during the project, all the latest railway traffic management technologies were installed, to ensure a safe, punctual, reliable and timely maintenance on the line. The Central Computerized Multi-Station System (ACCM) was implemented to command and control the new railway line through the Bicocca Multi-Station Control Point (PCM). The new Computerized Station System (ACC) was activated in the same location, and Peripheral Locations were placed in the PM Motta, PC Sferro and Catenavuova facilities, along with the track-side system, (SCMT). Finally, the safety and signalling systems near the Catania Acquicella, Lentini Diramazione and Sparagogna stations were updated. The new section was included in the SCCM (Multi-Station Command and Control System), with centralised railway traffic managed by the Palermo Control Point.
The new 179 km long Palermo-Catania line project, including 128 km of tunnels, features the double-track Bicocca-Catenanuova section - already completed - the Fiumetorto-Lercara Diramazione section, and a new fast track between Lercara Diramazione and Catenanuova, as track variant. And on the Catania-Messina line, track-doubling works are being completed between Giampilieri and Fiumefreddo, for a total length of about 42 km. The works are currently underway on all the route lots.