Salerno, 10 December 2025
Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (FS Italiane Group) works continue at full speed for building the new HS/HC Salerno-Reggio Calabria line - one of the most strategic projects for the future of national mobility. In the past few weeks, three new Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) began their excavation works on as many tunnels, bringing the number of boring machines active along the route to four. The infrastructure, co-funded with NRRP funds, is part of the European TEN-T Scandinavia-Mediterranean Corridor, a key axis that will connect Italy to the rest of Europe ever more quickly and efficiently.
The new TBMs - Leucosia, Ligea and Mireille - join Partenope, already in operation for several months. Leucosia and Ligea, both equipped with a milling head of more than 13 metres, are some of the most impressive machines used for railway works in Europe today. Leucosia is currently in excavating the Serra Lunga tunnel, while Ligea is working on the Piano Grasso tunnel and will later continue to the Contursi tunnel.
Mireille, on the other hand, represents a major innovation, as it is the first completely reconditioned TBM in Italy at the new national tunnel boring machine refurbishment centre. It is currently employed to excavate the Caterina tunnel, and will later be used for the Sicignano tunnel.
More than 1,000 people are currently active on site, with around 430 companies involved in the national supply chain. The activities are carried out by Consorzio Xenia - comprising Webuild (lead company), Pizzarotti, Ghella and TunnelPro - on behalf of RFI.
The excavation project is shaping the new high-speed link, which ill transform the accessibility of strategic territories such as Cilento, Vallo di Diano, the Ionian coast, the upper and lower Cosentino and the Reggino area. The future infrastructure will significantly reduce travel times between Rome and Reggio Calabria, enhance the HS service offer, and ensure greater regularity and quality of connections. Freight transport will also play a crucial role, by boosting the rail trade to and from the port of Gioia Tauro.