Novi Ligure, 27 April 2026 – Now that the last diaphragm was torn down, and the excavation works on the Novi Ligure railway link tunnels have been completed, the hub connecting the new high-capacity Genova-Milano line to the existing Genova-Torino line is finally open.
This interconnection is a crucial element of the comprehensive Terzo Valico project, carried out by the general contractor led by Webuild on behalf of Rete Ferroviaria Italiana, with the support of FS Engineering - both belonging to FS Italiane Group - under the supervision of the Extraordinary Government Commissioner, Calogero Mauceri. The project, funded under the NRRP, will overcome the infrastructural limitations of the existing Giovi line, connecting the Port of Genoa and North-Western Italy, and thereby improve the efficiency and capacity of railway connections between Liguria and Piedmont.
The infrastructure runs from the Serravalle tunnel, entirely underground, through two new single-track natural tunnels, covering a total length of 1,700 metres: 723 metres for the odd-track tunnel, and 987 metres for the even-track tunnel. The two tunnels branch out underground until they reach the existing line near Novi Ligure, and allow both passenger and freight trains to travel towards Turin and back without interfering with local traffic or existing railway services.
The construction site spread for almost seven hectares – equivalent to ten football pitches – and required two large underground interconnection chambers to be built, and man-made tunnel sections leading to the junction with the existing line.
The project’s conditions were challenging: the tunnels run at shallow depths, just a few metres from the Genova-Torino railway line, which remained in operation throughout, with minimal disruption to rail services. The excavations were done simultaneously on four sides, with the help of a complex monitoring system that measured any potential interference with the existing infrastructure in real time, in close coordination with the relevant authorities and Rete Ferroviaria Italiana.
Now that the tunnel excavations for the Novi Ligure interconnection are complete, the Terzo Valico dei Giovi project has taken another leap forward, bringing us closer to the goal of connecting Ligurian ports more quickly and efficiently, whilst strengthening the railway connections between the main logistics hubs and the industrial heartland of North-West Italy.