Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI) awarded the consortium of Webuild (leader) Ghella, Seli Overseas and TunnelPro a EUR 1.3 billion contract for Fiumetorto-Lercara rail junction part of the Palermo – Catania high-capacity railway project, in Sicily.
The project comprises of the development of 30 km of new rail tracks to double the junction (Lot 1+2).
Webuild leads the consortium with a 75% stake (including 5% held by its Seli Overseas subsidiary), while partner Ghella has 25% (including 10% owned by its subsidiary TunnelPro). Webuild and Ghella will deploy the latest in technology and construction methods to ensure the project is sustainable as possible.
Works for Fiumetorto-Lercara rail junction will include 20 km of parallel tunnels to accommodate travel in both directions, more than 2 km of road and rail viaducts, more than 7 km 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 and that used in industrial processes. They will use four tunnel-boring machines (TBMs) and the stations will come equipped with systems to ensure a more efficient use of water and the capture of rain.
Works on this new lot of the railway line will create 1,500 new jobs.
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. In addition, it will contribute to regional disparities and will link the southern and northern Italy.
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 which include the Bicocca-Catenanuova, Nuova Enna-Dittaino and Caltanissetta Xirbi-Nuova Enna and Lercara-Caltanissetta Xirbi between Palermo and Catania. Construction on two other sections (Taormina-Giampilieri and Fiumefreddo-Taormina/Letojanni) are implemented between Catania and Messina.
Webuild says that 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.
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