Palermo – Catania High-Capacity Rail Line, Lot 4A Caltanissetta Xirbi-Nuova Enna

The construction of the new Palermo, Catania, and Messina link is a strategic project for the infrastructural development of Sicily, falling under the larger PNRR infrastructure programme. It aims to upgrade and duplicate the railway line, providing higher train frequencies, increased operating speeds, and more efficient transportation of freight and passengers within the island. This project will reduce travel time between Palermo and Catania to about 2 hours, down from the current 3 hours, making rail transport more competitive. The Palermo-CataniaMessina Line is an essential section of the Scandinavian-Mediterranean Corridor No. 5 within the TEN-T Trans-European transport network, promoting interconnection with the rest of Italy and Europe. The upgrade works have been divided into five functional sections, all of which are currently in progress. Ghella is involved in 3 sections of the project (lotto 1+2, lotto 3, lotto 4A).

The scope of section 4A includes the executive design and construction of 27 km of railway line from Caltanissetta Xirbi station (included) to Nuova Enna station (excluded), following a route that largely deviates from the existing line. This project also includes the construction of 20 km of tunnels and 3 km of viaducts.

Benefits

1. Infrastructural development and sustainable mobility in the South of the country
2. Reduction in train travel time of about 1 hour between Palermo and Catania
3. Reduction in greenhouse gas emissions