Name the giants: two new TBMs excavating the Salerno–Reggio Calabria High-Speed Rail Line

Would you like to help choose the names of the TBMs (Tunnel Boring Machines) that will excavate the tunnels for the new Salerno–Reggio Calabria high-speed railway? 
A public contest has just been launched, inviting everyone to take part in naming the two massive machines that will soon begin digging the tunnels of Section 1A — help us choose!

To join in, simply visit tbmnamechallenge.salernoreggiocalabria.it.

According to tradition, giving a tunnel boring machine a name brings good luck. You can help us pick it by voting between Leucosia and Ligea or Elvira and Olga. Voting is open until 11:59pm on November 7, 2025.

The names Leucosia and Ligea are inspired by the sirens who, according to Greek mythology, lived along the shores of the Bay of Salerno. Elvira and Olga, on the other hand, honor two notable artists from Salerno — Elvira Notari, Italy’s first female film director, and Olga Schiavo, painter and ceramicist.

With cutter heads measuring 13.46 meters in diameter, these two TBMs — together with Partenope, already at work since last February on the Saginara tunnel — are the largest machines ever deployed by Ghella. One of the new TBMs will excavate the Serra Lunga tunnel, over 800 meters long, and will then continue with the Acerra (about 250 meters) and Petrolla tunnels (over 1.2 kilometers). The other will dig the Piano Grasso tunnel, more than 2.2 kilometers long, followed by the Contursi tunnel (over 1.5 kilometers).

The project

Fully funded by PNRR, the project includes the construction of a new high-speed railway line on the Salerno-Reggio Calabria route. This is a strategic route for passenger and freight transport in the connection between the north and south of Italy. Our operations will lead to improvements of the railway system that will enable a significant increase in passenger traffic, including better links to Sicily. Ghella will contribute to construction of the section between Battipaglia and Romagnano (Section 1A). This section covers the design and construction of around 35 km of railway, with trains reaching speeds of up to 300 km/h. Approximately 18 km of the route will be underground, including 8 cut-and-cover tunnels, 11 natural tunnels, and 19 viaducts. Four TBMs will be used for excavation. A junction at Romagnano will connect the new line to the existing historic railway alignment.