The regeneration and development of a 16.5 km section of the Naples to Bari railway line between Cancello and Frasso Telesino will speed up connections and help increase accessibility to rail services. Much of the work involves doubling-up single-track rail lines and changing the alignment on some existing sections to boost performance and reduce journey times.
Improving the Naples-Bari railway line between Cancello and Frasso Telesino
- 06 November 2019
Proceeding from the existing Dugenta/Frasso Telesino station, the project will double the existing line for approximately 9 km to Naples, which will allow for trains speeds of 180-200 km/h. Near the Valle dui Maddaloni station, the project provides for construction of a new double-track line for about 6 km, of which around 4 km will pass through the Galleria Monte Aglio tunnel. This section will connect the Cancello-Caserta section of the Rome-Naples line via Cassino.In addition, on the link road to Naples, a connection will be made with the Maddaloni Marcianise freight yard, which passes under the historic Cancello Caserta line. This connection allows freight traffic to be directly routed to the yard, without affecting the regional line. The project involves the construction of two new train stops: Valle Maddaloni and Frasso Telesino/Dugenta.
Strategic value
The Naples-Bari route falls within the EU’s Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) Scandinavian-Mediterranean Core Network Corridor and has been identified as a priority for improvement. The completion of the corridor, with the construction of over 9 300 km of railway (3 053 km of which is in Italy), will connect the most important socioeconomic regions of the EU, which account for 20 % of its GDP and approximately 15 % of the total population.
Because of its socioeconomic value and importance to the transport network, the EUR 5.5 billion investment programme for the Naples-Bari route is included in the Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport’s proposed Infrastructure Annex - Connecting Italy: Infrastructure requirements and projects. The strengthening of the railway axis connecting the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic Seas will make it possible to connect Rome, Naples and Bari in a ‘tri-pole’ hub.
Moreover, this specific project is part of the redevelopment of the Naples-Benevento-Foggia-Bari axis, which aims to improve the mobility of passengers and goods. The line is a key element for the development of southern Italy and its economic and social integration into the country and wider Europe.Once the Naples-Bari corridor is completed, a European Rail Traffic Management System will be installed.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Railway line Naples-Bari: Raddoppio Cancello – Frasso Telesino section” is EUR 695 250 000, with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 123 750 000 through the “Infrastructures and Networks” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Fostering the creation of a single European area of multimodal transport with investment in the TEN-T”.