Installing a 10.5 km stretch of double rail track between Bari S Andrea and Bitetto in Puglia increases capacity on the railway line and heralds quicker, more efficient services for both freight and passenger traffic. This project completes the doubling of the entire railway line between Bari and Taranto. The line’s overall technical and operational standards are being modernised at the same time as the single track is replaced.
- 01 June 2018
The investment significantly upgrades railway infrastructure in the region. The double track improves connections between the ports of Bari and Taranto as well as rail links between Naples and Bari, as well as to the Bari Logistics District and Bari Airport.
Cutting congestion
Increasing the line’s capacity reduces travel time on the local rail network. The modernisation also improves service reliability and safety. This should help to cut road congestion and benefit the environment as more people see rail travel as an attractive option.
The line forms part of the European Union’s Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). Investments through TEN-T aim to improve transport infrastructures across Europe so that people and goods can move more easily in and between Member States.
Regional and national connections
Bari and Taranto are the two largest urban areas in Puglia. Bari has a population of around 327 000 people and is the region’s capital. Its port is Italy’s gateway to the Balkans and the Middle East. The Bari Karol Wojtyła Airport lies 8 km north west of the city centre. Train services run to and from Bari Aeroporto railway station, which was opened in July 2013. Meanwhile, Bari’s central train station connects to major Italian cities including Rome, Milan and Turin. Regional services connect to local centres such as Foggia, Brindisi and Taranto.
With a population of more than 200 000, Taranto itself is the third largest city in mainland southern Italy, after Naples and Bari. An important military and commercial port, the city is home to steel foundries, oil refineries, chemicals factories and shipyards.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Doubling of the Bari S Andrea-Bitetto section of the Bari-Taranto line phase 2” is EUR 96 340 478, with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 67 508 181 through the “Infrastructures and Networks” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Supporting a multimodal Single European Transport Area by investing in the TEN-T network”.