The project entails constructing a new 15.5 km section of railway between Naples Central station and Cancello to replace the existing line. It forms part of the modernisation of the Naples-Bari railway, which will be crucial to the development of southern Italy and enhance its economic and social integration with the rest of the country and Europe as a whole.
Naples-Cancello section of Naples-Bari railway to be redeveloped
- 28 October 2019
Realignment of the Naples-Cancello section will lengthen the line, creating a direct connection with the Naples Afragola high-speed station, a strategic hub not currently linked to the regional railway system.
Tunnels, viaducts and new stops
The existing single track on the section – which will have a design speed of 100-130 km/h and be able to handle maximum loads of 20 tonnes/axle – will be doubled and new track laid. A 2.58 km tunnel will be built at Casalnuovo, of which 500 m will be in a single tube and the rest in a double tube to accommodate the Circumvesuviana local line.
Further work includes construction of four viaducts with a total length of 3.8 km in the municipality of Acerra, three new stops at Casalnuovo (underground), Marziasepe (on a viaduct) and Accera, and a catenary system. In addition, extensions of the command and control system to run from the Naples technological hub to cover sections of the line are envisaged.
South of Afragola, the new Naples-Cancello section will run towards Naples Central for around 1.8 km, in parallel with the Rome-Naples high-speed line before joining the route of the existing Naples-Cancello line. This will be dismantled when the new line opens. Afragola station and the station at Casalnuovo will provide interchanges with the Circumvesuviana line. Acerra station will form an interchange with the Acerra-Pomigliano D’Arco-Naples line.
Development of the Naples-Bari route has been identified as a priority. It falls under the Scandinavian-Mediterranean core network corridor and will contribute to strengthening connections between some of the most important EU regions. A 30 % increase in goods transport in Europe in terms of tonne-km is forecast by 2030. The current project is intended to help provide an adequate response to mobility needs for both freight and passengers.
Linking high-speed and regional networks
A specific objective for the modernisation of the Naples-Cancello section is to enhance connections between suburban and regional rail networks and the high-speed system in the Naples metropolitan area and municipalities to the north, which have major road, industrial and commercial infrastructure.
General objectives for the modernisation of the entire Naples-Bari line include boosting the competitiveness of rail transport by improving performance, increasing capacity and the number of services, and shortening journey times. The line is expected to strengthen integration of the railways with intermodal and logistics terminals, thus helping increase the volume of freight transported by rail.
Economic and social integration of the regions of southern Italy should be enhanced thanks to better connections between Campania and Apulia. Finally, continuity of rail transport between Naples and Bari will be ensured by eliminating the need for trains to change heads at Caserta, which is currently necessary due to the configuration of the network.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Naples-Bari Railway Axis – NA-BA route, 1st section: Naples-Cancello new section” is EUR 887 600 000, with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 114 034 507 through the “Infrastructures and Networks” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Transport and energy networks”.