Work started today in Taormina on the Taormina-Fiumefreddo section of the Catania-Messina line, an integral part of the newly upgraded Palermo-Catania-Messina railway line.
The Taormina-Fiumefreddo is part of the Giampilieri-Fiumefreddo track doubling, speeding up and technological upgrading project, one of the most challenging of the Catania-Messina route, which involves the construction of 43 km of a new double track, about 37 km of which will be underground as well as a variant of the current line.
Under the work supervision of Italferr, which also developed the preliminary design and verification of the executive design, the interventions will increase freight traffic and improve the mobility of Sicilian travellers by reducing travel time between Messina and Catania by 30 minutes, bringing it down to 45 minutes.
The newly upgraded Palermo-Catania-Messina line, an integral part of the Scandinavian-Mediterranean Corridor, has a total value of more than 11 billion euros and also benefits from resources from the NRRP. This is a strategic infrastructure for the development of the Sicilian network and that will benefit the travel of tourists and workers. In addition to reducing the Palermo-Catania connection by 60 minutes, the evolution of the infrastructure will make it possible to increase the frequency and number of passenger and freight trains and to allow the circulation of those European-standard cargo trains that are heavier and longer than the current maximum limits.
The inauguration of the construction site, in the presence of Matteo Salvini Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Renato Schifani President of the Sicily Region, Mario Bolognari Mayor of Taormina, Filippo Palazzo, Extraordinary Commissioner of the work, Luigi Ferraris CEO of FS Group, Andrea Nardinocchi CEO of Italferr, Vera Fiorani CEO of RFI and Pietro Salini CEO of Webuild, marked the first Sicilian stage of the 'Cantieri Parlanti' project as well which is an operation of transparency and information, designed to inform territories and stakeholders about the benefits of the work and to provide updated data through panels placed inside the construction sites as well as on web channels.