The first kilometer of the TBM 'Futura'

The excavation of the Rocchetta Tunnel is progressing at full speed, with the completion of the first kilometer of the planned 6.5 km tunnel.

The TBM Futura, with a diameter of over 12 meters, advances with highly efficient production, reaching peaks of 25 meters per day.

Italferr, engaged in the Construction Management of the first functional lot Apice-Hirpinia, thanks to intense teamwork, brings highly specialized know-how and skills to the field every day, respecting safety and quality standards, to contribute to adding an important piece to the realization of the entire project.

A great engineering challenge taking shape, carried out in a complex geological and geotechnical context that characterizes the territory of Hirpinia.

Together with the TBM Futura, there will be a total of 8 tunnel boring machines working on the new Naples-Bari route. The TBM Aurora, which has recently completed the excavation of the Grottaminarda tunnel and will now move to construct the Melito tunnel, and the TBM Marina, currently engaged in the excavation of one of the two tubes of the Orsara tunnel, on the Orsara-Bovino lot, are operational.

The new Naples-Bari High-Speed/High-Capacity line is an integral part of the European TEN-T Scandinavian-Mediterranean railway corridor and is also financed with PNRR funds. With the activation of the Cancello-Frasso section scheduled for 2025, it will be possible to travel directly from Bari to Naples in 2h 40'; upon completion of the entire project, it will be possible to travel from Bari to Naples in two hours, to Rome in three hours, and from Lecce and Taranto to the capital in four hours.

The project is already a driving force for development in the area and for job creation, involving about seven thousand people, including engineers, technicians, and workers, as well as a supply chain of two thousand companies among suppliers and subcontractors.

Photo credit: Vincenzo Santangelo, Italferr