Webuild, two new milestones for the Messina–Catania Railway Line: Scaletta Tunnel completed, excavation begins on the Letojanni Tunnel

The upgrade of the Palermo–Catania–Messina line will reduce travel times by 60 minutes between Catania and Palermo and by 30 minutes between Messina and Catania

The Scaletta tunnel (2.7 km) has been completed using the TBM “Letterìa”. Excavation has begun on the Letojanni tunnel (over 3.8 km) with the TBM “Alessia”

Milan, 4 June 2026 – Work is progressing steadily on the doubling of the Messina–Catania railway line, one of the most important infrastructure projects currently underway in Southern Italy. The project is set to transform mobility in eastern Sicily and significantly reduce travel times and distances along the Ionian corridor.

While the TBM “Letterìa” has completed excavation of the first tube of the Scaletta tunnel, near Giampilieri—marking a new milestone for the project—another main protagonist will begin its work: the tunnel boring machine “Alessia” has begun excavation in Letojanni, launching a new phase of the works.

Two operational fronts moving in parallel demonstrate the fast pace of a strategic infrastructure project for the future of the Italian island’s rail connections. The doubling of the Messina–Catania line, delivered by the consortium led by Webuild on behalf of RFI (FS Italiane Group), aims to make the network more modern, efficient, and sustainable, increasing both capacity and service reliability.

This infrastructure will significantly reduce travel times across the island: 45 minutes between Messina and Catania, and around two hours between Palermo and Catania. That means one hour saved along the western axis and 30 minutes along the Ionian side—figures that translate into more sustainable commuting, more accessible tourism, and less isolated production networks in everyday life.

The project, part of the TEN-T Scandinavian–Mediterranean Corridor, crosses a complex territory where infrastructure is often built underground rather than on the surface. Overall, the route includes 43 km of new railway line set back from the coast, designed to overcome geological constraints that have long slowed local mobility.

The completion of the first tube of the Scaletta tunnel represents a key milestone for Lot 2 Letojanni–Giampilieri, which alone accounts for more than 28 km of new double-track line. The TBM “Letterìa,” 135 meters long with a cutterhead exceeding 9 meters in diameter, has crossed the metropolitan area of Messina, excavating one of the two parallel tubes of the Scaletta tunnel, each over 2.7 km long. The route then connects to Giampilieri station, ensuring continuity between the historic line and the new infrastructure.

A few kilometers away, after completing the nearly 2.5 km-long Forza d’Agrò tunnel, the TBM “Alessia” was dismantled, transported along a 90-meter viaduct suspended over the Fondaco Parrino stream, and reassembled at the entrance of the new Letojanni tunnel. The TBM will now begin excavation of the first tube of the Letojanni tunnel, a structure of over 3.8 km which, once completed, will give way to a series of above-ground works. These include the Letojanni viaduct, composed of two parallel bridges measuring 225 and 245 meters respectively, designed to span the complex morphology of the Ionian coastline without interfering with the urban fabric.

The entire Giampilieri–Fiumefreddo axis involves 16 municipalities, including Taormina. The route includes highly complex works, such as the future underground Taormina station, planned within Lot 1 Fiumefreddo–Letojanni—a structure invisible at surface level but central to international tourist flows, given the area's potential. The first lot alone also includes more than 11 km of tunnels and major viaducts, such as the one over the Alcantara River, featuring a 120-meter arch span.

The doubling of the Messina–Catania line is just one of the flagship projects within Webuild’s broader industrial presence in Southern Italy. The company is currently involved in 20 infrastructure projects in the region, employing over 10,200 people (both direct and third-party staff) and working with a network of 7,500 companies, many of them local.

In addition, two industrial plants in Belpasso, on the slopes of Mount Etna, are now operational, producing prefabricated tunnel lining segments. A third facility in Dittaino, in the province of Enna, further strengthens the industrial capacity supporting the progress of the works.

There is also the Belpasso training center, where training takes place using TBM simulators and machinery under the guidance of technicians who work daily on construction sites. This is where skills are developed that will remain in the region even after the works are completed.

The new Sicilian railway line is part of a broader process of infrastructure modernization in Southern Italy, which has accelerated significantly in recent years. From the Palermo–Catania–Messina corridor—where Webuild is working on six lots (after completing the Bicocca–Catenanuova section in 2025)—to the Ragusa–Catania motorway, a strategic link for mobility in the southeast of the island.

Together, these projects are creating a new infrastructure backbone for Southern Italy, which, alongside the Salerno–Reggio Calabria and Naples–Bari high-speed lines, will ensure a more continuous and faster transport network capable of supporting economic growth and territorial cohesion across Italy.