Rocchetta Tunnel, approximately 6.4 km long and 62% complete, is longest underground structure of Apice-Hirpinia section, excavated using TBM “Futura” with a diameter of over 12 metres

Civil works on Hirpinia station completed

MILAN, November 11, 2025 – Webuild proceeds with the excavation of the Rocchetta Tunnel for the new Naples-Bari high-speed/high-capacity railway, a tunnel that will be the longest along the Apice-Hirpinia section of the line commissioned by Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI of FS Italiane Group).

The “Futura”, a next-generation tunnel-boring machine (TBM) with a cutterhead over 12 metres in diametre, has done the first four kilometres of the tunnel, 62 percent of its planned 6.4 kilometres length.

The civil works on the Hirpinia station have also been completed. It is built on two levels with four tracks (two central and two lateral). It will be served by a dedicated access road network that will include four roundabouts, eight roadways, and a parking area. Work on the access road began in recent weeks. This station will be a key hub connecting the inland areas of Avellino and Benevento to the national high-speed rail network.

The Apice-Hirpinia section stretches 18.7 kilometres across the provinces of Avellino and Benevento, with 13 kilometres of tunnels. It is the central part of the Naples-Bari line.

The project is part of the many works Webuild is carrying out in the southern Italy, whose total award value reaches approximately €15 billion. The projects employ approximately 8,700 people, directly and indirectly as of June 30, 2025, and have involved a supply chain of over 7,600 companies since the start of construction. The Naples-Bari line will be part of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) Scandinavian-Mediterranean Corridor, a strategic infrastructure to improve southern Italy’s connectivity with the rest of Europe. 

Webuild is preparing for another important milestone on the Apice-Hirpinia project: in the coming weeks, the launching of the reinforced concrete beams for the Ufita-Apice viaduct. This structure will connect the Rocchetta Tunnel to the future Apice (Benevento) stop. 

On this section, Webuild established an Advanced Training Centre in Apice supported by the training lab in Bovino, which includes a TBM simulator that provides a highly realistic and safe environment for training operators involved in complex tunnel excavation.

In total, the Naples-Bari line will span 145 kilometres of railway, with 15 tunnels, 25 viaducts and 20 stations and stops. Once completed, travel times between Naples and Bari will be reduced to two hours (from the current four); three hours between Rome and Bari; and four hours between Lecce and Taranto to Rome.