Progress accelerates on Rocchetta Tunnel in Apice–Hirpinia

Excavation on the Rocchetta Tunnel along the Apice–Hirpinia section of the future Naples–Bari high-speed and high-capacity railway has reached an important stage. The project team has completed the first four kilometres of the planned 6.4-kilometre alignment, representing approximately sixty two percent of the tunnel works. A next-generation tunnel boring machine name ''Futura'' with a cutterhead exceeding twelve metres in diameter continues to advance through varying geological conditions.

Spanning 18.7 kilometres, the Apice–Hirpinia section includes thirteen kilometres of tunnels and represents the central portion of the new railway. It forms part of a wider national investment plan and is integrated into the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) Scandinavian–Mediterranean Corridor.

Civil works have also been finalised for the future Hirpinia station. The structure is arranged across two levels and includes four tracks, two central and two lateral, supported by a new access road system currently under development. The road network will consist of four roundabouts, eight connecting roadways and a dedicated parking area. The station will act as a strategic interchange for inland communities in the Avellino and Benevento provinces, improving access to the national high-speed network.

Preparations are underway for the next major activity on this section involving the launch of reinforced concrete beams for the Ufita–Apice viaduct. This structure will link the Rocchetta Tunnel to the future Apice stop. A dedicated training centre equipped with a tunnel excavation simulator continues to support workforce development. Once the 145-kilometre Naples–Bari line is completed, travel times will reduce significantly. The corridor will include fifteen tunnels, twenty five viaducts and twenty stations and stops.