Webuild has achieved two new milestones in the project to double-track the Messina–Catania railway line, one of the most strategic infrastructure investments in southern Italy. The project aims to transform mobility in eastern Sicily, significantly reducing travel times and improving connectivity along the Ionian axis.
Work is proceeding at an accelerated pace, with two active construction fronts operating simultaneously, confirming the strategic importance of the project for the Italian railway network. On one hand, the Scaletta tunnel has been completed, and on the other, drilling has begun on the new Letojanni tunnel, marking the transition to a new phase of the work.
Two key tunnels are advancing simultaneously
The 2.7-km-long Scaletta Tunnel was completed using the “Letterìa” TBM, a high-capacity drilling machine used for one of the structure’s two boreholes. In parallel, excavation has begun on the Letojanni Tunnel, which will exceed 3.8 km in length and is being constructed using the “Alessia” TBM, recently relocated and put back into service following the completion of a previous section.
These two developments highlight the steady progress of the Messina–Catania line-doubling project, part of a railway infrastructure initiative designed to increase network capacity, improve service reliability, and reduce pressure on the existing coastal route.
The entire Palermo–Catania–Messina railway project will enable significant reductions in travel times: approximately 60 minutes between Palermo and Catania and 30 minutes between Messina and Catania. These time savings will directly contribute to increased regional mobility, the development of tourism, and the strengthening of local economic chains.
The project is part of the European TEN-T Scandinavia–Mediterranean corridor and traverses a geologically complex territory, which requires predominantly underground solutions. In total, the new line includes approximately 43 km of modernized railway track relocated from the coastal route.
The Giampilieri–Fiumefreddo segment is one of the most complex, including large-scale works such as viaducts, tunnels, and a future underground station in Taormina, designed to serve international tourist flows without impacting the urban landscape.
Webuild is currently carrying out 20 projects in southern Italy, involving over 10,200 employees and a network of approximately 7,500 companies in the supply chain. The work is also supported by dedicated industrial facilities, including production units for tunnel segments and training centers for TBM operators.
Through these investments, southern Italy is gradually building a new infrastructure backbone designed to reduce regional disparities and ensure a faster, safer, and more efficient transportation network.
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