Webuild/Ghella JV scoop €1.32bn Sicily Rail Project

Webuild and its consortium partner Ghella have won a €1.32bn contract to work on another section of a high-capacity railway under construction between Palermo and Catania in Sicily. It entails the development of 30km of new railway to double the Fiumetorto-Lercara Junction (Lot 1+2). Commissioned by Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI) (Gruppo FS Italiane), the project will support the development of infrastructure in Sicily and reduce the travel times between the island’s main cities, making rail transport more competitive.

Lot 1+2 will include 20km of parallel tunnels to accommodate travel in both directions, more than 2km of road and rail viaducts, more than 7km of roads, and three stations. One of the stations – Valle del Torto – will be built and the other two – Cerda and Lercara – will be upgraded. Webuild and Ghella will apply systems to recover and reuse rainwater and that used in industrial processes. They will use four TBMs. The stations will come equipped with systems to ensure a more efficient use of water and the capture of rain.

Webuild leads the consortium with a 75% stake (including 5% held by its Seli Overseas subsidiary), while partner Ghella has 25% (including 10% owned by its subsidiary TunnelPro). Works on this new lot of the railway line will create 1,500 new jobs. Webuild and Ghella will deploy the latest in technology and construction methods to ensure the project is sustainable as possible.

The new railway to connect Palermo, Catania and Messina is a strategic project for Sicily and Italy. It will make the transport of people and freight faster and more effective across the island, reducing travel times between Palermo and Catania by one hour, to two hours.

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