A €1.2 billion contract has been awarded for the upgrade of a high-capacity railway in Sicily, Italy. A consortium between Webuild and Ghella won the contract. Webuild holds 75% of the consortium’s shares while its partner Ghella holds 25%.
The contract states that the Webuild-led consortium will construct a 27 km section of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) corridor between Caltanissetta Xirbi and Nuova Enna. The consortium will collaborate with TunnelPro, and it’s subsidiary SELI Overseas for the upgrade of the high-capacity railway between Palermo and Catania in Sicily, Italy.
The new Palermo-Catania-Messina axis will be connected to the TEN-T Scandinavian-Mediterranean Corridor. It is thus a significant project for Sicily and Italy. There will likely be a one- to two-hour reduction in travel time between Palermo and Catania.
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Construction of the high-capacity railway in Sicily
The National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR in Italian) provided the funding for the project. The scheme is commissioned by the Italian railway infrastructure manager Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI).
Webuild will now build five lots or sections along the Palermo-Catania-Messina rail axis. They have a total estimated value of €3.6 billion. According to estimates, up to 4,300 direct and indirect jobs could be created as a result of work on these five lots.
More than 580 direct suppliers will directly participate, with more than half coming from southern Italy and the islands. With the most recent contract win, Webuild has 17 projects in southern Italy and the islands under construction. More than 3,800 businesses, according to the company, are involved in the supply chain.
