At the end of 2024, RFI launched a tender to build a 22-kilometre section of the new high-capacity Salerno-Reggio Calabria railway. Published in the final days of 2024, the tender marks progress towards completing the high-capacity railway, though scepticism remains regarding the timeline. The project includes both the detailed design and construction of the new Santomarco Tunnel, valued at over €1.6 billion. The 22-kilometre section features a 17-kilometre tunnel, providing a direct connection from the Tyrrhenian coastal line to the inland rail network, eventually linking with Sibari on the Ionian coast. From Sibari, the railway connects to Taranto and subsequently to the Adriatic railway.
The new route is designed to enhance freight transport, particularly from Gioia Tauro, which will gain a more efficient link to the Adriatic line. Regardless of the broader challenges facing the Salerno-Reggio Calabria railway, the Santomarco Tunnel holds undeniable technical and operational significance. However, RFI’s commercial plan notes that adjustments to the Sibari-Taranto route—such as intermodal transport upgrades and standard 750-metre crossing points—are not expected to materialise until after 2027.
The Santomarco Tunnel will complement the existing 15,333-metre tunnel, which opened in 1987 as a replacement for the original single-track mountain railway. Lacking service and safety tunnels, the older route necessitated a more efficient and higher-capacity alternative. Nevertheless, while the new tunnel represents progress, it falls short of being a decisive step towards completing the Salerno-Reggio Calabria line. With an estimated cost of €20-25 billion, the project risks remaining an aspiration rather than a reality.
Currently, of the nearly 400-kilometre route, only the first 35-kilometre section (Lot 1a) from Battipaglia to Romagnano is in the execution phase. Awarded in May 2023 to a consortium led by Webuild for over €2 billion, the first lot also saw a €35 million contract awarded in December 2024 for technological equipment, including central systems and signalling. Additionally, the PNRR-PNIEC Environmental Impact Commission under the Italian Ministry of Environment has approved the next two sections (Lots 1b and 1c), extending from Romagnano to Praia a Mare. However, these approvals mark only the beginning of a still-ongoing authorisation process.
Even if these sections advance to tender and construction, the roughly 127-kilometre stretch—the only one with local support—will leave a significant gap to Reggio Calabria. Completing this route would require a maxi-lot of similar length, but there is no consensus on the alignment. Two competing proposals have sparked technical and political debate: one favours an inland route through Tarsia (near Sibari Plain) and Cosenza, while the other proposes a path along the Tyrrhenian coast, nearly parallel to the existing line from Praia to Paola. Without a unified decision and the necessary funding, the risk looms that the new high-speed railway will halt at Praia, pending future resolutions.
Piermario Curti Sacchi
