Palermo - Catania - Messina HC Railway line, Lercara - Caltanisetta Xirbi Section, Italy

60 minutes. On some occasions this can be considered very little, while on others it can be a problem. In the case of rail transport, in fact, these 60 minutes can be decisive for citizens in the choice of using a sustainable means of transport such as the train or opting for a more polluting but faster one.

It is with this mobility objective in mind that the entire project for the construction of the Palermo-Catania-Messina route, which also includes the section Lercara-Caltanissetta Xirbi, was conceived.

Commissioned by RFI - Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (Gruppo FS Italiane), section Lercara-Caltanissetta Xirbi envisages the design and construction of 47 km of new railway line, with a route that will mostly deviate from the historical line.

The work will be carried out using state-of-the-art techniques and machinery: 22 km of tunnels (including interconnections) will be excavated with TBM (Tunnel Boring Machines), more than 11 km of viaducts will also be built, 32 km of connected roads and the Vallelunga station will be modernised.

The project is part of the wider programme to strengthen the Palermo-Catania-Messina railway line, of which Lot 3 is an integral part, and is a strategic infrastructure for Sicily and Italy. It also benefits from PNRR funding, and is intended to increase the speed and efficiency of goods and passenger transport on the island by significantly reducing travel time between Catania and Palermo.