By rosebell
On 21 February 2025, Italy-based construction firm Webuild is going to start up its tunnel boring machine (TBM) for a high-speed railway line in Italy.
As the largest TBM in Europe, The launch of TBM CREC 1418 will mark the starting of excavation for the Saginara Tunnel along Lot 1A Battipaglia-Romagnano of the Salerno–Reggio Calabria high-speed rail line.
The responsibility of executing this project is up to a consortium led by Webuild for RFI (Gruppo FS Italiane) and it is due to create a 35km railway line between Battipaglia and Romagnano.
Linking Italy’s northern and southern regions, the new Salerno–Reggio Calabria high-speed rail line will be a strategic route and boost interconnections in southern Italy, providing access to areas currently excluded from the HS railway system, such as Cilento, Vallo di Diano, the Ionian coast, Cosenza, the Port of Gioia Tauro, and the Reggino area.
The allowed speed of trains in Lot 1A will be up to 300 km/h and almost 18km of the route is slated to be underground, featuring eight artificial tunnels for 4km and 12 natural tunnels, with eight totalling approximately 13km, all excavated using four TBMs.
Also 19 new viaducts, covering about 6km will be the contents of this project.
With a cutting-head diameter of over 13m, Webuild’s new TBM spans around 130m in length and weighs almost 4,000 tonnes.
Powered by 18 motors delivering 10MW, the environmentally friendly TBM will be operated by over 100 specialised technicians.
With the aim of preventing ground-level collapses using earth pressure within the excavation chamber, the TBM 1418 is designed as an Earth Pressure Balance (EPB) machine.
In order to decreasing energy consumption by 20% with features like the Eco Cruise and Automatic Utilities Management System, the TBM green Earth Pressure Balance machine designed.
It also utilises Continuous Mining for efficient tunnel lining, speeds up excavation, and incorporates a flushing robot to prevent clogging.
Digging eight tunnels, a total of four TBMs will be used on Lot 1A of the Salerno–Reggio Calabria railway line.
As part of the broader project to build the high-speed rail line, Lot 1A is granted to the Xenia Consortium, led by Webuild with partners Pizzarotti, Ghella, and Tunnel Pro.
Recently, the construction company completed underground excavation for the first functional lot of the Verona-Bivio Vicenza HS/HC railway.
