By rosebell
As the longest underground structure along the Apice-Hirpinia section of the rail line, four kilometres or 62% the 6.4km Rocchetta Tunnel on the Naples-Bari high-speed railway have been dug by Webuild on behalf of Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI of FS Italiane Group).
With 13km of tunnels, the Apice-Hirpinia section stretches 18.7km across the provinces of Avellino and Benevento.Boring of the Rocchetta Tunnel is up to TBM Futura, which has a 12m-diameter cutterhead.
Linking the inland areas of Avellino and Benevento to the national high-speed rail network, civil works for the future Hirpinia station on the line have been finalised, that is due be a key hub.
Involving two levels with four tracks (two central and two lateral), Hirpinia station is going to be served by a dedicated access road network that will include four roundabouts, eight roadways, and a parking area.
Considering that the commissioning of the reinforced concrete beams for the Ufita-Apice viaduct commenced in recent days,and this structure will link the Rocchetta Tunnel to the future Apice stop, Webuild is preparing for another milestone on the Apice-Hirpinia project.
With the aim of providing a realistic and safe environment for training operators involved in complex tunnel excavation, on this section, Webuild established an Advanced Training Centre in Apice supported by the training lab in Bovino, which includes a TBM simulator.
With 145km long of railway,the Naples-Bari line includes 15 tunnels, 25 viaducts and 20 stations and stops,and following completion, it is slated to reduce travel times between Naples and Bari to two hours; three hours between Rome and Bari; and four hours between Lecce and Taranto to Rome.
As a strategic infrastructure to improve southern Italy’s connectivity with the rest of Europe, it will be part of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) Scandinavian-Mediterranean Corridor.
