Caterina Tunnel excavation completed on Lot 1A

Caterina Tunnel excavation has been completed on Lot 1A of the Salerno-Reggio Calabria high-speed/high-capacity railway. The route is intended to link southern Italy with northern Italy and Europe.

Caterina Tunnel excavation and Lot 1A

Work on Lot 1A is being carried out by a Webuild-led consortium. It is under contract from RFI, part of the FS Italiane Group.

Stretching for more than 1km, the Caterina Tunnel was excavated using TBM Mireille. The machine weighs 1,200 tonnes and is powered by 11 engines generating 3,850 kW. It also has a cutterhead more than 10 metres in diameter.

Operating Mireille requires more than 100 specialised technicians. Meanwhile, teams work seven days a week under strict safety protocols.

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TBM Mireille and the Sicignano Tunnel move

Mireille worked on the Grand Prix Express before its refurbishment in Umbria. It became the first TBM to be refurbished at a Webuild facility there. The company uses the site to extend the life of large excavation machines.

The move will take place in the coming months. It will cover 400 metres to the future entrance of the Sicignano Tunnel. The relocation will be complex. There, it will excavate a section of more than 2.5km. This work is part of the 35km Battipaglia-Romagnano railway in the province of Salerno.

Elsewhere on Lot 1A, activity spans both tunnel excavation and preparation for future viaducts. The 450-metre Cerreta Tunnel is being excavated using traditional methods. At the same time, abutments and piers for future viaducts are under construction. Steel decks will later allow TBMs to move to the next excavation site.

Other TBMs on the Salerno-Reggio Calabria railway

Three additional TBMs are operating on Lot 1A alongside Mireille: Partenope, Leucosia and Ligea. Partenope is excavating the 3km Saginara Tunnel. It is working through the hills of the Sele Valley between Campagna and Contursi Terme.

Leucosia is working on the Serra Lunga Tunnel, which is more than 800 metres long. It will then move to the Acerra Tunnel at 250 metres. It will later head to the Petrolla Tunnel at more than 1.2km. Ligea is excavating the 2.2km Piano Grasso Tunnel. It will then start work on the 1.5km Contursi Tunnel.

When complete, Lot 1A will include 20 tunnels and 19 viaducts. More than 1,400 people are employed on the project, including direct staff and subcontractors. Once operational, the Salerno-Reggio Calabria line will form a strategic axis of the Scandinavian-Mediterranean Corridor. That corridor is part of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T).

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