New EU-funded upgrades on the Naples-Bari line, southern Italy

The European Commission approved a €124 million investment from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to upgrade a 16.5-km section of the Naples-Bari railway line, between Cancello and Frasso Telesino, southern Italy. Works include doubling-up single-track rail lines to increase speed, capacity and reduce travel time. Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc said: “This EU project will give a boost to local economies in Naples, Caserta, Benevento, Foggia and Bari, with shorter travel time for inhabitants and tourists. In the long run, this railway line, and the many others built with EU funding in southern Italy, will contribute to better quality of air in the region.” On the link road to Naples,a connection will be made with the Maddaloni Marcianise freight yard, which passes under the historic Cancello Caserta line. This will allow freight traffic to be directly routed to the yard, without affecting the regional line. The project also involves the construction of two new train stops, Valle Maddaloni and Frasso Telesino/Dugenta. The Naples-Bari route is part of the EU’s Trans-European Transport Network, on the Scandinavian-Mediterranean core corridor. The completion of the corridor, with the construction of over 9,300 km of railway – a third of which is in Italy – will connect major EU economic poles, which account for 20% of its GDP and approximately 15% of its total population.