Naples to Bari HSR

Objective

To link the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic coasts of Italy with fast rail, cutting travel times between Naples and Bari to two hours, while boosting regional economic development by connecting southern ports. Serves as a vital terminal axis connecting the Scandinavian–Mediterranean Corridor (Naples) to the Adriatic port systems on the wider core network.

Description

A 147-kilometer high-speed, high-capacity railway modernization crossing the southern Apennines, involving extensive track doubling, major tunnel excavations, and newly built regional transit stations.

History

Developed under Italy's Sblocca Italia decree in 2014, the project aimed to modernise the obsolete 19th-century rail connections across the Apennine Mountains. The pre-construction era moved rapidly relative to other Italian megaprojects due to the appointment of a special government commissioner, who streamlined environmental approvals and public consultations across Campania and Apulia. Extra funding through EU Recovery & Resilience Facility (PNRR / NextGenerationEU)

Finance