Palermo-Catania HSR

Objective

To transform Sicilian regional transport by slashing travel times between its two largest economic centers, laying the groundwork for high-capacity rail connectivity that will eventually feed the future Strait of Messina Bridge.

Description

A 178-kilometer comprehensive railway overhaul across Sicily, upgrading single tracks to double-tracks, realigning curvy mountainous sections, and deploying European-standard signaling systems.

History

Long requested by regional authorities to replace slow, winding inland tracks, the project was fast-tracked under Italy's post-pandemic recovery planning. Pre-construction was accelerated by grouping multiple design-build lots under the Contratto di Programma between the Ministry of Transport and RFI, satisfying the strict time constraints required to secure EU funding via the EU Recovery & Resilience Facility PNRR)

Finance