PRESS NOTE

Milan, May 28, 2019 - New driverless metro trains began service on May 26 on the Sydney Metro Northwest, the line that includes the technically challenging and prize-winning skytrain bridge by Salini Impregilo. It marks the completion of the first phase of Sydney Metro, Australia’s biggest public transport project as well as Sydney’s most ambitious since the construction of Sydney Harbour Bridge a century ago.

The 270-metre curved, cable-stayed bridge is the centrepiece of the line while the four-kilometre-long skytrain viaduct stretches between the suburbs of Bella Vista and Rouse Hill. It has been recognised internationally for its innovative excellence and attention to environmental sustainability during its construction, much like what Salini Impregilo pursues on every project. It led to the Group winning a prestigious award from Engineering News-Record (ENR), an influential U.S. trade magazine: the 2018 Project of the Year. Recognition of the quality of the project, the innovation applied to it, the high safety standards, cultural diversity among the workers and the benefits that is bringing to the communities it serves also led ENR to assigning the Group the 2018 Global Best Project in the railway sector.

Sydney Metro Northwest will cross the city for 36 kilometres, bringing reliable public transport services for the first time to the city’s northwest where the ratio of vehicles to residents is the highest in the country. According to Sydney Metro forecasts, at least 200,000 more people are expected to come live in the area in the coming years, bringing the population to 600,000 - double that of Canberra. Sydney Metro is the first fully automated metro rail system in the country, contributing to sustainable mobility in a city and state that are investing billions in infrastructure to support their development.

The country has become one of the primary markets for Salini Impregilo as its contribution to the total order backlog has grown from 1.5% to nearly 12% in the first quarter thanks to April’s signing of Snowy 2.0, the biggest hydroelectric project of its kind in Australia. The Group’s presence in the country could be strengthened by Progetto Italia (Project Italy), an industrial operation by Salini Impregilo to consolidate the sector in Italy, making the most of Italian excellence in infrastructure to better compete in international markets, including Australia.