A consortium comprising Salini Impregilo and Astaldi has won a contract worth €397 million for the design and construction of the Naples - Cancello section of the Naples – Bari high- speed railway line in Italy.

Commissioned by ITALFERR S.p.A., the project is scheduled for completion by 2022 and comprises the first section of the Naples - Bari line, a key part of the upgrading of the railway lines throughout the country. The section between Naples and Cancello will bring rail service to the new Napoli Afragola station, which will act as the point of transfer between regional and high-speed services, improving access to rail service in Naples. The project also includes the construction of the Acerra station and two urban stations, namely Casalnuovo and Centro Commerciale. The section will extend for about 15.5 km across the Casoria, Casalnuovo, Afragola, Caivano and Acerra areas.

The Naples - Bari route is part of the Scandinavia - Mediterranean Corridor of the Trans-European Network (TEN). Its requalification and development aims to improve the competitiveness of rail transport, integrate the south - east railway network with the high-speed service, and increase the share of goods transported by rail.

The contract, won by a consortium in which Salini Impregilo owns 60% and Astaldi 40%, is to be signed once the remaining requirements have been met.

For Salini Impregilo, the contract belongs to €1.7 billion worth of projects already awarded this year, news of which was announced with the publication of the Group’s preliminary 2016 results.

For Astaldi, the 2016 financial results will be presented to the market on 14 March 2017.