ITALY: The European Commission has approved the allocation of €124m from the European Regional Development Fund to support upgrading of 16·5 km of the Napoli – Bari route between Cancello and Frasso Telesino.
This includes double-tracking to provide an increase in speed and capacity, the construction of stations at Valle Maddaloni and Frasso Telesino/Dugenta and the provision of a connection to enable freight trains to be directly routed to the Maddaloni Marcianise yard without impacting other services.
‘This EU project will give a boost to local economies in Napoli, Caserta, Benevento, Foggia and Bari, with shorter travel time for inhabitants and tourists’, said Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc on October 8. ‘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.’
