ITALY: A feasibility study for the construction of a high speed line along the Adriatic coast from Bologna to Rimini, Ancona, Pescara, Foggia, Bari and Lecce is to be undertaken by infrastructure manager RFI.
The costs and benefits of a new line built for 300 km/h operation will be compared with the ongoing upgrade and double-tracking of the existing route for 200 km/h running.
The existing Bologna Centrale – Bari Centrale line is 649 km long, and from Bari to Brindisi and Lecce is 149 km. The upgrading programme is expected to cost €5bn.
The construction of a new high speed line is estimated to take 13 years and cost between €40bn and €50bn.
Business association Confindustria said the line could generate €95bn of benefits for industry and tourism as well as reducing pollution and improving quality of life.
The feasibility study commissioned by the Ministry of Infrastructure & Transport is to be completed by the end of 2023.
