An Italian consortium led by Webuild has won a €1.3bn contract to build a 30km stretch of the Palermo-to-Catania rail link in Sicily.

The contract was awarded by state rail operator Rete Ferroviaria Italiana, and assigns Webuild three-quarters of the value, with Roman tunnelling specialist Ghella taking the remainder.

The scope covers the Fiumetorto–Lercara Junction, and includes the construction of 20km of twin-bore tunnels as well as 7km of roads and 2km of viaducts.

A station at Valle del Torto will also be built, and Cerda and Lercara stations will be upgraded. Rainwater capture systems will be used during construction and will be installed in the completed stations.

An estimated 1,500 jobs will be created during construction, which includes the use of four tunnel-boring machines.

When complete, the Palermo–Catania railway will reduce travel time from three to two hours.

In May 2023, Webuild and Ghella won a €1.2bn contract to build a 27km section of the Palermo to Catania route.