Excavation of the Melito Tunnel has begun on the Naples–Bari high-speed railway, according to a Railway PRO report.

The Melito bore sits on the Campania–Puglia alignment that Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI), the infrastructure arm of Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane, is delivering in sections. Engineering and programme management on the line sit with Italferr, the FS Group engineering subsidiary. Civil works contracts typically cover tunnel excavation, viaduct construction, track-bed preparation and station shells, with rail systems installed under separate tenders.

Where does the Melito Tunnel sit on the route?

The Naples–Bari new line crosses the Apennine chain between the two regional capitals. The historic route via Caserta, Benevento and Foggia carries regional and inter-city traffic on alignments that limit speed. The new line replaces much of that detour with tunnels and viaducts sized for higher-speed running.

The Melito Tunnel falls within one of the currently active construction lots on the route. Its excavation start marks the contractor's move from site preparation and access works into spoil production at the head. Spoil management, water handling and ground-support installation become the dominant activities from bore commencement through to breakthrough.

Why does the project matter?

The upgrade targets a Naples–Bari end-to-end journey of around two hours, against more than three hours on the existing indirect service. That timing underpins the case for shifting long-distance passengers and freight off road and onto rail. The route also forms the southern Italian arm of the TEN-T Scandinavian–Mediterranean corridor, which has unlocked EU co-financing for the civil works packages.

For regional rail operators, a faster trunk line shortens paths that require a change of train today. For freight, the new alignment provides an inland corridor that avoids the most congested nodes around Naples and Foggia, and shortens transit times for intermodal and bulk traffic moving between the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic coasts.

What other work is running in parallel?

The Naples–Bari project splits across multiple lots, each with its own tender, contractor and commissioning window. Reported progress in past RFI updates has covered sections including the Apice–Hirpinia and Telese–San Lorenzo areas, while station works at Naples, Cancello, Caserta and Frasso form separate packages. The Melito excavation adds a new active front to that parallel programme.

On the broader corridor, related investments include capacity upgrades on the Adriatic backbone and the Bologna–Ancona alignment. Together these projects target a continuous higher-speed path from the Tyrrhenian ports to the south-eastern Adriatic, with onward links to the Balkans and Greek networks.

What comes next?

Excavation start is the first in a sequence of civil-works gates. Subsequent milestones include bore breakthrough, secondary lining, track-bed handover, and rail-systems fit-out for catenary and signalling. Each gate determines when a finished civil package reaches the systems contractors.

Track-laying typically follows completion of a contiguous tunnel and viaduct chain, with slab or ballast track installed by mechanised equipment. ETCS signalling and 25 kV electrification then enable dynamic testing before commercial service can begin.

How should the announcement be read?

The Railway PRO report confirms excavation start as an event. Trade-press practice treats contractor and operator announcements on dates and progress as claims to check against RFI's published programme. Completion targets for the overall line have moved in previous FS Group business plans, and the Melito advance now needs to be reconciled against that wider schedule.

Further milestones on the Melito Tunnel, including bore breakthrough and fit-out, will set the delivery tempo for the surrounding construction lots along the Naples–Bari high-speed line.