Rail line doubling between Catania and Palermo

The new Bicocca-Catenanuova railway line, a key part of the new strategic Palermo-Catania-Messina main line, has been officially opened, improving rail transport on the island and marking a decisive step towards a more connected and sustainable Sicily.

This is an important milestone for Italferr, the engineering firm of FS Group, which has played a key role in the design, construction supervision and project management, confirming yet again its position as a driver of innovation and sustainability, decisively contributing to the interoperability of the network and strengthening the competitiveness of rail transport, with tangible benefits in terms of journey times and the regularity and frequency of train services.

The inaugural train departed on its first run from Catania Fontanarossa station on 29 October 2025, heading for the new rail section between Bicocca and Catenanuova, carrying some very important passengers indeed, such as the CEOs and General Managers Aldo Isi (RFI) and Dario Lo Bosco (Italferr), the Government Commissioner Filippo Palazzo, the President of the Region of Sicily Renato Schifani and the Mayor of Catania Enrico Trantino. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Matteo Salvini spoke via video link to highlight the importance of the event.

The new route covers 38 kilometres of double track, with 17 viaducts, 2 artificial tunnels, 8 railway overpasses and 5 road underpasses, which have eliminated 14 level crossings, significantly improving overall safety and local traffic flows. This complex project was managed with a high degree of technical and organisational coordination, especially during the delicate final activation phase.

Great attention was paid to environmental protection, with Italferr leading targeted interventions in this field.

However, the real breakthrough was in the field of technological innovation, with Italferr’s Lo Bosco emphasising how "This project is a virtuous example of innovation and advanced digitalisation ….. Italferr has introduced 4D and 5D BIM for time and cost control, confirming our pioneering role in digital and hi-tech development, while at the same time enhancing our commitment to combating organised crime by preventing the mafia from infiltrating the construction sites".

The section has also been equipped with state-of-the-art technological systems for railway traffic management, ensuring maximum safety, punctuality and reliability. A new Multi-Station Centralised Computerised System (ACCM) has been created for the command and control of the line via the Bicocca Multi-Station Centralised Control Centre (PCM) and a new Multi-Station Command and Control System (SCCM) has been installed for the centralised management of rail traffic from the Palermo Centralised Control Centre.