Riga Valley railway variant
Rail services between Fortezza and San Candido resumed
Bolzano, 27 January 2026
Effective on Tuesday, 27 January 2026, rail traffic will resume between the stations of Fortezza and San Candido, in the Pusteria Valley, following its suspension in December 2024 to allow for the completion of planned engineering upgrades, as part of the contract for the construction of the new Val di Riga variant, as well as work for upgrading the track equipment and the electric traction and signalling systems on the remaining section of the line.
The resumption of services on the Fortezza-San Candido line comes just in time for the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, which are due to start in the area next February, ensuring efficient transport operations.
Italferr, acting on behalf of Rete Ferroviaria Italiana, was involved in the final design, checking and validation of the construction design, worksite supervision and safety coordination, as well as the project management, with regard to the engineering works for the renewal and alteration of the permanent way of approximately 2.1 km of the Fortezza-San Candido line, in terms of its plan and profile.
In particular, the new line is partially trenched as it approaches the future Naz-Sciavez stop, in order to minimise its impact on the landscape.
The project involved the construction of approximately 0.8 km of railway embankments, 0.5 km of trenches and 0.4 km of cut-and-cover tunnels, as well as the new railway superstructure, electric traction and signalling systems, and adapting the SCMT (train speed control) system.
