Italian railway infrastructure manager RFI (FS Group) has awarded the contract for constructing the new Santomarco Tunnel on the Cosenza-Paola/San Lucido line, a key segment of the future Salerno-Reggio Calabria high-speed/high-capacity corridor. The €1.6 billion project was granted to the Santomarco Consortium, comprising Webuild, Ghella, Impresa Pizzarotti & C., and Seli Overseas.
The project involves building a new 22-kilometre double-track high-speed line, featuring approximately 17 kilometres of tunnel and 5 kilometres of surface track. The new route will traverse the municipalities of Paola, San Lucido, Rende, Montalto Uffugo, San Vincenzo la Costa, and San Fili in Cosenza Province.
A new station with connecting roads will be constructed near the Cosenza entrance of the tunnel in Montalto Uffugo, serving both the local area and Rende’s university hub. The line is scheduled for completion in 2032.