Italy-based construction firm Webuild is set to launch its tunnel boring machine (TBM) on 21 February 2025 for a high-speed railway line in Italy.
The launch of TBM CREC 1418, touted to be the largest TBM in Europe, will mark the starting of excavation for the Saginara Tunnel along Lot 1A Battipaglia-Romagnano of the Salerno–Reggio Calabria high-speed rail line.
The project is being executed by a consortium led by Webuild for RFI (Gruppo FS Italiane).
It will create a 35km railway line between Battipaglia and Romagnano.
The new Salerno–Reggio Calabria high-speed rail line will be a strategic route connecting Italy’s northern and southern regions.
It will enhance interconnections in southern Italy, providing access to areas currently excluded from the HS railway system, such as Cilento, Vallo di Diano, the Ionian coast, Cosenza, the Port of Gioia Tauro, and the Reggino area.
Lot 1A will allow trains to travel up to 300 km/h. About 18km of the route will be underground, featuring eight artificial tunnels for 4km and 12 natural tunnels, with eight totalling approximately 13km, all excavated using four TBMs.
The project will also include 19 new viaducts, covering about 6km.
Webuild’s new TBM, with a cutting-head diameter of over 13m, spans approximately 130m in length and weighs around 4,000 tonnes.
Powered by 18 motors delivering 10MW, the environmentally friendly TBM will be operated by over 100 specialised technicians.
The TBM 1418 is an Earth Pressure Balance (EPB) machine designed to prevent ground-level collapses using earth pressure within the excavation chamber.
According to Webuild, the TBM is a ‘green’ Earth Pressure Balance machine designed to reduce energy consumption by 20% with features like the Eco Cruise and Automatic Utilities Management System.
It also utilises Continuous Mining for efficient tunnel lining, speeds up excavation, and incorporates a flushing robot to prevent clogging.
A total of four TBMs will be used on Lot 1A of the Salerno–Reggio Calabria railway line, excavating eight tunnels.
Lot 1A is part of the broader project to build the high-speed rail line, awarded to the Xenia Consortium, led by Webuild with partners Pizzarotti, Ghella, and Tunnel Pro.
Recently, the construction company completed underground excavation for the first functional lot of the Verona-Bivio Vicenza HS/HC railway.
