First section of Palermo–Catania high-capacity line opens in Sicily
Sicily has entered the high-capacity rail era with the inauguration of the 38-kilometre Bicocca–Catenanuova section on the Palermo–Catania corridor — the island’s first operational stretch designed for 160 km/h operations.
Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI) and construction leader Webuild marked the opening with an inaugural train from Catania Fontanarossa Airport on 29 October, ahead of commercial service starting 2 November 2025.
Faster, higher-capacity link in southern Italy
The upgraded section cuts travel time between Bicocca and Catenanuova from about 25 to 17 minutes and doubles daily capacity to around 150 trains. Once the full 178-kilometre Palermo–Catania high-capacity line is completed, end-to-end journey times are expected to drop from roughly three hours to about two, integrating Sicily more closely into the EU’s Scandinavian–Mediterranean TEN-T corridor.
Webuild CEO Pietro Salini called the opening a “historic step for Sicilian mobility,” emphasising the long-term economic benefits of improved regional connectivity.
Why it matters: The project delivers the first tangible result in southern Italy’s rail modernisation drive, linking the island more effectively to the national and European network.
What’s next: Additional lots between Palermo and Catania will continue through 2026–2029 under an EU- and EIB-backed EUR 3.4 billion financing framework, aiming for full double-tracking and 2-hour service by the end of the decade.