Italy looks to reverse depopulation, lift economy

Italy's high-speed railway is finally pressing into the heart of the underdeveloped south, using European Union funds in the hope that the new network will help reverse years of depopulation and lift the lack-lustre economy.

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The 145-kilometre line will connect the cities of Naples on the Mediterranean coast to Bari on the shores of the Adriatic in just two hours, against four at present.

The link, which is being upgraded and will also be managed by state-controlled railway group Ferrovie dello Stato (FS), is expected to be completed by 2028.

"It's a revolutionary project, two Italian ports and two seas will be connected,” said Alessio Forestieri from construction company Pizzarotti, part of the consortium building the line, which also includes constructors Ghella and Itinera.

Costing just over €6 billion (228 billion baht), almost a quarter of this will come from the EU’s Covid-19 recovery fund.

Italy is the largest recipient of the fund and has been criticised for missing spending deadlines and constantly seeking revisions of its original plans. However, the high-speed line is already being held up as a success story.