Italy’s New High-Speed Rail Aims to Revive the South and Curb Depopulation

Italy is advancing a major infrastructure project to extend high-speed rail into its long-neglected southern regions, aiming to boost the local economy and reverse decades of depopulation. The new 145-kilometre high-speed line will connect Naples on the Mediterranean coast to Bari on the Adriatic, cutting travel time from four to just two hours by 2028.

The €6 billion ($6.48 billion) project—partially funded by the EU’s COVID-19 recovery fund—is seen as a strategic investment in the underdeveloped “Mezzogiorno.” Construction is led by a consortium including Pizzarotti, Ghella, and Itinera, and managed by state-owned Ferrovie dello Stato (FS).

“This is a revolutionary project—two seas and ports will be linked,” said Alessio Forestieri of Pizzarotti. The upgraded two-track line will replace the existing slower route, with stations being modernized and a new one built in Irpinia, a remote area inland from Naples.

Despite having over 17,000 km of rail, Italy’s network has historically favored the wealthier north. The high-speed network stopped in Salerno in 2009, and expansion further south stalled due to funding delays. This project marks a shift.

The southern-focused think-tank Svimez estimates the project will generate over €4 billion in economic activity and create 62,000 jobs during construction. For locals, the benefits are already tangible. Federica Favo, a 29-year-old civil engineer from Naples, said the project has opened real job opportunities for young graduates: “The base camp feels like a town—it’s transforming the area.”

Southern Italy has suffered a steady brain drain, with nearly 340,000 young people leaving the region or the country between 2012 and 2022. Svimez warns that by 2080, the south could lose over 8 million residents, dropping its share of the national population from 33.8% to 25.8%.

Giuseppe Cirillo, head of the high-speed project at FS’s infrastructure unit RFI, said the new line is vital: “It gives people the chance to stay in their hometowns and still commute to cities for work.” For residents of remote villages like Savignano Irpino, the project brings hope. “It’s the first time we’ve had a station,” said local resident Angela Lombardi. “This line will finally give us a choice.”

Source: Reuters