Italy activates a 4,000-ton, 130-meter-long tunnel boring machine to devour 3 km of mountain, with a cutting head of 13.46 meters and a power of 10 MW in a high-speed railway project in the south of the country.

Written by Ana Alice

Published on 28/05/2026 at 23:23

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One of the largest tunnel boring machines used by Webuild in Europe has started working on a railway project in southern Italy, bringing together underground engineering, high speed, and large-scale equipment in a strategic section.

Italy has put into operation the Partenope, a tunnel boring machine weighing about 4 thousand tons and 130 meters in length, to excavate the Saginara gallery, a 3-kilometer railway tunnel in the Battipaglia–Romagnano section of the future high-speed line Salerno–Reggio Calabria, in the south of the country.

According to Webuild, the machine has a cutting head with a 13.46-meter diameter and 18 electric motors totaling 10 MW of power.

Partenope enters operation on the Salerno–Reggio Calabria railway

The project is carried out by a consortium led by Webuild for RFI, a company of the state group FS Italiane.

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How a 4 thousand ton tunnel boring machine works

In projects of this type, the cutting head functions as the front part of the tunnel boring machine.

It rotates against the massif, fragments soil and rock, and allows the removal of excavated material through internal systems.

Depending on the construction method adopted, the machine also works integrated with the installation or preparation of the lining that supports the tunnel.

The size of Partenope is linked to the characteristics of the route.

A double-track gallery requires excavation of a large diameter, as well as technical control over stability, ventilation, material removal, and operational safety.

According to Webuild, more than 100 specialized technicians are involved in the operation and maintenance of the equipment.

The installed power of 10 MW is used to move the structure and activate the cutting head during drilling.

The pace of progress can vary according to the geological conditions encountered, such as rock hardness, presence of water, ground behavior, and coating needs.

The Battipaglia–Romagnano Section and the Tunnels of the Project

In lot 1A Battipaglia–Romagnano, mechanized excavation will have four tunnel boring machines.

They will be used to open eight tunnels along a stretch of 35 kilometers of the new railway, which also includes viaducts, artificial tunnels, and connection with existing lines.

The Partenope is the first of these machines in operation in the project.

Two other large tunnel boring machines have been scheduled to excavate the Serra Lunga, Acerra, Petrolla, Caterina, and Sicignano tunnels.

A fourth machine, previously used in the Grand Paris Express in France, was refurbished to work on the Piano Grassi and Contursi tunnels, according to information released by Webuild.

The reuse of this fourth tunnel boring machine was done at a Webuild industrial unit in Terni, created to regenerate tunnel boring machines and other heavy equipment.

The procedure involves disassembly, inspection, replacement of components, and adaptation of the machine to the characteristics of the new site.

High Speed in Southern Italy

The Salerno–Reggio Calabria line is part of the plan to expand high-speed and high-capacity railway infrastructure in southern Italy.

FS Italiane classifies the corridor as strategic for passengers and freight by connecting regions in the north and south of the country.

In lot 1A, the Xenia Consortium is responsible for the work.

The group is led by Webuild and includes participation from Pizzarotti, Ghella, and Tunnel Pro.

The section includes the connection between Battipaglia and Romagnano and a junction in Romagnano, designed to allow connection with the existing Battipaglia–Metaponto–Potenza line.

Underground Engineering in Railway Works

The engineering involved in the project illustrates the use of large-scale equipment in underground projects.

Unlike conventional excavation methods, a tunnel boring machine concentrates drilling, material removal, and support for lining in a continuous process, reducing direct exposure of workers to the excavation front.

Even with a high degree of mechanization, the operation depends on technical teams.

Professionals monitor parameters of progress, pressure, torque, wear of the cutting head, material removal, and ground response.

This data guides adjustments during drilling and helps maintain excavation control.

Tunnels and viaducts also play a central role in high-speed railway lines because they allow for more regular routes in areas with complex terrain.

In the case of the Battipaglia–Romagnano lot, Webuild reports that the section will be 35 kilometers long, with 19 viaducts and about 18 kilometers of underground route.

Ghella reports that the line was designed to allow speeds of up to 300 km/h in this section.

The entry of Partenope into operation marks a technical stage in the construction of the Salerno–Reggio Calabria line.

From the excavation of the Saginara tunnel, the work depends on the machine’s performance underground and the conditions encountered along the 3 kilometers of gallery.

Italy activates a 4,000-ton, 130-meter-long tunnel boring machine to devour 3 km of mountain, with a cutting head of 13.46 meters and a power of 10 MW in a high-speed railway project in the south of the country.

One of the largest tunnel boring machines used by Webuild in Europe has started working on a railway project in southern Italy, bringing together underground engineering, high speed, and large-scale equipment in a strategic section.

Partenope enters operation on the Salerno–Reggio Calabria railway

How a 4 thousand ton tunnel boring machine works

The Battipaglia–Romagnano Section and the Tunnels of the Project

High Speed in Southern Italy

Underground Engineering in Railway Works

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Italy activates a 4,000-ton, 130-meter-long tunnel boring machine to devour 3 km of mountain, with a cutting head of 13.46 meters and a power of 10 MW in a high-speed railway project in the south of the country.

One of the largest tunnel boring machines used by Webuild in Europe has started working on a railway project in southern Italy, bringing together underground engineering, high speed, and large-scale equipment in a strategic section.

Partenope enters operation on the Salerno–Reggio Calabria railway

How a 4 thousand ton tunnel boring machine works

The Battipaglia–Romagnano Section and the Tunnels of the Project

High Speed in Southern Italy

Underground Engineering in Railway Works

A British company has installed in the middle of the ocean the world’s first floating platform that generates electricity 24 hours a day from the temperature difference between the surface and the depths of the Atlantic, without relying on wind or sun.

Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt has ceased to be a climatic phenomenon and has become a biological system that feeds on itself, with 8,000 kilometers in length, 37 million tons of algae, and scientists confirm that it is now permanent.

China is building an artificial island in the middle of the sea, covering 20 km², to construct the largest offshore airport in the world, the Dalian Jinzhouwan. This $4.3 billion project is anchored on more than 3,000 pillars embedded in the rock beneath the ocean and is scheduled to open in 2035.

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Austrian engineers have developed an inflatable concrete technology that transforms flat slabs into domes using only air pressure, eliminating scaffolding and temporary forms, and potentially changing the way bridges, tunnels, and curved roofs are constructed worldwide.

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