Naples-Afragola: Contract Signed for Metro Line 10 Technology Infrastructure
Naples, May 4 – A significant contract for the technological infrastructure of Lot 2 of Naples Metro Line 10 was signed yesterday afternoon at Palazzo San Giacomo. The project aims to connect Naples Di Vittorio with Afragola Centro, providing a crucial link to the Naples-Bari High-Speed railway.
The signing ceremony was attended by Mayor Gaetano Manfredi, the Vice President and Councillor for Transport, Mobility, and Sea of the Campania Region, Mario Casillo, and the Municipal Councillor for Infrastructure, Mobility, and Civil Protection, Edoardo Cosenza. The contract was officially signed by Umberto De Gregorio, President of Ente Autonomo Volturno (EAV), and Julián Barrutia Olasolo, General Prosecutor of the temporary business grouping comprising CAF (mandatary), Leonardo, AET srl, Mer Mec Ste srl, and Francesco Ventura Costruzioni srl.
Project Details and Scope
The Line 10 project will establish a direct connection between Naples and the Afragola High-Speed railway station. This newly signed contract specifically covers the executive design and implementation of the entire technological infrastructure for Phase 1A, which spans approximately 6.5 kilometers from Naples Di Vittorio to Casoria Centro and Afragola Centro.
The scope of work includes the installation of railway and system plants, such as track-laying, electrical power supply, signaling and control systems, telecommunications, supervision, safety, and ticketing systems. Furthermore, the contract provides for the supply and commissioning of 7 automated metropolitan trains, along with a comprehensive five-year maintenance service.
Financials and Timelines
The value of this contract amounts to approximately 238 million euros. The overall value of the intervention, including options for future extensions up to 21 trains, is projected to exceed 630 million euros.
The anticipated timeline for the project includes approximately 7 months for executive design, 2 years for the implementation of the systems, and up to 5 years for the supply, testing, and operational launch of the trains.
Impact on Regional Transport and Urban Development
Mayor Gaetano Manfredi emphasized the transformative potential of Line 10, stating, “The Line 10 will significantly improve the transport system in the north-eastern area of Naples, serving a catchment area of over 650,000 residents, and more generally the entire city thanks to interchanges with Line 1, Line 2, and the regional railway network. The new metro will also contribute to reducing vehicular traffic and emissions.”
The civil works for the project, which include the entirely underground route and stations, have already been awarded to the Partenope 10 consortium, led by Webuild, with their contract signed last March.
“We are focusing heavily on Line 10, the first automated metro outside the city perimeter that allows us to connect with Afragola,” Manfredi added. “It is a vital link for the city’s public transport system and will play a strategic role because it will allow access to the Naples-Bari High-Speed railway by metro. Today we are signing the part of the contract related to signaling and trains, and this will allow us to quickly finalize the executive project for a complex undertaking, which we expect to begin within a year and a half with the opening of construction sites.”
Institutional Collaboration and Future Vision
Mario Casillo, Vice President of the Region, highlighted the strong institutional collaboration driving the project. “This work can be realized thanks to the great institutional collaboration between the Region, the Municipality, and the Government. These results are achieved when there is synergy, and it is right that this happens, especially for such important and strategic works that require a long-term vision. It is a visionary intervention that will fill a large gap and provide a response to the citizens of the area north of Naples in terms of efficient transport services, especially towards the city.”
Councillor Cosenza explained the strategic decision to divide the project into two parts: “With a shared choice of the Municipality of Naples and the Region, through EAV, the intervention was divided into two parts to obtain the best offer for both civil works and technology. In this case, the best of Italian industry, which also operates internationally, participated, and this is a positive sign because it means that everyone believes in these works that we must do in Naples.”
Umberto De Gregorio, President of EAV, underscored the broader significance of the project. “This contract for technological works and trains is worth 238 million for the first section alone. Meanwhile, other procedures are underway that will allow the creation of a fundamental work with a total value of over 3 billion euros, representing the completion of the regional metro project desired by the President of the Region and the Mayor of Naples.”
Julián Barrutia Olasolo, General Prosecutor of the RTI, expressed satisfaction with the new opportunity: “We are pleased to have this other opportunity to work in Naples, after winning the tender for the supply of trains for Line 1 and for EAV. This Lot 2 of Line 10 includes, in addition to autonomous trains, the supply of railway systems.”
The project is expected to enhance connectivity, reduce traffic congestion, and contribute to the overall economic development of the Naples metropolitan area.