Excavation of the Melito Tunnel on the Apice–Hirpinia section of the Naples–Bari high-speed/high-capacity railway began on 25 September 2026, according to NTR24.
The tunnel is planned as a single-bore, double-track railway tunnel. NTR24 reports its length as approximately 4.5 km, while Webuild reports 4.4 km.
The Aurora machine
Excavation is being carried out with the tunnel-boring machine named Aurora. According to NTR24, the machine has a 12.50 m excavation diameter, 18 motors rated at 350 kW each, and five backup carriages.
Aurora is the same machine previously used for the Grottaminarda Tunnel. NTR24 reports that it was transported across the Ufita Valley before being reassembled at the Melito worksite.
The work is commissioned by Rete Ferroviaria Italiana, directed by FS Engineering, and executed by the HIRPINIA AV Consortium.
Third tunnel of the Apice–Hirpinia section
Melito is the third and final tunnel of the Apice–Hirpinia section, following the Grottaminarda and Rocchetta tunnels. FSNews reported in May 2026 that excavation of the Rocchetta Tunnel had been completed and that Melito was the next tunnel scheduled to begin excavation.
The sources retrieved do not provide a confirmed completion date for the Melito excavation, nor an exact future service-opening date for the complete Apice–Hirpinia section.
Project context
The wider Naples–Bari project includes approximately 145 km of infrastructure and forms part of the TEN-T Scandinavia–Mediterranean corridor, with funding that includes PNRR resources, according to FS Group and Webuild sources.
The wider project is described as including 15 tunnels, 25 viaducts, and 20 stations and stops.
Melito at a glance
- Location: Apice–Hirpinia section, Naples–Bari railway
- Excavation started: 25 September 2026
- Planned form: single-bore, double-track tunnel
- Reported length: approximately 4.4–4.5 km
- Excavation machine: Aurora TBM
- Position in section: third tunnel, after Grottaminarda and Rocchetta
