The first 8.5 kilometres of the new railway line of the Terzo Valico dei Giovi/Genoa Junction One Project between Rivalta Scrivia and Tortona was inaugurated today, thus enabling the return of regional trains between Tortona and Novi Ligure. The new tracks represent the final, northbound section of the future HS/HC line being built by the General Contractor led by the Webuild Group on behalf of Rete Ferroviaria Italiana, the lead company of the Infrastructure Cluster of FS Italiane Group and the Client of the entire project, under the coordination of Government Commissioner Calogero Mauceri.
The first train that left Tortona this morning was boarded by: Edoardo Rixi (Italian Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport), Calogero Mauceri (Commissioner Terzo Valico, Genoa Junction and Campasso), Alberto Cirio (Piedmont Region President), Giovanni Toti (Liguria Region President), Franco Lucente (Lombardy Region Councillor for Transport and Sustainable Mobility), Marco Gabusi (Piedmont Region Councillor for Transport), Enrico Bussalino (Alessandria Province President), Gianpiero Strisciuglio, (Rete Ferroviaria Italiana Managing Director and General Manager), Marco Rettighieri (Chairperson of the general contractor led by Webuild), together with representatives of Trenord, and the Mayors and Institutions of the territories involved.
“The Government has secured all the necessary funds to complete the work within the timeframe set by the PNRR. This deadline commits all parties involved, from the Commissioner to the companies, to meet the timetable to build Europe’s largest railroad project. Excavations are well underway and technical solutions have been outlined. We must continue to work in this direction,” said Italian Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Edoardo Rixi. Terzo Valico dei Giovi – Genoa Junction Commissioner Calogero Mauceri, also said that “today, we have achieved a first goal: putting a first section of the future Terzo Valico dei Giovi at the service of citizens. We travelled 8.5 kilometres by train in a northerly direction, which were accomplished through the continuous efforts of technicians and workers, despite the objective difficulties encountered. All those involved must commit to continue to building such a complex but equally important work for the area.”
“Today’s inauguration marks the start of a strategically important work for Italy’s future” – said Rete Ferroviaria Italiana CEO Gianpiero Strisciuglio. “Today, we are entering the implementation phase of a project that is finally becoming a reality, with tangible benefits for passenger and freight traffic. This proves that the investments that the PNRR has allocated to the FS Group offer modernity, innovation and sustainable services to the area.”
From Monday, January 15, six Trenord regional trains will run between Tortona and Novi Ligure and vice versa along the Milan-Novi Ligure/Arquata Scrivia line with a stop in Pozzolo Formigaro, a station that reopens after a needed closure to allow for infrastructure upgrades and restyling work. Trips between Novi and Arquata will include a stop in Serravalle Scrivia.
This will include three pairs of morning and evening trains, in commuter time slots, that will enable people to travel comfortably by train, once again, after six years in which the service had been suspended.
Freight traffic will also benefit thanks to the new Rivalta Scrivia site, the new Rivalta Scrivia Station Master Plan, the junction present at the Terzo Valico, at Tortona, and on the Alessandria-Piacenza route, allowing freight convoys to reach the new Rivalta Scrivia site, further promoting the development of the key Logistic Hub for the area. The interventions carried out in Rivalta Scrivia with 4 new 750-metre-long tracks and the double access to the Junctions (RTE and Logistics Hub) at the station allow the capacity of the existing yard to be increased, and longer trains to stop there.
The work, carried out in several phases to ensure the functionality of the freight yard and its accessibility at all times, will continue by equipping the rail yard with a modern fire-fighting system to handle the transportation of dangerous goods, further expanding its market potential. New shelters, underpasses and sidewalks will concomitantly be built in Rivalta Scrivia station, opening in 2024. This will make it more usable and accessible with special attention to people with disabilities or reduced mobility.
The Terzo Valico dei Giovi Genoa Junction One Project will allow trains to travel at a maximum speed of 250 kilometres per hour through the provinces of Genoa and Alessandria towards the city of Milan. The project represents a real transport revolution in northern Italy, with a strategic value for Europe too. The entire Genoa port system will benefit first, but the link will also enhance the Rhine-Alpes Corridor of the TEN-T trans-European transport network. Goods will have a preferential route, as they will be transported efficiently to the port of Rotterdam, with significant obvious environmental benefits.
