Rome–Naples high-speed railway

The Rome–Naples high-speed railway line is one of the railways in the Italian high-speed rail network. Initially opened in December 2005, it is the first railway line in Italy to be electrified at 25 kV AC (instead of traditional 3 kV DC) and the first in the world to use ETCS Level 2 in normal rail operations.

Planning for the high-speed route commenced during the 1980s following its identification as a favourable option for development ahead of several proposed options. During May 1995, following a competitive tender, contracts for the line's construction were awarded to a range of contractors that were collectively known as the IRICAV UNO consortium. Construction of the line involved the boring of 28.3 km (17.6 mi) of tunnels, as 13 percent of the selected route was underground. Despite the geological challenges, the construction process was relatively steady and proceeded to plan. During March 2001, it was announced that all civil engineering works had been completed, fulfilling the agreed schedule and with little divergence in terms of costs.

The first section of the railway, between Roma Termini and Gricignano di Aversa, was opened to traffic on 19 December 2005. The final 25 kilometres (16 miles) from Gricignano to Napoli Centrale opened on 13 December 2009. It is owned and operated by Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI), while the trains running upon the railway are operated by both the state rail company Trenitalia and the privately-owned open access company Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori (NTV). When the line has been fully completed, trains will typically take 70 minutes to travel between the two cities. The line is part of Corridor 1 of the European Union's Trans-European high-speed rail network, which connects Berlin and Palermo.