Webuild: public contest launched to name two giant TBMs for excavation of first section of Salerno-Reggio Calabria High-Speed Railway

PRESS NOTE

WEBUILD: PUBLIC CONTEST LAUNCHED TO NAME TWO GIANT TBMs FOR EXCAVATION OF FIRST SECTION OF SALERNO-REGGIO CALABRIA HIGH-SPEED RAILWAY TWO NEW TBMs, AMONG THE LARGEST IN EUROPE, READY TO START

Credits: Consorzio Xenia

• The competing names are rooted in local tradition: one group draws inspiration from the myth of the sirens Leucosia and Ligea, while the other is inspired by renowned cultural figures such as Elvira Notari and Olga Schiavo

• The two TBMs will soon go into operation and are the largest ever used by Webuild in Europe, alongside TBM Partenope, which has been in use since February

SALERNO, Italy, October 31, 2025 - Two giant machines are about to begin their journey in the heart of southern Italy, and it will be up to the public to decide what names they will assume. Webuild has today launched a public contest to choose the names of the two tunnel-boring machines (TBMs) that will soon start excavating two tunnels on Lot 1A of the Salerno-Reggio Calabria high-speed railway. The project is being carried out by a consortium led by Webuild with partners Pizzarotti, Ghella, and Tunnel Pro, on behalf of RFI (FS Italiane Group).

To participate in the contest, visit the page: https://tbmnamechallenge.salernoreggiocalabria.it/. In keeping with the tradition of giving female names to TBMs, the public can vote until November 7 for one of two pairs of names: Leucosia and Ligea, inspired by the sirens of Greek mythology who were said to have lived in the Salerno Bay; or Elvira and Olga, a tribute to two prominent Salerno-born artists: Elvira Notari, Italy's first female film director, and Olga Schiavo, a painter and ceramist. The winning names from the "Name the Giants" contest will be announced on November 12 on Webuild's social media channels.

With a cutterhead diameter of 13.46 metres, these two TBMs - along with "Partenope" that has been operating since February on the Saginara tunnel - are the largest TBMs Webuild has deployed in Europe. All three machines will play a key role in constructing the tunnels planned for Lot 1A of the new high-speed railway between Salerno and Reggio Calabria.

Lot 1A is an integral part of a broader project to build the Salerno-Reggio Calabria high-speed railway. It includes 35 kilometres of rail between the cities of Battipaglia and Romagnano, including 20 tunnels (eight of which will be excavated using four TBMs) and 19 viaducts. This line represents a key element in ensuring a fast and continuous connection between southern Italy and Sicily. With the Strait of Messina Bridge, this infrastructure will enable the integration of Sicily's high-capacity railway network with the national and European networks, as part of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) corridors.

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Webuild is a global leader in the construction of large, complex infrastructure projects, with a focus on sustainable mobility, hydropower, water treatment, and green buildings. A recognized leader in the water sector and active in about 50 countries, the Group employs approximately 95,000 people of over 125 nationalities. It boasts 120 years of experience with over 3,700 completed projects. Its track record includes 13,648 kilometres of railways, 891 kilometres of metro lines, 82,577 kilometres of roads and highways, 1,022 kilometres of bridges and viaducts, 3,462 kilometres of tunnels, and 319 dams and hydropower plants. Among its most iconic projects are the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam in Ethiopia, the expansion of the Panama Canal, the Long Beach International Gateway bridge in California (USA), the Second Bosphorus Bridge (Turkey), the Sydney Metro Northwest skytrain viaduct and bridge (Australia), the Kingdom Centre skyscraper in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), and metro lines in cities such as Copenhagen, Paris, Rome, Milan, Naples, Doha, Thessaloniki, and Riyadh. Ongoing projects include the New Genoa Breakwater, the Brenner Base Tunnel, the Pedemontana Lombarda Highway, Metro di Roma's Line C, the Genoa-Milan and Naples-Bari high-speed/high-capacity railways, the Palermo-Catania-Messina high-capacity railway, the Snowy 2.0 hydropower scheme in Australia and the Dams System in Trojena in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. As of December 31, 2024, the Group registered total revenues for €12 billion. As of June 30, 2025, its total order backlog stands at approximately €59 billion, with over 90% of its construction backlog related to projects linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Listed on the Borsa Italiana stock exchange in Milan (WBD; WBD.MI; WBD:IM), it is member of the MIB ESG index of Italian companies with best ESG practices. Headquartered in Italy, it is subject to the management and coordination of Salini Costruttori S.p.A.

More information at https://www.webuildgroup.com

‌Contacts: ‌Francesca Romana Chiarano Senior Manager - Media Relations Tel. [phone]‌‌ email: [e-mail] Francesco Squitieri Regional Communications Manager (Campania, Calabria, and Apulia) Tel. [phone] email: [e-mail]