The Italian infrastructure manager RFI will realise a feasibility study for the construction of a high-speed rail (HSR) line along the Adriatic coast from Bologna to Rimini, Ancona, Pescara, Foggia, Bari and Lecce in Italy. The costs and benefits of a line designed for 300 km/h will be compared with the ongoing upgrading and doubling of the existing 200 km/h line. The existing Bologna – Bari line is 649 km long and the Bari – Brindisi – Lecce section is another 149 km. The modernisation of the existing line is expected to cost €5 billion. The construction of a new HSR line is estimated to take 13 years and cost between €40 and 50 billion. The feasibility study ordered by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport should be completed by the end of 2023.
