In July, Iris, a 1,500-ton tunnel boring machine with a 9.4 metre diameter, commenced its 24/7 operation to carve out two seven-kilometer-long tunnels side by side approximately 20 metres below the ground between the Campo di Marte station and the viale XI Agosto area, between the Firenze Rifredi and Castello stations. The space created will become the home of Florence’s future high-speed rail bypass.
Simultaneously, work is moving forward on the new Firenze Belfiore station, designed by London-Based architecture firm Norman Foster and Partners alongside engineering company Arup. The new station will cover 45,000 square feet, relieving pressure on Firenze Santa Maria Novella and thus becoming the city’s main transport hub.
The glass weight-bearing structure works vertically in a pioneering design, allowing trains to be visible from the surface with natural light. Escalators and lifts connect to rails 25 metres beneath the ground, with bus terminals, car parks, taxi stands, platforms for regional trains, and car parking located on ground level.
“This is a very important moment for Florence, Tuscany, and the mobility of the entire country,”
remarks Gianpiero Strisciuglio, CEO of Rete Ferroviaria Italiana, the Italian railway infrastructure manager and subsidiary of state-owned holding company Ferrovie dello Stato.
“This work will improve the quality of public transport, speed up connections, and separate the flow of traffic. In this way, we will be able to increase slots for passenger and goods trains along Italy’s main train lines.”
Costing 2.7 billion euro, the entire project is slated for completion by 2028.
