Italy's high-speed railway is finally pressing into the heart of the underdeveloped south, using European Union funds in the hope that the new network will help reverse years of depopulation and lift the lacklustre economy. The 145-kilometre (90-mile) line will connect the cities of Naples on the Mediterranean coast to Bari on the shores of the Adriatic in just two hours, against four at present.

The link, which is being upgraded and will also be managed by state-controlled railway group Ferrovie dello Stato (FS), is expected to be completed by 2028. "It's a revolutionary project, two Italian ports and two seas will be connected," said Alessio Forestieri from construction company Pizzarotti, part of the consortium building the line, which also includes constructors Ghella and Itinera.