by InTrieste
Italian authorities on Thursday signed a wide-ranging “Protocol of Legality” aimed at preventing organized crime from infiltrating the ambitious project to upgrade the railway line between Venice and Trieste, a key transportation corridor in northeastern Italy.
The agreement brings together the prefectures — the local offices of the national government — of Venice, Treviso, Udine, Gorizia and Trieste, along with Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI), the state-owned railway infrastructure manager, and representatives of trade unions in the sector. It establishes enhanced oversight measures for public contracts linked to the project, including construction works, services and supplies.
The protocol was signed by the prefects of the five provinces — Darco Pellos (Venice), Angelo Sidoti (Treviso), Domenico Lione (Udine), Ester Fedullo (Gorizia) and Giuseppe Petronzi (Trieste) — together with Vincenzo Macello, the government’s extraordinary commissioner for the project, RFI’s project representative, and union delegates.
The Venice–Trieste line upgrade is designed to increase both capacity and travel speed along a route that serves as a strategic link between northern Italy and Central and Eastern Europe. According to RFI, the work will be carried out in stages, delivering incremental improvements for passengers while enhancing long-distance traffic and aligning the line with European freight corridor standards.
The total lifetime cost of the project is estimated at approximately €1.8 billion. Construction activities currently underway amount to about €220 million, financed in part through Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), which draws on European Union funds allocated after the Covid-19 pandemic.
Under the terms of the protocol, the prefectures and RFI will cooperate closely to ensure full compliance with public procurement laws. Beyond existing legal requirements, the agreement introduces additional mechanisms for monitoring, information sharing and procedural transparency. These controls will extend across the entire supply chain, covering all companies involved in the project, whether as primary contractors or subcontractors.
The initiative reflects a broader effort by Italian authorities to safeguard major infrastructure investments from criminal infiltration, particularly in sectors historically vulnerable to corruption and organized crime. Large public works have long been a focus of anti-mafia policies, especially as EU-backed funding accelerates construction timelines and increases financial flows.
RFI’s parent company, the Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane Group, said the protocol reinforces its commitment to delivering infrastructure projects of national importance in Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia while ensuring the integrity of public services. Oversight activities will be coordinated by FS Security, the group’s integrated security unit.
While the agreement does not alter the project’s timeline or scope, officials described it as a preventive measure intended to strengthen public trust and ensure that the economic and mobility benefits of the Venice–Trieste rail upgrade are not undermined by illicit activity.
The railway line is a crucial artery for both passenger travel and freight transport, linking major urban centers and ports along the Adriatic coast. Its modernization is expected to play a central role in regional development and in Italy’s broader efforts to improve cross-border connectivity within the European Union.
