Railway Superstructures: Construction
Our experience
GCF’s story in the construction of new railway lines began in the 1970s when the company played an important role in building the first sections of the direct Rome-Florence line.
Since then, GCF has ranked constantly as a leader in the construction of new railway infrastructures, always keeping pace with the latest technology and even designing and building a special machine (La Meccanica) exclusively for rail track construction.
High-speed
With our technology and tools as well as the know-how and technical skills under our belt we have faced the new challenges of High-Speed trains: over a third of the national high-speed network in Italy runs on lines and tracks set up by GCF.
In Italy over the last 15 years, about 1,300 km of High-Speed/High-Capacity lines have been installed from Turin to Milan and as far south as Salerno. The construction of east-west lines between Genoa and Milan and Milan and Trieste is also envisaged.
GCF has made its own significant contribution through high-speed construction projects on the Florence-Bologna, Turin-Novara, Novara-Milan, Rome-Naples and Treviglio-Brescia lines.
Conventional lines
Construction of conventional lines included projects to double and quadruple tracks, as well as upgrades and redevelopment of existing lines. New railway sections were implemented by GCF on the Bologna-Verona-Brennero, Bologna-Padua and Milano-Genoa-Ventimiglia lines.
Our philosophy
The quality and speed with which we carry out services make GCF outstanding.
It is just the right supplier and partner with which to carry out integrated projects on a European scale.
International projects
Construction activity is also intense outside Italy itself.
For many years by now, GCF has “exported" its work methods, organisational models, machines and qualified personnel to countries such as Turkey (doubling the Ankara-Sincan line), Morocco (Casablanca-Marrakesh) and Switzerland (Monte Ceneri tunnel).
Urban transport
In urban contexts and large metropolitan areas, major infrastructure projects have been completed in which GCF has built several sections of metro lines in Rome, Milan and Turin (Turin-Lingotto).
In the often highly challenging and innovative Urban Transport sector, GCF is currently handling two major projects in Denmark: the Cityringen Metro in Copenhagen (a light-duty loop around the Danish capital) and the Aarhus Letbanen project for a fast, light-duty tram in the heart of one of the most densely populated cities in Denmark.
Our Competitive Edge
- Experience: we have over 60 years of excellence in the railway superstructures field.
- Qualification: exceptionally high specialisation and organisation of human resources.
- Efficiency: extensive fleet of machines, unique of its kind in Europe.
- Performance: quality and speed of execution.
Some GCF and Group Companies construction sites
Construction of the Brescia-Verona High Speed line, Italy
The new HS line
The railway route connects the Regions of Lombardy and Veneto, crossing three Provinces (Brescia, Mantua and Verona) and as many as 11 Municipalities. It develops mostly alongside existing infrastructures (A4 motorway and the conventional Milan-Venice railway line), connecting the municipality of Mazzano to Verona with approximately 45 km of HS/HC line and 2 km of interconnections. Viaducts, tunnels, cuttings have made it possible to maintain the maximum gradient at 12%.
Trackwork, traction and signalling
The new double-track HS/HC line with standard gauge of 1,435 mm, with track spacing of 4.5 m, is powered by 3 kV direct current and equipped with ERTMS/ETCS Level 2 railway signalling to ensure interoperability with European railway lines. Up to 250 km/h the design speed.
The track construction site involved more than one hundred specialized workers of GCF - Generale Costruzioni Ferroviarie S.p.A. - leader of the temporary grouping of companies established with CLF, Salcef, Gefer - and of Gefer itself.
Construction of the Kenitra-Marrakech High-Speed Line - Lot 2, Morocco
The track
The work consists of a 200 km segment of HS line which is configured as the natural High Speed extension to Marrakech of the Tangier-Kenitra.
GCF, as leader of the Grouping with three companies of its Group (Transalp Renouvellement, GCF Elettriche and GCFMA), was awarded in 2025 by ONCF (National Office of Moroccan Railways) Lot two, relating to the southern section Sidi El Aidi – Marrakech.
Project features
The new high-speed line runs on a dedicated alignment, mostly parallel to the existing one. GCF – Generale Costruzioni Ferroviarie is responsible for track laying on the platform constructed by third parties, as well as for the construction of the overhead contact line, from foundation excavation to pole installation, equipment fitting and tensioning.
TVE Sidi El Aidi - Marrakech Lot 4, Morocco
“Multidisciplinary” intervention for the modernization of the conventional double-track line Sidi El Aidi - Marrakech and to improve interconnection with the future Kenitra-Marrakech High Speed line.
Lot 4, awarded to GCF SpA as leader of the grouping with GCFMA, provides for the execution within 36 months of civil works, railway track works, design and construction of the contact line.
Intervention features
Of particular relevance are the interventions planned on 6 existing stations and 2 newly built stations with superstructure works on track and catenary, complementary civil works and substantial modifications to the operating plan functional to interconnection with the HS/HC line.
Construction of the Brescia-Treviglio High Speed line
Track and traction
Inaugurated on 11 December, alongside the introduction of the 2016-2017 winter timetable, the new Treviglio-Brescia HS/HC line is a continuation of the existing Milan-Treviglio line as far as Brescia Central Station. The section is 58.2 km long, of which 39.6 km HS/HC as such; it crosses 20 municipalities in the provinces of Milan, Bergamo and Brescia and joins the Brescia railway hub through the Brescia Ovest link (about 11.7 km) and the subsequent urban section (6.9 km).
Electric traction is 2 x 25 kV AC at a frequency of 50 Hz.
Construction of the Monte Ceneri Tunnel railway, Switzerland
Double-tube tunnel with track on concrete slab.
The work - together with the St. Gotthard Tunnel (57 km, the longest in the world) – is part of the construction project of the New Transalpine Railway (NFTA) as a new railway connection between Southern and Northern Europe, through Switzerland (Gotthard axis).
The line, HS/HC, allows a maximum speed up to 250 km/h.
Ceneri Tunnel: features
For this type of project GCF has developed an innovative system for the construction of track on concrete slab that uses particular systems for the supply and casting of the filling concrete, obtaining a high-efficiency logistical management, despite the particular complexity of access and maneuvering in the tunnel.
Construction of the Bologna-Firenze High Speed line, Italy
Railway Track
The railway line is double track equipped with Vignoles UNI 60 E 1 rails with standard gauge of 1,435 mm electrically welded, with prestressed reinforced concrete sleepers of 260 cm weighing 400 kg spaced 60 cm apart and Pandrol elastic fastening. The track spacing is 5 meters.
Construction of the Torino-Milano High Speed line, Italy
Railway Track
The line is a double-track railway equipped with Vignoles UNI 60 E 1 rails with standard gauge of 1,435 mm electrically welded, with prestressed reinforced concrete sleepers of 260 cm weighing 400 kg spaced 60 cm apart, track spacing equal to five meters and Pandrol elastic fastening.
Construction of the Padova-Mestre High Speed line, Italy
Track and traction
The railway line, in operation, is double track equipped with Vignoles UNI 60 E 1 rails with standard gauge of 1,435 mm electrically welded, with prestressed reinforced concrete sleepers of 260 cm spaced 60 cm apart and Pandrol elastic fastening.
Electric traction is at 3,000 volts DC.
Construction of the Roma-Napoli High Speed line, Italy
Railway Track
This double railway line has Vignoles UNI 60 E 1 tracks welded electrically with Pandrol flexible mounts. The track gauge is 1,435 mm.
The minimum radius of the curves is 5,450, the space between the tracks is five meters and base speed for the project was set at 300 km/h.
Construction of the Ankara-Sincan line, Turkey
Railway Track
Construction project of a new line including works on the infrastructure (excavations, bridges, underpasses, drainage) and on the superstructure (track construction, supply and laying of 59,945 cubic meters of ballast, laying of 24 switches).
The intervention also included electrification works.
Construction of the Kosekoy-Gebze line, Turkey
Along the Ankara-Istanbul HS Corridor, the project provided for the complete reconstruction and rehabilitation of the double-track line from Kosekoy to Gebze.
GCF provided, as far as track is concerned, the complete renewal of the track (ballast, sleepers and rails). The intervention also included the construction of the new catenary and signalling and telecommunications systems.