Commuter workers, students and tourism, L’Aquila-Marsica railway, Biondi: positive evaluation for cost-benefit ratio

Tagliacozzo. “The L’Aquila-Marsica railway connection project has overcome the first important obstacle represented by the relationship between costs and benefits, based on what emerges from the feasibility analyses”. This was stated by the mayor of L’Aquila, Pierluigi Biondi, after the technical table established in 2022 resumed meeting in recent weeks and on the eve of the start of the public debate, scheduled for next Tuesday, relating to the Pescara-Chieti-Interporto route of Abruzzo.

“It is good to remember”, adds the mayor, “how the connection project between L’Aquila and Tagliacozzo – functional to intercept the Pescara-Rome itinerary – which we have always considered a priority to bring our city closer to the Capital, has been included in Appendix no. 10 ‘Need frameworks and Feasibility Documents of Project Alternatives’ of the 2023 Update of the Investment Program Contract between the Italian Railway Network (RFI) and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport 2022-2026, after our incessant commitment aimed at establishing the special working group which, since 2022, has been concentrating its efforts on analyzing the feasibility of the work”. “There are two possibilities being studied”, recalls Biondi, “that of the connection with Carsoli and that with Tagliacozzo, both with pros and cons and which will now have to be carefully evaluated because the fate of the internal areas is clearly at stake. If the Carsoli solution is considered preferable by the technicians because it is able to ensure shorter travel times and because the town has a motorway toll booth in both directions, the Tagliacozzo solution, despite having the toll booth only in the Rome-L’Aquila direction , intercepts greater volumes of demand and allows continuation to Pescara and Marsica”. “Both hypotheses, in any case”, underlines the mayor, “appear to satisfy the cost-benefit analysis and this is crucial for moving forward with the work and guaranteeing greater breathing space for the communication routes in our areas”.