Naples Afragola: inaugurated today the superstation designed by Zaha Hadid

Ribbon cutting today for the Naples Afragola train station, designed by the architectural firms of Zaha Hadid, the Iraqi architect and designer who died last year. The new yard, already dubbed the "Gateway to the South," is 400 meters long, has an area of 30,000 square meters and will servehigh-speed lines: 18 Frecce Trenitalia and 18 NTV high-speed trains will stop here. It is distinguished by its bridge-like shape, with a glass roof covering an area of about 5 thousand square meters of panels capable of recovering energy.

Costing 62 million euros, the station, planned since 2003, is located between Afragola and Casalnuovo di Napoli, far from city centers and not yet adequately connected by public transport. Controversy has therefore already arisen: questions are being asked whether this new construction is not a cathedral in the desert, with costs that are too high when compared to the users it will serve, at least in the early days. The criticism was answered a few days ago by the CEO of Ferrovie dello Stato, Renato Mazzoncini, who said in an interview with La Repubblica that the Naples Afragola station will be “a node that will guarantee a Neapolitan stop without having trains enter and leave Naples Centrale, with significant time savings for those heading further south.” However, it is estimated that the number of passengers will increase when the Naples-Bari high-speed rail link opens, which is likely to see completion in 2022.

The inauguration will be held today in the presence of Transportation Minister Graziano Delrio, Campania Regional President Vincenzo De Luca, Afragola Mayor Domenico Tuccillo, Renato Mazzoncini, and Gioia Ghezzi, president of Ferrovie dello Stato. Instead, it is scheduled to open to passenger traffic onJune 11 .

Image: rendering of the Naples Afragola station, copyright Zaha Hadid Architects.

Naples Afragola: inaugurated today the superstation designed by Zaha Hadid

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