[2] Designed by British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid, Afragola station, nicknamed the ‘Gateway to the South’, is considered a major transport hub and regional gateway for Naples,[2] operating as a major rail interchange for Italy's southern region, serving four individual high-speed lines, three inter-regional lines, and a single local commuter route.

[2] Considerable attention was paid to the station's overall environmental design, which was developed by engineering practice Max Fordham.

One major example of this design attention is the glazed roof, which features internal shading and acoustic baffles, limiting the amount of direct sunlight and glare on the concourse as well directing excess heat away via purpose-built roof vents; this enabled natural ventilation practices to be used under normal conditions.

[2] While mechanical ventilation systems are also present in the building, such as the roof-level extractor fans, these are intended to be used only during the extremes of summer and winter.

[2] In order to protect the high speed line from potential disruption during the work, a temporary roof structure composed of steel elements and a metal sheet topping, was set up around it.

The building of scaffolding decks, overpass beams and other elements of the upper levels of the station, had to be built with consideration for the operational electrification system of the running lines, somewhat complicating the work.

[2] The curved structural elements of the station building were constructed using technologies developed and previously deployed by the architecture firm.

[2] On 6 June 2017, five days ahead of its official opening, the first stage of Napoli Afragola was inaugurated in a ceremony attended by the Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, who commented on its purpose: “Any great country needs great projects that are a leap forward...The new station at Afragola is the foundation of the infrastructure programme to promote economic development in the south.”[2] Since 11 June, the station has been served by 36 high-speed trains each day; of these, 18 are Frecciarossas operated by the state rail company Trenitalia and 18 are Italos by the privately owned open access company NTV.