Milan Transportation System
Encyclopedia
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Milan has an extensive internal transport network and is also an important transportation node in Italy, being one of the country's biggest hub for air, rail and road networks.
Internal public transport network includes the Metro
Milan Metro
The Milan Metro is the rapid transit system serving Milan, Italy, operated by Azienda Trasporti Milanesi. Milan metro is the longest metro system in Italy, and is the core of the Milan Transportation System...
, the Suburban Railway
Milan Suburban Railway Network
The Milan suburban railway network is a commuter rail system serving the metropolitan area of Milan, Italy.The system comprises 10 lines serving 100 stations, for a total length of 324 km....
, the tram and bus network, as well as taxi, car and bike sharing services.
Metro
The Milan Metro is a rapid transitRapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
system, running mainly underground, serving Milan and other surrounding cities. The network consists of 3 lines, identified by different colors and numbers:
- Line M1 Red - 26.9 km (16.7 mi) - 38 stations
- Line M2 Green - 39.4 km (24.5 mi) - 35 stations
- Line M3 Yellow - 16.7 km (10.4 mi) - 21 stations
Milan Metro has a total length of 83.5 km (51.9 mi), serving 94 stations, making it the longest metro network in Italy. The track gauge for all lines is the 1435 mm standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
.
The system is expanding, being two new lines (Line 4
Milan Metro Line 4
The Line 4 is a new underground rapid transit line under construction in Milan, Italy, part of the Milan Metro system. The line was planned to be completed in 2015, as part of the works for the upcoming Milan Expo...
and 5
Milan Metro Line 5
Line 5 is an under construction line of the Milan Metro, Italy, that will connect the downtown Porta Garibaldi railway station with the north-eastern suburb, at the via Bignami-viale Testi intersection. The line will be built in several steps, with the first planned to open in 2012 and the fourth...
) under construction and several new extensions planned.
Suburban Railway
The Suburban Railway Service (Linee S) consists of 10 lines connecting Milan to the greater metropolitan area:
- S1 SaronnoSaronnoSaronno is a comune of Lombardy, Italy, in the province of Varese. It received the honorary title of city with a presidential decree in 1960.The place is well known for its apricot kernel biscuits and is also a manufacturing town....
– MilanMilanMilan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
- Lodi - S2 Milano Rogoredo – Mariano ComenseMariano ComenseMariano Comense is a town and comune in the province of Como, Lombardy, Italy. It has c. 23,600 inhabitants and is one of the most important cities of the Brianza. It received the honorary title of city with a presidential decree on February 29, 1996. The city is also known for the drummer Fabio...
- S3 Milano Cadorna – Saronno
- S4 Milano Cadorna – Camnago ( / MedaMedaMeđa is a village located in the Žitište municipality, in the Central Banat District of Serbia. It is situated in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina...
) - S5 VareseVareseVarese is a town and comune in north-western Lombardy, northern Italy, 55 km north of Milan.It is the capital of the Province of Varese. The hinterland or urban part of the city is called Varesotto.- Geography :...
– MilanMilanMilan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
– TreviglioTreviglioTreviglio is a town and comune in the province of Bergamo, in Lombardy, northern Italy. It lies 20 km south of the capital city, in the lower territory called "Bassa" marked by the Adda and the Serio rivers.... - S6 NovaraNovaraNovara is the capital city of the province of Novara in the Piedmont region in northwest Italy, to the west of Milan. With c. 105,000 inhabitants, it is the second most populous city in Piedmont after Turin. It is an important crossroads for commercial traffic along the routes from Milan to Turin...
– MilanMilanMilan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
– PioltelloPioltelloPioltello is a comune in the Province of Milan in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 14 km northeast of Milan. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 32,337 and an area of 13.1 km²....
( – Treviglio) - S8 Milano Porta Garibaldi – LeccoLeccoLecco is a town of c. 47,760 inhabitants in Lombardy, northern Italy, north of Milan, the capital of the province of Lecco. It lies at the end of the south-eastern branch of Lake Como...
- S9 SeregnoSeregno-Local Economy and Business:Seregno is positioned in the middle of one of the most economically productive areas in Italy with a high concentration of small and medium-sized enterprises. The total number of companies listed in Seregno is over 3,600, equal to about 6% of companies throughout the...
– MilanMilanMilan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
- AlbairateAlbairateAlbairate is a comune in the Province of Milan in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 20 km southwest of Milan. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 4,360 and an area of 15.0 km².... - S10 Milano Bovisa – Milano Rogoredo
- S11 Milano Porta Garibaldi – ChiassoChiassoChiasso is a municipality in the district of Mendrisio in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.As the southernmost of Switzerland's municipalities, Chiasso is located at the border with Italy, in front of Ponte Chiasso...
The system began operation in 2004 and now comprises 100 stations.
Several extensions are planned or under construction.
Trams
The Tram network comprises 17 urban lines and 2 interurban lines. The system is more than 160 km long and is the second biggest network in Italy, after the one of TurinTurin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
.
The Milan tram network date back to 1876, when the first horse driven tram line began operation. In 1878 the first steam powered tram was lunched and by 1901 all the lines were electric powered. In 1910 line numbers were first introduced. At that time the network was already consisting of 30 lines. Until 1917 the tram system was operated by several different companies, however, since that year the municipality took control over the whole network.
In the 1920s the famous Peter Witt streetcars
Peter Witt streetcar
Peter Witt was a Cleveland Railway commissioner, who designed a model of streetcar known by his name, and used in many North American cities, most notably in Toronto and Cleveland.-Features:...
were introduced. Many of them, restored, are still in use today.
Beginning from the late '50s and until the end of the '70s the tram network was reduced, being replaced in some areas by the new Metro lines or by cheaper and more flexible bus lines.
Buses
There are 83 bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
and 4 trolleybus
Trolleybus
A trolleybus is an electric bus that draws its electricity from overhead wires using spring-loaded trolley poles. Two wires and poles are required to complete the electrical circuit...
lines in Milan. Most of lines don't run during night, however, small bus services on demand are available in the weekend at night.
New night bus lines during weekends have been introduced since 24 September 2011, running from 2 am to 6 am on Fridays and Saturdays. The new network was considered a success, with more than 8,000 people using the lines every weekend.
National and international rail
Milan is one of the most important hub for the national and international rail network in Italy. Milan Central station is the second station in Italy both for size and passengers after Rome. It is also the main node for high speed railHigh-speed rail in Italy
High-speed rail in Italy currently consists of two high-speed lines connecting all the major cities in Italy. The first line connects Milan to Naples passing through Bologna, Florence and Rome. The second route runs from Turin to Venice via Milan, and is still under construction in some parts...
lines in northern Italy. Milano Cadorna and Milano Porta Garibaldi
Milano Porta Garibaldi railway station
Milano Porta Garibaldi is a major station in the Italian city of Milan, located just to the north of the neighbourhood known as Porta Garibaldi...
stations are respectively the seventh and the eleventh busiest stations in Italy. Because of its position, Milan is also the main gateway for international passenger traffic to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Daily international destinations include Bern, Lugano
Lugano
Lugano is a city of inhabitants in the city proper and a total of over 145,000 people in the agglomeration/city region, in the south of Switzerland, in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino, which borders Italy...
, Geneve, Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Wien
Wien
Wien is the German language name for Vienna, the city and federal state in Austria.* Wien , in Vienna, Austria* Theater an der Wien, a theater in Vienna located at the former river WienWien may also refer to:...
, Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
and Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
.
Milan is also the core of Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
's regional train network. Regional trains were operated on two different systems by LeNord
LeNORD
' is the subsidiary of the FNM Group responsible for operating passenger train services in northern Italy....
(departing from Milano Cadorna) and Trenitalia
Trenitalia
Trenitalia is the primary train operator in Italy. Trenitalia is owned by Ferrovie dello Stato, itself owned by the Italian Government. It was created in 2000 following the EU directive on the deregulation of rail transport.-Passenger transport:...
(departing from Milan Centrale and Milano Porta Garibaldi). Begininning in 2011, a new company, Trenord
Trenord
Trenord is a railway company which is responsible for the operation of regional passenger trains in Lombardy. The company was established by the two main railway companies in Lombardy, Trenitalia and Ferrovie Nord Milano , to manage train operations in the region...
, operates both Trenitalia and LeNord regional trains in Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
.
Roads
Milan is a key node for the italian road network, being the junction between the east-west A4 highway
Highway
A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...
to Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
and Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
and the north-south A1
Autostrada A1
Autostrada A1 may refer to:*Autostrada A1 *Autostrada A1...
highway to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
. Other important highways, such as the A7 to Genova
Génova
Génova may refer to:* Spanish spelling of the city of Genoa, Italy* Génova, Quindío, a municipality in the department of Quindío, Colombia* Génova, Quetzaltenango, a municipality in the department of Quetzaltenango, Guatemala...
and the A8-A9 to Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, also serve the city. Highways reaching Milan are linked together by a ring road
Ring road
A ring road, orbital motorway, beltway, circumferential highway, or loop highway is a road that encircles a town or city...
formed by the 3 tangenziali (the A50, A51 and A52) and part of the A4 highway, with a total length of over 100 km around the city.
Milan road system is characterized by a high rate of traffic congestion
Traffic congestion
Traffic congestion is a condition on road networks that occurs as use increases, and is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased vehicular queueing. The most common example is the physical use of roads by vehicles. When traffic demand is great enough that the interaction...
, due to a high level of cars per capita and a high number of commuters in the metropolitan area. Congested traffic is also responsible for the high pollution rate in the Milan area. Counter measures included the partial ban of private cars inside the Milan urban area for some period (usually during sundays) and more recently the introduction of the Ecopass
Ecopass
The Ecopass program is a traffic pollution charge implemented in Milan, Italy, as an urban toll for some motorists traveling within a designated traffic restricted zone or ZTL , corresponding to the central Cerchia dei Bastioni area and encircling around . The Ecopass was implemented as a one-year...
, a traffic pollution charge for vehicles entering the city.
Airports
Milan is served by three major airports: Malpensa AirportMalpensa Airport
Milano Malpensa Airport "City of Milan" , former "Aeroporto Città di Milano" is Milan's largest airport. It is located 39.97 km northwest of central Milan, Italy...
, the biggest in northern Italy; Linate Airport
Linate Airport
Linate Airport is one of the three major airports of Milan, Italy, along with Malpensa Airport and Orio al Serio Airport. Due to its closer proximity to Milan—it is east southeast of the city, compared with Malpensa, which is northwest of the city—it is mainly used for domestic and short-haul...
, located near the city centre and mainly used for national traffic; Orio al Serio Airport
Orio al Serio Airport
Caravaggio Airport Bergamo Orio al Serio aka Bergamo-Orio al Serio Airport is an airport located in Orio al Serio, southeast of Bergamo, Italy. It is popular with low-cost airlines offering flights to Milan, 45 km away from the airport...
, located in the neighbouring city of Bergamo
Bergamo
Bergamo is a town and comune in Lombardy, Italy, about 40 km northeast of Milan. The comune is home to over 120,000 inhabitants. It is served by the Orio al Serio Airport, which also serves the Province of Bergamo, and to a lesser extent the metropolitan area of Milan...
and used mainly by low-cost airlines.
See also
- Azienda Trasporti MilanesiAzienda Trasporti MilanesiAzienda Trasporti Milanesi is a public company, responsible for public transportation in Milan city and some surrounding municipalities, in Italy...
- Milan MetroMilan MetroThe Milan Metro is the rapid transit system serving Milan, Italy, operated by Azienda Trasporti Milanesi. Milan metro is the longest metro system in Italy, and is the core of the Milan Transportation System...
- Milan Passerby Railway
- Milan Suburban Railway NetworkMilan Suburban Railway NetworkThe Milan suburban railway network is a commuter rail system serving the metropolitan area of Milan, Italy.The system comprises 10 lines serving 100 stations, for a total length of 324 km....
- List of rapid transit systems
- List of suburban and commuter rail systems