Milan Transportation System

Logos of Milan's transportation system

Milan Metro Line 3 at Duomo station

The Milan transportation system is the transport network of Milan, Italy. 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, the Suburban Railway, the tram and bus network, as well as taxi, car and bike sharing services.

Public transportation

Metro

Main article: Milan Metro

The Milan Metro is a rapid transit 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.

The system is expanding, being two new lines (Line 4 and 5) under construction and several new extensions planned.

Suburban Railway

Suburban railway network map

Inside Milan Central station

Milan–Bologna high-speed railway runs mostly parallel to the Milan-Naples highway

Main article: Milan Suburban Railway Network

See also: Milan Passerby Railway

The Suburban Railway Service (Linee S) consists of 10 lines connecting Milan to the greater metropolitan area:

• S1 Saronno – Milan - Lodi
• S2 Milano Rogoredo – Mariano Comense
• S3 Milano Cadorna – Saronno
• S4 Milano Cadorna – Camnago ( / Meda)
• S5 Varese – Milan – Treviglio
• S6 Novara – Milan – Pioltello ( – Treviglio)
• S8 Milano Porta Garibaldi – Lecco
• S9 Seregno – Milan - Albairate
• S10 Milano Bovisa – Milano Rogoredo
• S11 Milano Porta Garibaldi – Chiasso

The system began operation in 2004 and now comprises 100 stations. Several extensions are planned or under construction.

Trams

A modern tram in Milan

Main article: Trams in Milan

The Tram network comprises 17 urban lines and 2 interurban lines.^[1] The system is more than 160 km long and is the second biggest network in Italy, after the one of Turin.

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.^[2]

In the 1920s the famous Peter Witt streetcars 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

Main article: Trolleybuses in Milan

There are 83 bus and 4 trolleybus lines in Milan.^[1] Most of lines don't run during night, however, small bus services on demand are available in the weekend at night.^[1][3]

New night bus lines during weekends have been introduced since 24 September 2011, running from 2 am to 6 am on Fridays and Saturdays.^[4] The new network was considered a success, with more than 8,000 people using the lines every weekend.^[5]

National and international rail

See also: Railway stations in Milan and Rail transport in Italy

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.^[6] It is also the main node for high speed rail lines in northern Italy. Milano Cadorna and Milano Porta Garibaldi stations are respectively the seventh and the eleventh busiest stations in Italy.^[7][6] Because of its position, Milan is also the main gateway for international passenger traffic to Europe. Daily international destinations include Bern, Lugano, Geneve, Zurich, Paris, Wien, Barcelona and Munich.^[8]

Milan is also the core of Lombardy's regional train network. Regional trains were operated on two different systems by LeNord (departing from Milano Cadorna) and Trenitalia (departing from Milan Centrale and Milano Porta Garibaldi). Begininning in 2011, a new company, Trenord, operates both Trenitalia and LeNord regional trains in Lombardy.

Roads

Ecopass program aims at reducing traffic congestion and pollution in the city centre

See also: Ecopass and Autostrade of Italy

Milan is a key node for the italian road network, being the junction between the east-west A4 highway to Turin and Venice and the north-south A1 highway to Rome and Naples. Other important highways, such as the A7 to Genova and the A8-A9 to Switzerland, also serve the city. Highways reaching Milan are linked together by a ring road 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, 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.^[9] 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, a traffic pollution charge for vehicles entering the city.^[10][11]

Cycling

Main article: BikeMi

Airports

Malpensa Airport aerial view

Milan is served by three major airports: Malpensa Airport, the biggest in northern Italy; Linate Airport, located near the city centre and mainly used for national traffic; Orio al Serio Airport, located in the neighbouring city of Bergamo and used mainly by low-cost airlines.

See also

• Azienda Trasporti Milanesi
• Milan Metro
• Milan Passerby Railway
• Milan Suburban Railway Network
• List of rapid transit systems
• List of suburban and commuter rail systems

References and Notes

1. ^ ^{a b c} http://www.atm-mi.it/it/Giromilano/Pagine/default.aspx
2. ^ http://www.storiadimilano.it/citta/trasporti_pubblici.htm
3. ^ http://www.atm-mi.it/it/ViaggiaConNoi/Radiobus/Pagine/Radiobus.aspx
4. ^ "Dal 24 settembre parte la rete notturna". Azienda Trasporti Milanesi. http://www.atm-mi.it/it/AtmNews/AtmInforma/Pagine/retenotturna.aspx. Retrieved 7 November 2011. 
5. ^ "Il successo dei bus notturni 8mila passeggeri a weekend". la Repubblica Milano. 18 October 2011. http://milano.repubblica.it/cronaca/2011/10/18/news/il_successo_dei_bus_notturni_8mila_passeggeri_a_weekend-23404207/. Retrieved 7 November 2011. 
6. ^ ^{a b} "Milano Centrale Station official page". Ferrovie dello Stato - Grandistazioni. http://www.grandistazioni.it/cms/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=b0b0f42b3e09a110VgnVCM1000003f16f90aRCRD. Retrieved 20 September 2011. 
7. ^ "List of major stations in Italy with figures". Ferrovie dello Stato - Centostazioni. http://www.centostazioni.it/cms/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=a675d5e57e30a110VgnVCM10000080a3e90aRCRD. 
8. ^ "International Destinations". Ferrovie dello Stato. http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=4005d8f9f285a110VgnVCM10000080a3e90aRCRD. Retrieved 20 September 2011. 
9. ^ http://milano.corriere.it/milano/notizie/cronaca/11_gennaio_21/smog-inquinamento-domeniche-piedi-blocco-traffico-ordinanza-181301741988.shtml
10. ^ http://www.comune.milano.it/dseserver/ecopass/index.html
11. ^ http://www.regione.lombardia.it/cs/Satellite?c=Redazionale_P&childpagename=Ambiente%2FDetail&cid=1213374630533&packedargs=NoSlotForSitePlan%3Dtrue%26menu-to-render%3D1213280814186&pagename=MBNTWrapper

External links

• ATM - Milan's Transportation Company
• City of Milan - official website
• MSR Milano - Unofficial website with the extension projects
• Metro5 Milano - official website of the Line M5
• CityRailways - list of maps of italian transport systems, including Milan