Milan
Metro, Tramway, Funicular Subway, Light Rail Subway, S-Bahn
With a smorgasbord of transit options, Milan is a trainspotters dream. So
remember to leave the wife or girlfriend in the hotel room. After all, why
listen to all that whining and sniveling about wasting your time with trains
when you're trying to concentrate on focusing?
Photos Courtesy of
Andreas
Behm from the Mercurio Railway Server
Photo
courtesy Ivan Furlanis
Subway, Light Rail, People Mover, Commuter Rail Subway (Passante)
Subway
Milan's
undercrowded,
graffiti-free
subway, opened in 1964, has 3 lines and 94 stations. Totaling 83.5 km, 26.2 km
is above ground.
Milan's 5.6 km 9 station Line 5 began construction in 2007. It's first 4.2 km section opened in January 2011. A 6.3 km, 10 station Line 5 extension (formerly Line 6) in the form of a branch line began construction in 2010, with a completion time of five years. Line 5 will be an automated metro similar
to that in Brescia.and Turin..
With three lines and Line 5 under construction, you may ask, "What happened to Line 4?" According to Wikipedia, this airport line has been approved but has not yet begun construction.
In April 2009, Milan's Line 1 offered new luxury business class cars as part of its systemwide upgrade. By the name, one would think of cupholders and on board WIFI. In this case, business class appears to mean greater comfort and "greener" cars on the Red line.
Milan has one pf the largest tramway networks in Europe, sporting 168 km and 17
lines. Transit systems and tram museums world wide often showcase an ex-Milan
tram, as does
Milan's
science museum. The system opened in 1841.
Three light rail lines (Metrotramvia) are under construction, and another, the
3.9 km Line 7 (Metrotranvia
North ), opened December 2003. All four lines will use
the new Serio by Ansaldo-Breda, and all four will be partly in subway.
Milan has retained only two lines of a once extensive
interurban railway. Currently, the
Brianza lines
serve the northern part of the city. The Desio line is earmarked for conversion
to light rail, with an extension to Seregeno. The Limbiate branch is now
abandoned, with plans for termination to a bus route.
Photo of the Limbiate
branch
Railspot extensive history and photos,
including news that ATM is looking to close the Brianza lines.
Peoplemover
Milan 682 meter
peoplemover, which runs between the subway and a hospital, is sometimes referred to as the Metro San Rafaelle. You can catch the
people mover on metro Line 2 at the Cascina Gobba station.
S-Bahn
There is also a
Milan
Urban Railway Connection, or Passante, which runs 6 km underground with four stations.
Ferovia Nord (North
Rail) serves the Milano area with an airport express and commuter rail.
