Milan Central railway station

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Milano Centrale

Front view of Milan Stazione Centrale entrance portico.jpg

Main entrance portico on Piazza Duca d'Aosta, 2016
Location Piazza Duca d'Aosta
20124 Milan
Italy
Coordinates 45°29′10″N09°12′13″E / 45.48611°N 9.20361°E / 45.48611; 9.20361 Coordinates: 45°29′10″N09°12′13″E / 45.48611°N 9.20361°E / 45.48611; 9.20361
Owned by Rete Ferroviaria Italiana
Operated by Grandi Stazioni
Line(s)
Tracks 24
Connections
Construction
Architect Ulisse Stacchini
History
Opened 1 July 1931;87 years ago (1931-07-01)
Electrified 1938 (1938)
Traffic
Passengers 120 million per year
Location
Location map Italy Milan.png
Red pog.svg
Milano Centrale
Location within Milan

Milan Central or Milano Centrale (Italian : Stazione Milano Centrale) is the main railway station of the city of Milan, Italy and is the largest train station in Europe by volume. The station is a terminus and located at the northern end of central Milan. It was officially inaugurated in 1931 to replace the old central station (built 1864), which was a transit station but with a limited number of tracks and space, so could not handle the increased traffic caused by the opening of the Simplon tunnel in 1906.

Italian language Romance language

Italian is a Romance language of the Indo-European language family. Italian, together with Sardinian, is by most measures the closest language to Vulgar Latin of the Romance languages. Italian is an official language in Italy, Switzerland, San Marino and Vatican City. It has an official minority status in western Istria. It formerly had official status in Albania, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro (Kotor) and Greece, and is generally understood in Corsica and Savoie. It also used to be an official language in the former Italian East Africa and Italian North Africa, where it plays a significant role in various sectors. Italian is also spoken by large expatriate communities in the Americas and Australia. In spite of not existing any Italian community in their respective national territories and of not being spoken at any level, Italian is included de jure, but not de facto, between the recognized minority languages of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Romania. Many speakers of Italian are native bilinguals of both standardized Italian and other regional languages.

Milan Italian city

Milan is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city in Italy after Rome, with the city proper having a population of 1,372,810 while its metropolitan city has a population of 3,245,308. Its continuously built-up urban area has a population estimated to be about 5,270,000 over 1,891 square kilometres. The wider Milan metropolitan area, known as Greater Milan, is a polycentric metropolitan region that extends over central Lombardy and eastern Piedmont and which counts an estimated total population of 7.5 million, making it by far the largest metropolitan area in Italy and the 54th largest in the world. Milan served as capital of the Western Roman Empire from 286 to 402 and the Duchy of Milan during the medieval period and early modern age.

Italy republic in Southern Europe

Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe. Located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, Italy shares open land borders with France, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia and the enclaved microstates San Marino and Vatican City, as well as a maritime border with Croatia. Italy covers an area of 301,340 km2 (116,350 sq mi) and has a largely temperate seasonal and Mediterranean climate. With around 61 million inhabitants, it is the fourth-most populous EU member state and the most populous country in Southern Europe.

Contents

Milano Centrale has high speed connections to Turin in the west, Venice via Verona in the east and on the north-south mainline to Bologna, Rome, Naples and Salerno. The Simplon and Gotthard railway lines connect Milano Centrale to Bern and Geneva via Domodossola and Zürich via Chiasso in Switzerland.

High-speed rail in Italy

High-speed rail in Italy consists of two lines connecting most of the country's major cities. The first line connects Turin to Salerno via Milan, Bologna, Florence, Rome and Naples, the second runs from Turin to Venice via Milan, and is under construction in parts. Trains are operated with a top speed of 300 km/h (190 mph).

Turin–Milan high-speed railway railway line

The Turin–Milan high-speed railway line is a link in the Italian high-speed rail network. It is part of Corridor 5 of the European Union's Trans-European high-speed rail network, which connects Lisbon and Kiev. The section between Turin and Novara opened on 10 February 2006, while the remainder opened on 5 December 2009.

Milan–Venice railway railway line

The Milan–Venice railway line is one of the most important railway lines in Italy. It connects the major city of Milan, in Lombardy, with the Adriatic Sea at Venice, in Veneto. The line is state-owned and operated by the state rail infrastructure company, Rete Ferroviaria Italiana that classifies it as a trunk line. The line is electrified at 3,000 volts DC.

Destinations of inter-city and regional railways radiate from Milano Centrale to Ventimiglia (border of France), Genova, Turin, Domodossola (border of Swiss Canton of Valais/Wallis), Tirano (border of Swiss Canton of Graubünden/Grisons), Bergamo, Verona, Mantova, Bologna and La Spezia.

The Milan suburban railway service, however, does not use Milano Centrale but the other mainline stations: Porta Garibaldi (northwest), Cadorna (west) and Rogoredo (east).

Milan suburban railway service public transport

The Milan suburban railway service is a commuter rail system serving the metropolitan area of Milan, Italy. The system comprises 12 lines serving 125 stations, for a total length of 403 km. There are 415 trains per day with a daily ridership of about 230,000.

History

The first Milano Centrale railway station from Giornale dell'Ingegnere e Architetto, January 1865, vol. 13, Annex Milano Stazione Centrale 1865.jpg
The first Milano Centrale railway station from Giornale dell'Ingegnere e Architetto, January 1865, vol. 13, Annex
A view of the arrival hall Milano-Centrale-Entrance-Hall-2012.JPG
A view of the arrival hall
The roof of the central section Milan Centrale Stazione trainshed.jpg
The roof of the central section
Lateral view of the gallery. Photo by Paolo Monti, 1969 Paolo Monti - Serie fotografica (Milano, 1969) - BEIC 6330877.jpg
Lateral view of the gallery. Photo by Paolo Monti, 1969

The first Milano Centrale station opened in 1864 in the area now occupied by the Piazza della Repubblica, south of the modern station. [1] It was designed by French architect Louis-Jules Bouchot (1817–1907) and its architectural style was reminiscent of Parisian buildings of that period. The station was designed to replace Porta Tosa station (opened in 1846 as the terminus of the line to Treviglio and eventually Venice) and Porta Nuova station (opened in 1850 as the second terminus on the line to Monza, which was eventually extended to Chiasso) and was interconnected with all lines, either existing or under construction, surrounding Milan. It remained in operation until 30 June 1931, when the current station was opened. There is now no trace of the old station left.

Louis-Jules Bouchot French architect

Louis-Jules Bouchot was a 19th-century French architect responsible in particular for the construction of the Nice and Milan railway stations.

Treviglio Comune in Lombardy, Italy

Treviglio is a town and comune in the province of Bergamo, in Lombardy, Northern Italy. It lies 20 kilometres south of the province capital, in the lower territory called "Bassa Bergamasca".

Milan–Monza railway

The Milan–Monza railway line is the second oldest railway in Italy. It was the first railway in the Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia, part of the Austrian Empire, opening in 1840 as the Imperiale Regno Privilegiata Strada Ferrata da Milano a Monza and was 12.8 kilometres (8.0 mi) long.

King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy laid the cornerstone of the new station on April 28, 1906, before a blueprint for the station had even been chosen. The last, real, contest for its construction was won in 1912 by architect Ulisse Stacchini, whose design was modeled after Union Station in Washington, DC, [2] and the construction of the new station began. The purported style was an eclectic mix called "Assyrian-Lombard." [3]

Architect person trained to plan and design buildings, and oversee their construction

An architect is a person who plans, designs and reviews the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that have human occupancy or use as their principal purpose. Etymologically, architect derives from the Latin architectus, which derives from the Greek, i.e., chief builder.

Ulisse Stacchini Italian architect

Ulisse Stacchini was an Italian architect. He was born in Florence and studied in Milan and died in Sanremo.

Due to the Italian economic crisis during World War I, construction proceeded very slowly, and the project, rather simple at the beginning, kept changing and became more and more complex and majestic. This happened especially when Benito Mussolini became Prime Minister, and wanted the station to represent the power of the Fascist regime. [4] The major changes were the new platform types and the introduction of the great steel canopies by Alberto Fava; 341 m (1,119 ft) long and covering an area of 66,500 square metres (716,000 sq ft).

World War I 1914–1918 global war originating in Europe

World War I, also known as the First World War or the Great War, was a global war originating in Europe that lasted from 28 July 1914 to 11 November 1918. Contemporaneously described as "the war to end all wars", it led to the mobilisation of more than 70 million military personnel, including 60 million Europeans, making it one of the largest wars in history. It is also one of the deadliest conflicts in history, with an estimated nine million combatants and seven million civilian deaths as a direct result of the war, while resulting genocides and the 1918 influenza pandemic caused another 50 to 100 million deaths worldwide.

Benito Mussolini Duce and President of the Council of Ministers of Italy. Leader of the National Fascist Party and subsequent Republican Fascist Party

Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Italy from his golpe in 1922 to 1943 and Duce of Fascism from 1919 to his execution in 1945 during the Italian civil war. As dictator of Italy and founder of fascism, Mussolini inspired several totalitarian rulers such as Adolf Hitler.

Prime Minister of Italy head of government of the Italian Republic

The President of the Council of Ministers of the Italian Republic, commonly referred to in Italy as Presidente del Consiglio, or informally as Premier and known in English as the Prime Minister of Italy, is the head of government of the Italian Republic. The office of Prime Minister is established by Articles 92 through to 96 of the Constitution of Italy. The Prime Minister is appointed by the President of the Republic after each general election and must have the confidence of the Italian Parliament to stay in office.

Construction resumed in earnest in 1925 and on July 1, 1931, the station was officially opened in the presence of Foreign Minister Galeazzo Ciano.

Its façade is 200 metres (660 ft) wide and its vault is 72 metres (236 ft) high, a record when it was built. It has 24 platforms. Each day about 330,000 passengers use the station, totaling about 120 million per year.

The station has no definite architectural style, but is a blend of many different styles, especially Liberty and Art Deco, but not limited to those. It is adorned with numerous sculptures. “The ‘incongruous envelope of stone’ (Attilio Pracchi) of this gigantic and monumental building dominates Piazza Duca d’Aosta.” [5]

On September 25, 2006, officials announced a 100 million project, already in progress, to refurbish the station. Of the total cost, €20 million has been allocated to restore "certain areas of high artistic value" while the remaining €80 million will be used for more general improvements to the station to make it more functional with the current railway services. The project includes moving the ticket office and installing new elevators and escalators for increased accessibility. [6]

There remains unrestored and inaccessible areas to the public within the station including a waiting room with swastikas on the floor designed to receive Hitler. [3]

Train services

The station has 24 tracks. Every day about 320,000 passengers pass through the station using about 500 trains, for an annual total of 120 million passengers. The station is served by national and international routes, with both long-distance and regional lines. Daily international destinations include Bern, Lugano, Geneva, Zürich, Paris, Vienna, Barcelona and Munich. [7] The station is also connected to Milan-Malpensa Airport through the Malpensa Express airport train.

The following services call at the station (incomplete):

Domestic (High-speed)

Domestic

For regional (Regio) trains to Monza and Como from Milano Centrale, refer to the 'cross-border' services. There is no train service of Milan Suburbano at the Centrale station.

Cross-border (Night train)

(CH for Switzerland, D for Germany, A for Austria, F for France, MN for Monaco)

On 11 December 2016, ÖBB will take over Deutsche Bahn's night trains. The Munich-Milan service will be withdrawn.

^ Train connects at Verona with ÖBB EuroNight Rome-Vienna: DB CityNightLine splits into two trains (first half couples with ÖBB Rome-Vienna and leaves for Vienna or Rome; second half continues to Munich or Milan). Vienna-Rome splits into two trains (first half continues to Rome or Vienna; second half couples with DB CityNightLine for Milan or Munich).

Cross-border

After the opening of Gotthard Base Tunnel, train services between Milan and Switzerland will increase in frequency from 11 December 2016. All SBB-CFF-FSS Eurocity will save 35 minutes of total journey time between Bellinzona and Arth-Goldau.

From December 2017, a new cross-border service Milan-Frankfurt (DB-SBB Eurocity) via Zürich will be operational.

Preceding station  Trenitalia  Following station
Frecciarossa
toward  Salerno
Terminus Frecciarossa
toward  Bari Centrale
Frecciabianca
Terminus Frecciabianca
toward  Udine
Terminus Frecciabianca
toward  Lecce
Terminus Frecciabianca
toward  Taranto
toward  Basel SBB
EuroCity Terminus
toward  Geneva Cornavin
EuroCity
Thello
toward  Venice
Thello Terminus
Terminus Intercity Notte
toward  Lecce
Terminus Intercity Notte
toward  Lecce
Treno regionale Terminus
Preceding station  Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori  Following station
Italo
toward  Salerno
Preceding station  Trenord  Following station
Treno regionale Terminus
Terminus Treno regionale
Terminus Treno regionale
toward  Bergamo

Platforms

BSicon KBHFa.svg
Malpensa Aeroporto Terminal 2
BSicon BHF.svg
Malpensa Aeroporto Terminal 1
BSicon BHF.svg
Ferno-Lonate Pozzolo
Logomi r.svg
BSicon BHF.svg
Busto Arsizio Nord
Logomi r.svg
BSicon BHF.svg
Castellanza
Logomi r.svg
BSicon BHF.svg
Rescaldina
Linee S di Milano.svg   Logomi r.svg
BSicon BHF.svg
Saronno
Linee S di Milano.svg   Logomi r.svg
BSicon BHF.svg
Milano Nord Bovisa
BSicon BS2+l.svgBSicon BS2+r.svg
Milano Cadorna
BSicon STR.svgBSicon STR.svg
Milano Porta Garibaldi
Linee S di Milano.svg   Logomi r.svg   Milano linea M1.svg   Milano linea M2.svg
BSicon KBHFe.svgBSicon BHF.svg
Linee S di Milano.svg   Logomi r.svg   Milano linea M2.svg
BSicon STR.svg
Milano Centrale
BSicon KBHFe.svg
Logomi r.svg   Milano linea M2.svg   Milano linea M3.svg

The station, along with Roma Termini and Firenze Santa Maria Novella, has security gates which prevent access to the platforms without a ticket.

Each platform is usually dedicated to some particular route. The current organization is as follows, although temporary changes may occur.

Unusual track layout

On the northern side of the railway yard there used to be a loop curve so that trains could turn around and reverse back into the station. The trains could so be displaced from the left side of the station to the right side and vice versa without crossing all the tracks. The tracks on the loop curve are partially broken up. [8]

See also

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References

  1. see also Milano Repubblica railway station
  2. http://milan.today/en/interesting/milano-centrale-history-across-generations
  3. 1 2 Daverio, Philippe. Lombardy. Milan: RCS Libri, 2015. p 47.
  4. http://milan.today/en/interesting/milano-centrale-history-across-generations
  5. Touring Club Guida di Milano, p. 471
  6. "100mln Euros to requalify Milan Railway Central Station". AGI. 2006-09-25. Archived from the original on January 5, 2007. Retrieved 2006-09-28.
  7. "International Destinations". Ferrovie dello Stato. Archived from the original on 11 January 2015. Retrieved 20 September 2011.
  8. Can easily be seen on Google Earth and most old maps