Milano Centrale railway station

Last updated
Milano Centrale
Milan CentralStation 016 4294.jpg
Main entrance portico on Piazza Duca d'Aosta, 2022
General information
LocationPiazza Duca d'Aosta
20124 Milan
Italy
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)
Tracks24
Connections
Construction
Architect Ulisse Stacchini
Other information
IATA code XIK [1]
Fare zone STIBM: Mi1 [2]
History
Opened1 July 1931;92 years ago (1931-07-01)
Electrified1938 (1938)
Passengers
120 million per year
Location
Location map Milan Central.png
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Milano Centrale
Location in Milan Central
Italy Lombardy location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Milano Centrale
Location in Lombardy
Italy North location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Milano Centrale
Location in Northern Italy
Italy provincial location map 2016.svg
Red pog.svg
Milano Centrale
Location in Italy

Milano Centrale (Italian : Stazione di Milano Centrale) is the main railway station of the city of Milan, Italy, and is the second railway station in Italy for passenger flow [3] (after Roma Termini) and the largest railway station in Europe by volume. [4]

Contents

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 that could not handle the increased traffic caused by the opening of the Simplon Tunnel in 1906 due to the old station's limited number of tracks and space.

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 Basel and Geneva via Domodossola and Zürich via Chiasso in Switzerland.

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).

Architect Aldo Rossi declared in an interview of February 1995 to Cecilia Bolognesi: [5] "They told me that when Frank Lloyd Wright came to Milan, and he came only once, he was really impressed by it and said it was the most beautiful station in the world. For me it is also more beautiful than Grand Central Station in New York. I know few stations like this one".

History

The first Milano Centrale station opened in 1864 in the area now occupied by the Piazza della Repubblica, south of the modern station. [6] It was designed by French architect Louis-Jules Bouchot [7] (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.

King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy laid the cornerstone of the new station on 28 April 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 Washington Union Station in Washington, DC, [8] and the construction of the new station began. The purported style was an eclectic mix called "Assyrian-Lombard." [9]

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. [10] 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).

Construction resumed in 1925, and on 1 July 1931 the station was officially opened in the presence of Foreign Minister Galeazzo Ciano. [11]

The station played a major role during the Holocaust in Italy, when Jewish inmates from the San Vittore Prison, previously captured in northern Italy, would be taken to a secret track, Binario 21, underneath the station to be deported to extermination camps. Altogether, 15 deportation trains with 1,200 prisoners left the station from Binario 21. A Memoriale della Shoah was opened at the former platform in January 2013 to commemorate these events. [12] [13]

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." [14]

On 25 September 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. [15]

There remain unrestored and inaccessible areas to the public within the station, including a waiting room with swastikas on the floor designed to receive Hitler. [9]

Swastika in the floor of the Royal Hall of the Milan Central Station Dettaglio di una svastica nel pavimento della Sala Reale della Stazione Centrale a Milano.jpg
Swastika in the floor of the Royal Hall of the Milan Central Station
The Royal Hall designed in 1931 by the architect Ulisse Stacchini Sala Reale della Stazione Centrale a Milano.jpg
The Royal Hall designed in 1931 by the architect Ulisse Stacchini

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 Basel, Lugano, Geneva, Zürich, Paris, Vienna, Marseille and Munich. [16] 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 of Milan Suburban railway service at Milano Centrale station, except for two late night S8 trains bound to Lecco, which serve the last passengers arriving to the station with long distance train.

Cross-border (Night train)

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

The following train has been moved to stop at Milano Lambrate railway station and Milano Porta Garibaldi railway station in 2020:

This train connects at Verona with ÖBB Nightjet/EuroNight Rome-Vienna: the train splits into two parts (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 the train for Milan or Munich).

Cross-border

After the opening of Gotthard Base Tunnel in December 2016, train services between Milan and Switzerland increased in frequency. All SBB-CFF-FSS Eurocity (operates by Trenitalia in Italy) now save 35 minutes of total journey time between Bellinzona and Arth-Goldau.

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

From December 18, 2021, a new service Paris-Milan with Frecciarossa is opened.

The station is the terminus of the Milan–Paris Frecciarossa, [17] [18] which was inaugurated on 18 December 2021. [17] [19]

Preceding station Trenitalia Following station
Torino Porta Susa
towards Paris-Lyon
Frecciarossa Terminus
Torino Porta Susa
towards Torino Porta Nuova
Roma Termini
towards Salerno
Terminus Reggio Emilia AV Mediopadana
towards Bari Centrale
Novara
towards Turin Porta Nuova
Frecciabianca Brescia
towards Trieste Centrale
Terminus Brescia
towards Udine
Piacenza
towards Lecce
Piacenza
towards Taranto
toward  Basel SBB
EuroCity Terminus
toward  Geneva Cornavin
Pavia
towards Nice-Ville
Thello Terminus
Terminus Intercity Notte
toward  Lecce
toward  Lecce
Treno regionale Terminus
Preceding station Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori Following station
Torino Porta Susa
towards Torino Porta Nuova
Torino–Salerno Milano Rogoredo
towards Salerno
Trenord
Treno regionale Terminus
Terminus
toward  Bergamo

Platforms

Legend
Italian traffic signs - simbolo aeroporto (figura II 116).svg
BSicon KBHFa.svg
 Malpensa Aeroporto Terminal 2
Italian traffic signs - simbolo aeroporto (figura II 116).svg
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 Bovisa
BSicon BS2+l.svg
BSicon BS2+r.svg
Milano Cadorna
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon STR.svg
 Milano Porta Garibaldi
Linee S di Milano.svg   Logomi r.svg   Milano linea M1.svg   Milano linea M2.svg
BSicon KBHFe.svg
BSicon BHF.svg
 Linee S di Milano.svg   Logomi r.svg   Milano linea M2.svg   Milano linea M5.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, normally free flowing, though supervised by agents.

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 now partially broken up. [20]

Images

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "Airport codes Milano (Milan), Italy (IT) | ICAO, IATA codes, location of airports of Airport codes Milano (Milan), Italy (IT) | latitude, longitude airports of Airport codes Milano (Milan), Italy (IT) | coordinates of airports of Airport codes Milano (Milan), Italy (IT) | International codes and coordinates of all airports in the world | International codes and coordinates of all airports in Airport codes Milano (Milan), Italy (IT)". airportsbase.org. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
  2. ↑ "Servizio Ferroviario Suburbano". Muoversi in Lombardia. Regione Lombardia. April 2021. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  3. ↑ Data from grandistazioni.it (July 2007)
  4. ↑ "La Stazione Centrale di Milano: la più grande in Europa" . Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  5. ↑ Aldo Rossi, Luoghi Urbani, Unicopli 1999, p. 31
  6. ↑ see also Milano Repubblica railway station
  7. ↑ Maulsby, Lucy M. (January 2014). Fascism, Architecture, and the Claiming of Modern Milan, 1922 1943. University of Toronto Press. ISBN   9781442646254.
  8. ↑ "Design". RETOURS. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  9. 1 2 Daverio, Philippe. Lombardy. Milan: RCS Libri, 2015. p 47.
  10. ↑ "Bombastic Sculptures". RETOURS. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  11. ↑ The New Central Station at Milan Railway Gazette 11 September 1931 pages 331-341
  12. ↑ "Mailand" (in German). Gedenkorte Europa 1939–1945. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  13. ↑ Bridget Kevane (29 June 2011). "A Wall of Indifference: Italy's Shoah Memorial". The Jewish Daily Forward.com. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
  14. ↑ Touring Club Guida di Milano, p. 471
  15. ↑ "100mln Euros to requalify Milan Railway Central Station". AGI. 2006-09-25. Archived from the original on January 5, 2007. Retrieved 2006-09-28.
  16. ↑ "International Destinations". Ferrovie dello Stato. Archived from the original on 11 January 2015. Retrieved 20 September 2011.
  17. 1 2 "Il viaggio del primo Frecciarossa Milano-Lione-Parigi" [The journey of the first Frecciarossa Milan-Lyon-Paris]. Rai News (in Italian). 18 December 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  18. ↑ "Trenitalia, partiti oggi i primi Frecciarossa che collegano Parigi con Milano, passando per Porta Susa" [Trenitalia: The first Frecciarossa trains connecting Paris with Milan, passing through Porta Susa, left today]. Torino Oggi (in Italian). 18 December 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  19. ↑ Felice, Federica (26 December 2021). "Frecciarossa Torino-Parigi, dopo il debutto tutti i dettagli su orari e tariffe" [Frecciarossa Turin-Paris: After the debut, all the details on timetables and fares]. Torino Free (in Italian). Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  20. ↑ Can easily be seen on Google Earth and most old maps
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