General information | |||||
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Location | Piazza Duca d'Aosta 20124 Milan Italy | ||||
Coordinates | 45°29′10″N09°12′13″E / 45.48611°N 9.20361°E | ||||
Owned by | Rete Ferroviaria Italiana | ||||
Operated by | Grandi Stazioni | ||||
Line(s) | |||||
Tracks | 24 | ||||
Connections |
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Construction | |||||
Architect | Ulisse Stacchini | ||||
Other information | |||||
IATA code | XIK [1] | ||||
Fare zone | STIBM: Mi1 [2] | ||||
History | |||||
Opened | 1 July 1931 | ||||
Electrified | 1938 | ||||
Passengers | |||||
120 million per year | |||||
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Milano Centrale (Italian : Stazione di Milano Centrale) is the main railway station of the city of Milan, Italy, and is the second busiest railway station in Italy for passenger flow [3] (after Roma Termini) and the largest railway station in Europe by volume. [4]
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".
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, who titled his project "In Motu Vita," meaning "Life in Motion" in Latin. [8] His proposal was given unanimous approval by the commission gathered to judge the competition. [8] 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. Stacchini made multiple revisions to the project, mainly to quell concerns by the Milan city government about high construction costs. [10] Benito Mussolini's ascention to the position of Prime Minister was the catalyst behind the resumption of work in 1925, as multiple public works projects were accelerated in order to bolster the reception of the Fascist government's ability to effectively manage national projects. [11] 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. [12]
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. [13] [14]
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." [15]
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. [16]
There remain unrestored and inaccessible areas to the public within the station, including a waiting room with swastikas on the floor designed to receive Adolf Hitler. [9]
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. [17] The station is also connected to Milan-Malpensa Airport through the Malpensa Express airport train.
The following services call at the station (incomplete):
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.
This section needs to be updated.(June 2018) |
(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).
This section needs to be updated.(June 2018) |
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, [18] [19] which was inaugurated on 18 December 2021. [18] [20]
Preceding station | Trenitalia | Following station | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Terminus | Frecciarossa | Milano Rogoredo | ||
Torino Porta Nuova towards Napoli Centrale | Terminus | |||
Terminus | Brescia | |||
Parma towards Bari Centrale or Taranto | ||||
Pavia towards Nice-Ville | Thello | Terminus | ||
Terminus | Intercity Notte | toward Lecce | ||
toward Lecce | ||||
toward Torino Porta Nuova | Treno regionale | Terminus | ||
Preceding station | EuroCity | Following station | ||
Gallarate towards Basel SBB | EuroCity | Terminus | ||
Gallarate towards Genève-Cornavin | Brescia towards Venezia Santa Lucia | |||
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 Verona Porta Nuova | |||
toward Bergamo |
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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.
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. [21]
Italy has a well developed transport infrastructure. The Italian rail network is extensive, especially in the north, and it includes a high-speed rail network that joins the major cities of Italy from Naples through northern cities such as Milan and Turin. The Florence–Rome high-speed railway was the first high-speed line opened in Europe when more than half of it opened in 1977. Italy has 2,507 people and 12.46 km2 per kilometer of rail track, giving Italy the world's 13th largest rail network. The Italian rail network is operated by state-owned Ferrovie dello Stato, while the rail tracks and infrastructure are managed by Rete Ferroviaria Italiana.
Bologna Centrale is the main railway station in Bologna, Italy. The station is situated at the northern edge of the city centre. It is located at the southern end of the Milan-Bologna high-speed line, which opened on 13 December 2008, and the northern end of three lines between Bologna and Florence: the original Bologna-Florence line through Porretta Terme and Pistoia; the Bologna–Florence Direttissima via Prato, which opened on 22 April 1934 and the Bologna-Florence high-speed line, which opened to traffic on 13 December 2009.
The Italian railway system is one of the most important parts of the infrastructure of Italy, with a total length of 24,567 km (15,265 mi) of which active lines are 16,832 km (10,459 mi). The network has recently grown with the construction of the new high-speed rail network. Italy is a member of the International Union of Railways (UIC). The UIC Country Code for Italy is 83.
Roma Termini is the main railway station of Rome, Italy. It is named after the district of the same name, which in turn took its name from ancient Baths of Diocletian, which lies across the street from the main entrance. It is Italy's busiest railway station and the fifth-busiest in Europe, with a traffic volume of approximately 150 million passengers per year, and with 850 trains in transit per day.
Venezia Santa Lucia is the central station of Venice in the north-east of Italy. It is a terminus and located at the northern edge of Venice's historic city . The station is one of Venice's two most important railway stations; the other one is Venezia Mestre, a mainline junction station on Venice's mainland district of Mestre. Both Santa-Lucia and Mestre stations are managed by Grandi Stazioni and they are connected to each other by Ponte della Libertà.
Napoli Centrale is the main railway station in the city of Naples and in southern Italy and the sixth largest station in Italy in terms of passenger flow with an annual ridership of 50 million. It is located next to Piazza Garibaldi to the east of the old city. It is the primary rail terminus and station for Naples, and serves Trenitalia national railways and EAV. This one has an underground section known as Stazione di Napoli Piazza Garibaldi, which is served by the metropolitan trains of the line 2, line 1 (Garibaldi), and 3, 12, 14, and 15 EAV Circumvesuviana lines which is accessible from 2 entrances inside the Centrale station, 1 outside in glass, and from the new Garibaldi Square.
Torino Porta Nuova railway station is the main railway station of Turin, northern Italy. It is the third busiest station in Italy after Rome Termini and Milan Central, with about 192,000 journeys per day and 70 million travellers a year and a total of about 350 trains per day. Porta Nuova is a terminal station, with trains arriving perpendicularly to the facade. The station is located in Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, right in front of Piazza Carlo Felice.
Parma is a railway station serving the city of Parma, in the region of Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy. The station opened in 1859 and is located on the Milan–Bologna railway, Pontremolese railway, Brescia–Parma railway and Parma–Suzzara railway. The train services are operated by Trenitalia, Trenord and Ferrovie Emilia Romagna.
Frecciarossa is a high-speed train of the Italian national train operator, Trenitalia, as well as a member of the train category Le Frecce. The name was introduced in 2008 after it had previously been known as Eurostar Italia. Frecciarossa trains operate at speeds of up to 300 km/h (190 mph). Frecciarossa is the premier service of Trenitalia and competes with italo, operated by Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori. Trenitalia also operates the sister brands Frecciargento and Frecciabianca for slower services.
Verona Porta Nuova is the main railway station of Verona, Italy. It is one of the two stations serving central Verona; the other station, Verona Porta Vescovo, is located at the east of the city.
Milano Porta Garibaldi is a major railway station in the Italian city of Milan, located just to the north of the neighbourhood known as Porta Garibaldi. Porta Garibaldi is the city's main station for commuter traffic with 25 million passengers annually, although it is second to Centrale station considering total passenger traffic. The station is located on Piazza Sigmund Freud.
Pescara Centrale railway station, also known as Pescara railway station, is the main railway station of Pescara. The station lies on the Adriatic line from Rimini to Lecce and the trans-Apennine line to Rome. It serves an average of 3.5 million people per year and is a 5-minute walk to the city's main street and to the beach.
Domodossola railway station serves the city and comune of Domodossola, in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy. Opened in 1888, it forms a major break of gauge junction between standard gauge lines to Milan, Brig and Novara, and a metre gauge line to Locarno.
Foggia railway station serves the city and comune of Foggia, in the region of Apulia, Southern Italy. Opened in 1864, it forms part of the Adriatic Railway (Ancona–Lecce), and is the terminus of the Naples–Foggia railway. It is also a junction for several other, secondary lines, namely the Foggia–Manfredonia, Lucera–Foggia and Foggia–Potenza railways.
Brescia railway station is the main station of Brescia, in the region of Lombardy, northern Italy. The station, opened in 1854, lies on the Milan-Venice railway and is a terminus of three branch lines: Valcamonica Railway to Edolo, Bergamo–Brescia railway and Brescia–Piadena/Cremona railway which branches off towards southeast of the station.
Reggio di Calabria Centrale railway station is the main railway station of the Italian city of Reggio Calabria in Calabria. It is the most important station of its region and is owned by the Ferrovie dello Stato, the national rail company of Italy.
Ancona railway station, sometimes called Ancona Centrale, is the main railway station of Ancona, Region of Marché. It is the most important station of the region and is owned by the Ferrovie dello Stato (FS), Italy's state-owned railway company.
Modena railway station is a railway station serving the city of Modena, in the region of Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy. The station opened in 1859 and is located on the Milan–Bologna railway, Verona–Modena railway and Modena–Sassuolo railway. The train services are operated by Trenitalia and Ferrovie Emilia Romagna.
Reggio Emilia is a railway station serving the city of Reggio Emilia, in the region of Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy. The station opened in 1859 and is located on the Milan–Bologna railway, Reggio Emilia–Ciano d'Enza railway, Reggio Emilia–Guastalla railway and Reggio Emilia–Sassuolo railway. The train services are operated by Trenitalia and Ferrovie Emilia Romagna.
Bari Centrale is the main railway station of the Italian city of Bari, capital of Apulia. It is one of the most important railway stations in Italy, with an annual ridership of 14 million.