Milano Porta Garibaldi railway station

Milano Porta Garibaldi railway station. It is one of the principal railway stations in Milan, serving as a major hub for regional, national, and international rail services. The station complex consists of a historic surface terminal, opened in 1963, and a modern underground station, inaugurated in 1997 as part of the Passante railway of Milan. Located in the Porta Garibaldi district, it is a cornerstone of the city's transport network and a key interchange within the Lombardy regional rail system operated by Trenord.

History

The original surface station was constructed to replace the older Milano Nord Cadorna as the terminus for lines operated by the Società Nazionale Ferrovie e Tramvie (SNFT), including services to Como and Varese. Its design was part of a broader urban redevelopment of the area following the post-war economic boom. The station's name derives from the nearby city gate, Porta Garibaldi, itself named for Giuseppe Garibaldi, a central figure in the Italian unification. A transformative expansion occurred with the construction of the underground station, a critical node of the Passante railway of Milan, which created a north-south diametral line through the city center. This project, which involved significant engineering challenges beneath the existing infrastructure, was formally opened by then-President Oscar Luigi Scalfaro. The entire complex underwent a major renovation completed in 2015, modernizing facilities and improving integration with the surrounding Porta Nuova business district, one of Europe's largest urban regeneration projects.

Structure and facilities

The station is a multi-level complex. The original surface building, designed by architects Paolo Portoghesi and Vittorio Gregotti, features a distinctive arched roof and houses eight terminal platforms. Below ground, the Passante railway of Milan station consists of six through platforms, configured with two island platforms and two side platforms, serving regional and suburban lines. The station is fully accessible, with elevators and escalators connecting all levels, and features a large central concourse with ticket offices operated by Trenitalia and Trenord, retail spaces, and waiting areas. It is a major interchange with the Milan Metro, directly connected to the Line 2 (Green Line) and Line 5 (Lilac Line) stations of the same name, as well as numerous surface ATM tram and bus lines.

Services and destinations

The station is a primary hub for Trenord's Lombardy regional rail network, including the Malpensa Express service to Milano Malpensa Airport and lines S1, S2, S5, S6, S7, S8, S11, and S12 of the Milan suburban railway service. Long-distance and high-speed services are also prominent, with Trenitalia operating Frecciarossa and Frecciargento trains to major cities such as Turin, Venice, Rome, Naples, and Salerno. International services include Thello night trains to Paris and TGV services operated in partnership with SNCF. The underground passante platforms facilitate efficient cross-city travel on routes like the Saronno–Lodi and Varese–Treviglio lines.

Passenger statistics

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Milano Porta Garibaldi was among the busiest railway stations in Italy, with annual passenger traffic exceeding 40 million. This figure encompasses users of both the regional/suburban services and the long-distance platforms. Its ridership is comparable to other major Milan stations like Milano Centrale and Milano Rogoredo. The station's usage saw a significant increase following the opening of the passante line and the redevelopment of the surrounding Porta Nuova district, which houses corporate headquarters for firms like UniCredit and Pirelli.

Connections

The station is a pivotal multimodal transport interchange. Direct underground connections provide access to the Milan Metro stations **Porta Garibaldi FS** on Line 2 and **Porta Garibaldi** on Line 5. Surface connections are extensive, with numerous ATM tram lines (1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 10, 12, 14, 33) and bus routes (43, 56, 60, 70, 94, N26) serving the adjacent Piazza Sigmund Freud and surrounding streets. The station is also a key stop for regional Autostradale coaches and is within walking distance of the old Porta Garibaldi railway station, now a secondary stop on the Milan–Chiasso railway.

Category:Railway stations in Milan Category:Railway stations opened in 1963