The ever-bustling city of Milan is well supported by its railway transport networks. Apart from Milan’s local public transport system, the city is equipped with a railway service serving suburban, national, and international destinations. A global city, an economic powerhouse, and one of the Four Motors for Europe
, Milan is all of these, having the transportation infrastructure as its backbone. The rail network forms a significant part of the transport infrastructure. Milan has 23 railway stations currently in operational use today, with more coming soon.
Railways in Milan have a history dating back to the 19th century. The Milan-Monza railway line opened in 1840 and is the second oldest in Italy. It was commissioned by Ferdinand I of Austria since the region was part of the erstwhile Austrian empire. Porta Nuova was the first train station in Milan in 1840, followed by the Porta Tosa station in 1846. These stations were established near the city gates bearing the same name. Due to the industrial boom, the Milan-Venice and Milan-Treviglio lines were constructed and became functional in 1842 and 1846 respectively.
Major train stations in Milan
Stazione Centrale (Milan Central Station)
Milano Centrale
is the main train station of Milan and is Italy’s second and Europe’s eighth busiest. In terms of volume, Milano Centrale railway station is the largest in Europe. Inaugurated in 1931 after several delays due to the War, the Milan Central Station was designed by Ulisse Stacchini. In addition to the Vienna secession, Stacchini’s designs were influenced by the Washington Union Station and classic Roman architecture. The roofs of the building are decked with bombastic sculptures
of mythological animals, originally as a show of strength and power in the early 20th century.
Milano Centrale station has 24 tracks and serves more than 300,000 passengers every day, making it a transportation hub. Milan Central Station has routes operating both domestically and internationally to neighboring countries like Switzerland, Germany, Austria, and France. It also has the subway operating underground and provides access to the green (M2) and yellow (M3) lines. Milano Centrale station is no doubt the most famous train station in Milan.
Milano Porta Garibaldi
Built in the year 1961, Milano Porta Garibaldi is a major train station in Milan. It is located in the northern part of the city in the neighborhood of the same name, Porta Garibaldi. The Milano Porta Garibaldi railway station has 22 tracks and serves millions of passengers yearly. It handles most of Milan’s suburban traffic with the S lines.
The Porta Garibaldi train station also has the metro, providing access to both the green (M2) and purple (M5) lines. Standing over the top of the station is the Garibaldi Towers, which previously housed the offices of the train operators. The transfer from Milano Porta Garibaldi to Milano Centrale is a short one and can be done through the metro using the green (M2) line in close to 5 minutes.
Milano Cadorna
Located near the Castello Sforzesco in Milan, Milano Cadorna is a commuter railway station. Originally inaugurated in 1879, the station suffered from damage due to the Second World War. After performing restorations with the latest in 1999, Cadorna railway station is now the eighth busiest in Italy with 10 platforms. The railway station is named after the General of the Italian Army Luigi Cadorna, known for his time during the First World War.
Milano Cadorna station is located close to most of the major tourist attractions in Milan, all at a walkable distance. It also houses the underground metro with the red (M1) and green (M2) lines accessible. The distance from Milano Cadorna to Milano Centrale is just under 5 km. Taking the green metro line M2 is the easiest way to transfer from Milano Cadorna to Milano Centrale, which is 5 stops away and takes roughly 10 minutes.
Some of the other prominent train stations in Milan are Milano Rogoredo, Milano Bovisa, Milano Lambrate, and Milano Domodossola among others.
Train Operators
Trains in Milan are predominantly operated by Trenitalia, Trenord, and the privately owned Italo. Trenitalia
is the biggest and primary train operator in Italy, a subsidiary of Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane (Italian State Railways), partly owned by the Italian government. Founded in the year 2000 in compliance with the EU regulation to deregulate rail transport, Trenitalia operates both national and international routes.
Trenord is a railway operator mainly functioning in the Lombardy region of Northern Italy. It was established in 2009 as a merger between the train company, LeNord, and the Lombardy regional division of Trenitalia. Trenord mainly operates the regional and suburban lines, including the Malpensa Express, connecting the Malpensa airport with the city center.
Italo
is a privately owned Italian company operating high-speed trains. Founded in 2006 and began operations in 2012 to become Europe’s first private open-access operator of high-speed trains. Italo trains particularly operate along the Italian high-speed rail network. The services of Italo are comparable to that of Trenitalia.
Trenitalia vs Trenord
It can be confusing for newcomers to decide between the two without knowing too much about either. Trenitalia and Trenord are two separate entities providing rail services. Their service is more or less the same and the costs are quite similar too. Generally, when it comes to choosing between the two, the decision comes down to the availability of tickets and which has the most convenient schedule.
How to buy train tickets in Milan
The procedure to get train tickets in Milan is almost the same as buying train tickets throughout Italy. Tickets can be bought online, at the train stations over the counter, or from the self-service ticket machines present at the train stations. You can buy train tickets online from the Trenitalia official website
and similarly from the Italo official website
.
It is always recommended to buy the tickets in advance if possible, particularly for the high-speed trains. You can purchase tickets from the ticket counter at the train stations if you are unsure what your schedule is. Be aware that there can sometimes be a long queue, so be prepared. As an alternative, self-service machines are available at the train stations and they are straightforward to use.
Trainline
is Europe’s popular and convenient platform to get the best available prices, times, and book train tickets. Trainline makes trip planning simple and with early booking, you can save upto 51%.
Major Train Routes from Milan
Milan to Venice
The Milan-Venice train route is an important one connecting Milan with the Adriatic Sea at Venice. It passes through cities like Brescia (Italian Capital of Culture for 2023 along with Bergamo ), Verona, and Padua. The railway line is 267 km long and takes around 2 hours and 30 minutes for the journey.
Milan to Florence
The Milan-Florence railway line takes you through the Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, and Tuscany regions of Italy. The travel duration from Milan to Florence by train is close to 2 hours over a distance of 250 km.
Milan to Rome
The Milan-Rome railway line is a popular route among both locals and tourists. Although the travel distance between the two biggest cities of Italy is 477 km, it only takes around 3 hours to commute using high-speed trains.
Malpensa Express
The Malpensa Express provides connectivity between the Milan city center to the Malpensa airport. Trenord manages the Malpensa Express from Milan train stations to the airport. The Malpensa Express trains operate from the Milano Centrale and Milano Cadorna stations. One of the convenient options to get from the Milan airport to the train station is using the Malpensa Express. Check out the other ways to get from Milan Malpensa airport to the city center .
Luggage Storage in Milan Train Stations
There is a luggage storage facility in Milano Centrale train station called Ki Point
. The storage point is located on the ground floor and is open between 7 AM to 9 PM.
Given this is a temporary storage facility, the suggestion would be to use it only if there are no other options as the prices are very high. At the time of this writing, it costs 6€ for the first 4 hours, 1€ per hour from the 5th to 12th hour, and 0.50€ per hour from the 13th hour onwards for each luggage.
Conclusion
Trains make it easy to travel around Italy and Milan is a vital hub for neighboring international destinations too. With the trains from Milan, you can get to major cities like Venice, Turin, Florence, Rome, and Naples in Italy. Additionally, there are trains from Milan to France, Switzerland, Germany, and Austria.
Train stations in Milan are easily accessible and situated in convenient locations around the city. An important safety tip when navigating through Milan train stations, even in general, is to beware of pickpockets and not leave luggage unattended. Milano Centrale is also not the most pleasant place to be around late at night.
If you would like to know more about the public transport options within Milan, read the ultimate guide to Milan public transport
.
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