Italy's second largest city and capital of the north has 1.5 million inhabitants (3 million in metropolitan area of almost 1000 km2).

The present network comprises five lines. While lines M1, M3, M4 and M5 are completely underground, line M2 includes two surface branches at its eastern end and one surface branch at the southern end.

Line M1 has third rail power supply, whereas lines M2 and M3 have overhead power supply. Lines M4 and M5 are fully automatic, driverless lines.

01 Nov 1964: Sesto Marelli - Lotto
02 April 1966: Pagano - Gambara
18 April 1975: Gambara - Inganni
08 Nov 1975: Lotto - QT8
12 April 1980: QT8 - San Leonardo
28 Sept 1986: San Leonardo - Molino Dorino and Sesto Marelli - Sesto 1° Maggio
21 Mar 1992: Inganni - Bisceglie
14 Sept 2005: Molino Dorino - Rho Fiera (Fairgrounds; 2.1 km)
19 Dec 2005: Pero station added

under construcion: Sesto 1° Maggio - Cinisello-Monza (1.8 km)

In 1972, the green line was extended from Cascina Gobba to Gorgonzola by incorporating the former interurban tram route to Vaprio d'Adda and Cassano d'Adda, which only a few years previously had been upgraded on a completely segregated route. After the completion of the southern Assago branch, trains normally operate between Cologno Nord and Assago Milanofiori Forum, and between Abbiategrasso and Gessate, with some trains terminating at Cascina Gobba.

27 Sept 1969: Caiazzo - Cascina Gobba
27 Apr 1970: Caiazzo - Centrale FS
21 July 1971: Centrale FS - Garibaldi FS
04 Dec 1972: Cascina Gobba - Gorgonzola
03 Mar 1978: Garibaldi FS - Cadorna
07 June 1981: Cascina Gobba - Cologno Nord
30 Oct 1983: Cadorna - Porta Genova
13 Apr 1985: Porta Genova - Romolo
13 Apr 1985: Gorgonzola - Gessate
01 Nov 1994: Romolo - Famagosta
17 Mar 2005: Famagosta - Abbiategrasso (1.3 km)
20 Feb 2011: Famagosta - Assago Milanofiori Forum (4.8 km)

In December 1999, an automatic shuttle line (POMA-OTIS) opened between Cascina Gobba station and the San Raffaele medical centre (682 m). Sometimes referred to as Metro San Raffaele, it is shown on maps in green like M2, but with a thinner line. An extra fare is charged on this line!

01 May 1990: Centrale FS - Duomo (shuttle service)
16 Dec 1990: Duomo - Porta Romana
12 May 1991: Centrale FS - Sondrio and Porta Romana - San Donato
16 Dec 1995: Sondrio - Zara
08 Dec 2003: Zara - Maciachini
26 Mar 2011: Maciachini - Comasina (4.5 km)

M3 is fully accessible for handicapped people. Along the central section of line M3, tunnels and platforms lie on two different levels on top of each other.

26 Nov 2022: Dateo – Linate Aeroporto (5.4 km)
04 July 2023: Dateo – San Babila (1.8 km)
12 Oct 2024: San Babila – San Cristoforo FS (7.8 km)

Line M4 uses the same driverless technology already found on line M5. [Project Website]

Click here to view M4 photo gallery!

10 Feb 2013: Zara - Bignami (4.1 km, 7 stations)
01 Mar 2014: Zara - Garibaldi (1.4 km, 2 stations)
29 Apr 2015: Garibaldi - San Siro Stadio (7.4 km, 5 stations)
06 June 2015: Portello station
20 June 2015: Cenisio station
26 Sept 2015: Gerusalemme station
11 Oct 2015: Monumentale station
14 Nov 2015: Tre Torri station

Line M5 (Linea lilla) runs north from Garibaldi F.S. (M2; Passante) via Zara (M3) to Bignami. Financing for the line was approved in Oct. 2004, and construction started in 2007. M5 is a driverless small profile metro line with technology from Ansaldo, similar to the Copenhagen Metro. Platforms are only 50 m long and equipped with platform screen doors. Construction on the second stage, from Garibaldi to San Siro (Meazza football stadium) began in autumn 2010 and was completed in time for Expo 2015, although some intermediate stations were opened at a later date. [Project website]

Click here to view M5 photo gallery!

For a better integration of suburban trains and metro a cross-city rail tunnel (Passante) was built to connect the northern and western suburban lines to the eastern and southeastern routes and at the same time improve transfer to the metro. The first part from Milano Nord Bovisa to Porta Venezia was opened in Dec 1997.

A northbound branch from Lancetti to Certosa FS opened in 1999 allowing the Passante to operate three S-Bahn type lines to Saronno, Gallarate and Varese (plus an urban service between Bovisa and Porta Venezia); the extension form Porta Venezia to Dateo was added on 30 June 2002. Eventually on 12 Dec 2004 the Porta Vittoria station opened completing the central Passante project and allowing through service from east to west at least on the line to Pioltello. That same day the new S-lines network was launched offering a train every few minutes along the shared underground route (Lancetti - Porta Vittoria). From 15 June 2008, S-trains have also been running on the southeastern leg to Rogoredo (3.5 km). On 13 Dec 2009 S service was extended to Lodi and to Treviglio, and new lines S8 (from Garibaldi to Lecco) and S11 (from Garibaldi to Como) were introduced. Since 2011, when line S13 from Milano Bovisa to Pavia was introduced, S lines have been operated jointly by Trenitalia and Ferrovie Nord under the brand name "Trenord".

Milan boasts one of Europe's largest conventional tramway network, which is served by three generations of tram vehicles, the oldest dating from the 1920s.

On 15 Sept 2003, a subsurface stop called Arcimboldi/Ateneo Nuovo opened on Metrotramvia 7 (which started service in Dec 2002), located next to the tram tunnel under the railway tracks.

Find out more about the Milan Tram Network (including full map!)

Milano Metro Track Map

MetroRicerche by Minici Giovanni Luca