On Lombardy's railways, an average of 500 freight trains circulate daily, impacting numerous routes. In fact, freight traffic engages approximately 78% of the region's railway network, operated by almost all authorised railway companies—19 to be exact. A comprehensive overview of the current situation and future prospects in Lombardy emerged during a seminar organised on 6 March 2025 by Cifi, the Italian Railway Engineers' Association. Balancing passenger and freight traffic presents a significant challenge on Lombardy’s already capacity-stretched network. Rfi is therefore implementing several enhancement and redevelopment projects. However, it’s important to emphasise that these initiatives are mostly focused on existing networks or terminals, while broader investments that could truly transform capacity remain postponed.
Lombardy has a clear international freight orientation, with the Chiasso crossing accounting for 43% of traffic, followed by Domodossola and the Simplon axis at 34%, and the Luino route absorbing the remaining 23%. Current improvements mainly target segments of the infrastructure included within European transport corridors, although substantial gaps remain. While heavy freight trains can now run with Italy’s maximum allowed axle load, and around 86% of the Ten-T network is suitable for large intermodal trains, only 25% of the core network supports crossings according to the European standard of 750-metre trains. Rfi plans to achieve full compliance on these Ten-T corridors by 2040, but nearly half of the remaining network will still face limitations.
Besides the main railway network, Rfi is working on enhancing several intermodal terminals. In Gallarate, efforts are underway to increase the availability of tracks suitable for 750-metre trains, alongside introducing a new centralised traffic management system that will enable more simultaneous operations. Significant developments are also underway at Milano Smistamento, in preparation for a new intermodal terminal, including new tracks meeting European standards and centralised management of the arrival area. Brescia’s freight yard is undergoing similar expansions and upgrades to accommodate a new logistics hub, as is Melzo's freight terminal, where improvements will streamline train handling. At Mortara, traditional freight facilities are being upgraded to allow overtaking by long freight trains serving the nearby logistics hub.
The challenges facing Lombardy’s railway network are substantial. Under the agreements between Rfi and the Swiss railways in 2012 and 2022, the border crossings will need to handle increased traffic: 170 trains daily via Chiasso, 130 via the Simplon route, and 90 via Luino—a single-track international line. But how will these commitments be met? Beyond basic upgrades, larger-scale projects either underway or about to begin, though significant, do not represent a real breakthrough for Lombardy’s railway system, still constrained by the bottleneck at the Milan node.
Four main capacity-enhancing projects are planned. The first involves quadrupling the tracks between Rho and Parabiago on the Simplon axis over nine kilometres, potentially followed by a third track to Gallarate, currently only an intention. The second project, another quadrupling between Milan Rogoredo and Pavia, is underway but covers just 11 kilometres up to Pieve Emanuele. Another ongoing project is the doubling of the 34-kilometre line between Piadena and Mantua, part of a broader plan extending towards Cremona and Codogno, aimed at boosting freight flow along this alternative mid-Po Valley route. Lastly, the implementation of European-standard signalling along the entire Milan-Chiasso corridor is nearing completion.
Yet, a genuine leap forward in Lombardy’s railway capacity would only come with the realisation of four additional projects, still merely theoretical: a third track between Camnago and Cantù, including a flyover at Bivio Rosales towards Chiasso; two further flyovers to reduce interference between lines at PM Bivio Adda and Segrate; and, above all, a new freight bypass around Milan to alleviate the existing bottleneck.
Piermario Curti Sacchi
