Milan–Bologna Railway
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The Milan–Bologna railway is the northern part of the traditional main north–south trunk line of the Italian railway network. It closely follows the ancient
Roman Road Roman roads ( ; singular: ; meaning "Roman way") were physical infrastructure vital to the maintenance and development of the Roman state, built from about 300 BC through the expansion and consolidation of the Roman Republic and the Roman Em ...
, the
Via Aemilia The Via Aemilia (, ) was a trunk Roman road in the north Italian plain, running from ''Ariminum'' (Rimini), on the Adriatic coast, to ''Placentia'' (Piacenza) on the River ''Padus'' ( Po). It was completed in 187 BC. The Via Aemilia connected a ...
. The line was opened between 1859 and 1861 as a single-line railway, and was doubled between 1866 and 1894. It was electrified at 3,000 volts DC in 1938. High-speed trains on the route have used the parallel Milan–Bologna high-speed line since 13 December 2008.


History

The Milan–Bologna line was not built as it is now but was created out of the merger of two existing lines built at different times and for different purposes: it was formed by linking the line from
Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
towards
Piacenza Piacenza (; ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy, and the capital of the province of Piacenza, eponymous province. As of 2022, Piacenza is the ninth largest city in the region by population, with more ...
with the line from
Turin Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...
through Piacenza to
Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...
,
Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...
and
Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
. The
Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia The Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia (), commonly called the "Lombardo-Venetian Kingdom" (; ), was a constituent land (crown land) of the Austrian Empire from 1815 to 1866. It was created in 1815 by resolution of the Congress of Vienna in recogniti ...
was until 1859 still part of the
Austrian Empire The Austrian Empire, officially known as the Empire of Austria, was a Multinational state, multinational European Great Powers, great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the Habsburg monarchy, realms of the Habsburgs. Duri ...
and conceived concessions for the construction of railways, not so much for its commercial advantages as for military purposes and to bring together the various geographical regions of the empire. As early as September 1835 the
Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...
Chamber of Commerce had asked permission to form a company for the construction and operation of a railway line from Venice to Milan, but found it very difficult to obtain this "privilege". The first railway in the region, the Milan–Monza line, was opened in 1840. The second line, opened in 1842, was the first section of the Milan–Venice line, fully completed in 1857. By that time railways were proliferating even in the
Piedmont Piedmont ( ; ; ) is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the northwest Italy, Northwest of the country. It borders the Liguria region to the south, the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions to the east, and the Aosta Valley region to the ...
; in 1859 when Austria declared war on Sardinia the Piedmontese and Austrian networks had come close to the point where the bridge over the
Ticino Ticino ( ), sometimes Tessin (), officially the Republic and Canton of Ticino or less formally the Canton of Ticino, is one of the Canton of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. It is composed of eight districts ...
was subsequently built connecting Turin and Milan. The Austrians were defeated and on 11 July 1859 signed the Armistice of Villafranca; Lombardy was annexed to the
Kingdom of Sardinia The Kingdom of Sardinia, also referred to as the Kingdom of Sardinia and Corsica among other names, was a State (polity), country in Southern Europe from the late 13th until the mid-19th century, and from 1297 to 1768 for the Corsican part of ...
and the Veneto remained Austrian. As a result, the Lombard rail network was separated from that of Austria and therefore the nature of its development and operations changed. Instead of links with Venice, links with
central Italy Central Italy ( or ) is one of the five official statistical regions of Italy used by the National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT), a first-level NUTS region with code ITI, and a European Parliament constituency. It has 11,704,312 inhabita ...
and the
Adriatic Sea The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Se ...
were promoted. The Treaty of Zürich signed on 10 November 1859 also included an agreement that was the origin of the ''Società delle Strade Ferrate della Lombardia e dell'Italia Centrale'' (Lombardy and Central Italy Railway Company) and the ''Società delle Strade Ferrate dell'Austria meridionale e del Veneto'' (Southern Austria and Veneto Railway Company). Both companies soon began building new lines and completing others: on 21 July 1859 the 146 km long Piacenza–Bologna line was opened, and on 14 November 1861 the 68 km long Milan-Piacenza section was opened with a temporary wooden bridge over the Po. In 1863 a flood swept away the structures and the line was interrupted several times. The construction of a long steel girder bridge, completed in 1864, put an end to the insecurity of the rail link. Meanwhile, Piacenza had already been connected to the Piedmont network in 1860 and the important Turin–
Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...
Ancona Ancona (, also ; ) is a city and a seaport in the Marche region of central Italy, with a population of around 101,997 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona, homonymous province and of the region. The city is located northeast of Ro ...
trunk route was completed in 1861. This line was extended to
Foggia Foggia (, ; ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) of Apulia, in Southern Italy, capital of the province of Foggia. In 2013, its population was 153,143. Foggia is the main city of a plain called Tavoliere delle Puglie, Tavoliere, also know ...
in 1863 and
Brindisi Brindisi ( ; ) is a city in the region of Apulia in southern Italy, the capital of the province of Brindisi, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. Historically, the city has played an essential role in trade and culture due to its strategic position ...
in 1865. The first crossing of the Apennine between Bologna and
Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...
, the Porrettana line, was completed in 1863. In 1865 many small railway companies were merged into four large companies that took over the assets and lines along with the granting of new concessions. The ''Società delle Strade Ferrate della Lombardia e dell'Italia Centrale'' was merged with other Alpine and Apennine lines, becoming the Società per le strade ferrate dell'Alta Italia ("Upper Italian Railway", ''SFAI'') with 2,092 km of lines in operation and 300 km under construction or proposed. In 1871 with the opening of the
Fréjus Rail Tunnel The Fréjus Rail Tunnel (also called Mont Cenis Tunnel) is a rail tunnel of length in the European Alps, carrying the Turin–Modane railway through Mont Cenis to an end-on connection with the Culoz–Modane railway and linking Bardonecc ...
to rail traffic, a mail train, the ''Indian Mail'' (known in Italian as ''La Valigia delle Indie'') was routed over the line from Piacenza to Bologna; it operated weekly from
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
and
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
via
Modane Modane (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Savoie Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region in southeastern France. The commune is in the Maurienne Valley, and it also belongs to the Vanoise ...
and Turin to Ancona and Brindisi, where it connected with
steamship A steamship, often referred to as a steamer, is a type of steam-powered vessel, typically ocean-faring and seaworthy, that is propelled by one or more steam engines that typically move (turn) propellers or paddlewheels. The first steamships ...
s to
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
via the
Suez Canal The Suez Canal (; , ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, Indo-Mediterranean, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia (and by extension, the Sinai Peninsula from the rest ...
. In 1879 this became a passenger train, and later carriages were branded "CIWL" (
Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits (; ) is a Belgian-founded French company known for providing and operating luxury trains with sleeping car, sleepers and dining cars during the late 19th and the 20th centuries, most notably the ''Orient Express''. Founded by Georges Nagelmacker ...
) by agreement with the operator of the line, the SFAI. The commercial speed of the train, however, remained low at about 40 km/h, due to the condition of the line and its bridges. The reorganisation of the Italian railways into four companies, however, gave rise to more problems than it solved, so in 1885 the railways were divided between two new companies, the ''Società per le Strade Ferrate del Mediterraneo'' — known as the '' Rete Mediterranea'' (
Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...
Network) and comprising the lines west of Milan and on the Tyrrhenian coast, and the railways of
Calabria Calabria is a Regions of Italy, region in Southern Italy. It is a peninsula bordered by the region Basilicata to the north, the Ionian Sea to the east, the Strait of Messina to the southwest, which separates it from Sicily, and the Tyrrhenian S ...
and
Basilicata Basilicata (, ; ), also known by its ancient name Lucania (, , ), is an administrative region in Southern Italy, bordering on Campania to the west, Apulia to the north and east, and Calabria to the south. It has two coastlines: a 30-kilometr ...
— and the ''Società Italiana per le strade ferrate meridionali''—known as the '' Rete Adriatica'' (
Adriatic The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Se ...
Network), comprising the remaining lines. These networks connected at various stations: Milan,
Pavia Pavia ( , ; ; ; ; ) is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy, in Northern Italy, south of Milan on the lower Ticino (river), Ticino near its confluence with the Po (river), Po. It has a population of c. 73,086. The city was a major polit ...
, Piacenza,
Parma Parma (; ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, Giuseppe Verdi, music, art, prosciutto (ham), Parmesan, cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,986 inhabitants as of 2025, ...
, Pisa, Florence, Rome,
Naples Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...
and
Taranto Taranto (; ; previously called Tarent in English) is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Taranto, serving as an important commercial port as well as the main Italian naval base. Founded by Spartans ...
. The Milan–Bologna line had been built as a single track, so it was divided between the two companies: passengers departed from Milan on a Mediterranean Network train and changed at Parma or Piacenza to an Adriatic Network train to reach Bologna. Starting in 1890 the Adriatic Network agreed to the luxurious P&O express from
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
to
Brindisi Brindisi ( ; ) is a city in the region of Apulia in southern Italy, the capital of the province of Brindisi, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. Historically, the city has played an essential role in trade and culture due to its strategic position ...
operating on the line at up to 80 km/h. The line was later doubled, starting with the Piacenza–Parma section, and access to it was granted to both companies. The doubling started in 1866 and was completed in 1894. The line between Milan to Piacenza was originally not used much, except for local traffic; most travellers preferred to take direct trains between the "capitals" of Turin, Florence and Rome. The first daily direct connection between Milan and Rome started in 1880: the "1" Express. By the end of the century there were about ten expresses from Milan in each direction. The first section ( Fornovo–Parma) of the Pontremolese line, connecting the Milan–Bologna line to
La Spezia La Spezia (, or ; ; , in the local ) is the capital city of the province of La Spezia and is located at the head of the Gulf of La Spezia in the southern part of the Liguria region of Italy. La Spezia is the second-largest city in the Liguria ...
and the Tyrrhenian Sea was opened on 2 July 1883; the line was completed on 12 July 1894.


The line under Ferrovie dello Stato

When the state railway company,
Ferrovie dello Stato Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane S.p.A. (; ; previously only Ferrovie dello Stato, hence the initialism FS) is Italy's national state-owned enterprise, state-owned railway holding company that manages transport, infrastructure, real estate service ...
, was established it inherited a diverse range of rolling stock from the former rail companies. Track was in a poor condition and the maximum speed on the line was 80 km/h and then only for specially-equipped trains, with slower speeds over bridges and points. Therefore, FS had to proceed with the reconstruction of bridges and viaducts, track and
points A point is a small dot or the sharp tip of something. Point or points may refer to: Mathematics * Point (geometry), an entity that has a location in space or on a plane, but has no extent; more generally, an element of some abstract topologica ...
in the stations, signalling and safety equipment. Only after this work was finished in the 1910s could the new powerful Italian ''690''
Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is bounded by the cont ...
steam locomotives be introduced; they were designed specifically for flat and fast lines but had a very high weight per axle compared to locomotives previously used in Italy. In the 1920s improvements to the line finally allowed train operation at up to 100 km/h for the fastest trains. Only in 1929 was the line adequate for loads of 20 tons per axle; even then this required slowing to 20 km/h on the long iron bridge over the Po near Piacenza until its replacement by a new bridge. After its opening, the average commercial speed on the line was raised to 87 km/h. Starting in 1927, the Milan–Bologna line was the site of the first major trial of in-cab signalling, with the signalling information passed by magnets. This system was designed by the engineer Gino Minucciani. The successful experiment was followed in 1928 by the equipping of the line to Bologna for the repetition of two types of signals: ''stop'' and ''go''; if the driver did not comply the braking system would be automatically applied. The ''690'' locomotives were equipped with this system. In the late 1920s the limits of
steam Steam is water vapor, often mixed with air or an aerosol of liquid water droplets. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization. Saturated or superheated steam is inv ...
began to become clear, especially in terms of its high operating costs and its limited potential for further acceleration. It was decided to electrify the line at 3,000 volts
direct current Direct current (DC) is one-directional electric current, flow of electric charge. An electrochemical cell is a prime example of DC power. Direct current may flow through a conductor (material), conductor such as a wire, but can also flow throug ...
following excellent results achieved in experiments, although the Porrettana line between Bologna and Florence had been electrified with a three-phase alternating current system in 1927, and this system was proposed for the new Bologna–Florence ''direttissima''. During the same period the ever-increasing traffic on the line, which had become the primary axis of the Italian railway network, began to saturate the capacity of the stations in Bologna, and a rail bypass was built to its north. Following the electrification of the line in 1938, Minucciani's system of in-cab signalling was abandoned because it was considered too expensive to equip the electric locomotives with it. Instead FS tested a new system of
automatic block signalling Automatic block signaling (ABS), spelled automatic block signalling or called track circuit block (TCB ) in the UK, is a railroad communications system that consists of a series of Railway signal, signals that divide a railway line into a seri ...
designed by Minucciani on a 110 km stretch of line. Although these tests were successful it was not implemented because investment in that period prioritized the speed and punctuality of trains for propaganda reasons rather than innovation in safety devices. In 1939 a train hauled by ETR 212 travelled from Milan to Bologna in just 77 minutes, while the normal speed for express trains had been reduced to 105 minutes.


Recent projects

In 1991, a deviation of the line was activated between Milano Rogoredo station and San Giuliano Milanese station, on which the new stations of Borgolombardo and
San Donato Milanese San Donato Milanese (Milanese: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Milan in the Italian region of Lombardy, located about southeast of Milan. It is served by the San Donato underground station right on the borderline bet ...
were built. (the latter was only opened in 2003). This deviation was necessary to enable the construction of the "fast line" on the alignment of the original line. The quadrupling of the section between Milano Rogoredo station and Sordio junction, just before San Zenone al Lambro station, was completed in 1997. However, due to the postponement of development work at Milan Rogoredo station, it was not possible to adequately upgrade rail services, in particular the planned suburban railway service. In 2002, work began on the construction of the Milan–Bologna high-speed railway, which connects to the old line in the municipality of San Zenone al Lambro. The line from there to Milan had already been quadrupled. The high-speed line was opened in 2008, after the interconnection in Tavazzano was completed on 29 May 2005. The line from Milan Rogoredo to Lodi has been served by line S1 of the Milan suburban railway service since 13 December 2009.


Infrastructure

The line has two tracks built to , electrified at 3  kV DC, authorised for a maximum axle weight of 22.5 tonnes per axle, with a maximum grade on the Lombard section of 1.2% and authorised for a maximum speed of 230 km/h.


Route

The line starts at
Milano Centrale 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 (after Roma Termini) and the largest railway station in Europe by volume. The station is a terminu ...
and runs along the belt railway, along with the lines to
Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...
and
Genoa Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-largest city in Italy. As of 2025, 563,947 people live within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 818,651 inhabitan ...
, passing through the stations of Milano Lambrate (where it separates from the line for Venice), Milano Forlanini and Milano Rogoredo, where it separates from the line for Genoa. The line between Rogoredo and San Giuliano Milanese has been doubled since 1991 with the construction of the fast line on the historic route and the building of the stations of
San Donato Milanese San Donato Milanese (Milanese: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Milan in the Italian region of Lombardy, located about southeast of Milan. It is served by the San Donato underground station right on the borderline bet ...
(which was not actually opened until 2003) and Borgolombardo. Since 1997, the line to Sordio junction (before San Zenone al Lambro) has been quadrupled by the construction of a new line that bypasses the town of
Melegnano Melegnano (formerly Marignano; ) is a ''comune'' and town in the Metropolitan City of Milan, Lombardy, northern Italy. The town lies southeast of the city of Milan. It received the honorary title of city with a presidential decree on 26 August 1 ...
and that is used by traffic to and from the high-speed line. Shortly after Melegnano, the historic line and the new line cross the river Lambro on two separate bridges. After San Zenone, the line passes through Tavazzano station, which, since 2005, has been linked by the ''Interconnessione di Tavazzano'' (Tavazzano interconnection) between the historic line and the new line that it used by high-speed traffic. The section between Casalpusterlengo and Codogno is shared with the Pavia–Cremona railway. After Santo Stefano Lodigiano station, the railway crosses the Po in
Piacenza Piacenza (; ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy, and the capital of the province of Piacenza, eponymous province. As of 2022, Piacenza is the ninth largest city in the region by population, with more ...
over a
bridge A bridge is a structure built to Span (engineering), span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or railway) without blocking the path underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, whi ...
. which was built in 1931 and 1932 and replaced the previous single track bridge built in 1865; it consists of 11 pairs of iron beams, with a parabolic upper arch, six of these have a span of 74.52 m, and five of 61.02. Lines branch off in Piacenza to
Alessandria Alessandria (; ) is a city and commune in Piedmont, Italy, and the capital of the Province of Alessandria. It is also the largest municipality of the region. The city is sited on the alluvial plain between the Tanaro and the Bormida rivers, ...
and
Cremona Cremona ( , , ; ; ) is a city and (municipality) in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left bank of the Po (river), Po river in the middle of the Po Valley. It is the capital of the province of Cremona and the seat of the local city a ...
. Near the city there are two links with the high-speed line: the Piacenza west interconnection, located just before the bridge over the Po and the Piacenza east interconnection, located just after the city. After Piacenza the railway runs parallel to the
Via Emilia The Via Aemilia (, ) was a trunk Roman road in the north Italian plain, running from ''Ariminum'' (Rimini), on the Adriatic coast, to ''Placentia'' (Piacenza) on the River ''Padus'' ( Po). It was completed in 187 BC. The Via Aemilia connected a ...
(
state highway A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either Route number, numbered or maintained by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered ...
9) passing through Pontenure, Cadeo, Fiorenzuola d'Arda and Alseno. It enters the territory of
Province of Parma The province of Parma () is a Provinces of Italy, province in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. Its largest town and capital is the city of Parma. It is made up of 47 ''comuni'' (: ''comune''). It has an area of and a total population of aro ...
, at
Fidenza Fidenza (, locally ) is a town and (municipality) in the province of Parma, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. It has around 27,000 inhabitants. The town was renamed Fidenza in 1927, recalling its ancient Rome, Roman name of ; before, it was ...
, where lines branch off to
Cremona Cremona ( , , ; ; ) is a city and (municipality) in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left bank of the Po (river), Po river in the middle of the Po Valley. It is the capital of the province of Cremona and the seat of the local city a ...
, Fornovo and
Salsomaggiore Terme Salsomaggiore Terme (Parmigiano dialect, Salsese: ; Parmigiano dialect, Parmigiano: ) is a town and ''comune'' located in the Italy, Italian province of Parma, in the region of Emilia-Romagna. Located at the foot of the Apennine Mountains, Apennine ...
and there is an interconnection with the high-speed line. The next station, Castelguelfo has a freight yard. The line arrives at Parma where lines branch off to
La Spezia La Spezia (, or ; ; , in the local ) is the capital city of the province of La Spezia and is located at the head of the Gulf of La Spezia in the southern part of the Liguria region of Italy. La Spezia is the second-largest city in the Liguria ...
,
Brescia Brescia (, ; ; or ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the region of Lombardy, in Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, a few kilometers from the lakes Lake Garda, Garda and Lake Iseo, Iseo. With a population of 199,949, it is the se ...
and
Suzzara Suzzara ( Lower Mantovano: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Mantua, in the Italian region of Lombardy, located about southeast of Milan and about south of the city of Mantua. Suzzara was given the honorary title of a city by ...
, while to the east of the city, there is another interconnection with the high-speed line. The line enters the
Province of Reggio Emilia The province of Reggio Emilia (; Emilian: ''pruvînsa ed Rèz'') is a province in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. The capital city, which is the most densely populated ''comune'' (municipality) in the province, is Reggio Emilia. It has an ...
, which is the location of the stations of
Sant'Ilario d'Enza Sant'Ilario d'Enza ( Reggiano: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Reggio Emilia in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about northwest of Bologna and about northwest of Reggio Emilia. Sant'Ilario d'Enza borders the follow ...
,
Reggio Emilia Reggio nell'Emilia (; ), usually referred to as Reggio Emilia, or simply Reggio by its inhabitants, and known until Unification of Italy, 1861 as Reggio di Lombardia, is a city in northern Italy, in the Emilia-Romagna region. It has about 172,51 ...
(the terminus of the three lines of the Ferrovie Reggiane) and
Rubiera Rubiera ( Reggiano: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Reggio Emilia in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located on the Via Emilia about northwest of Bologna and about southeast of Reggio Emilia. History The original name of ...
. The line enters the
Province of Modena The province of Modena () is a Provinces of Italy, province in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Modena. It has an area of and a total population of about 701,000 (2015). There are 48 ''comuni'' (: ''comune'') in th ...
, where the lines to Mantua and Modena, and
Sassuolo Sassuolo (; ) is an Italian town, ''comune'', and industrial centre of the Province of Modena in Emilia-Romagna. Standing on the right bank of the river Secchia some southwest of Modena, the town is best known for being the centre of the Ita ...
branch off in Modena station. In November 2014, a deviation was opened between Rubiera and Modena that is more than 8.5 kilometres long, including an almost 2 km-long tunnel. This was built as part of the construction of the high-speed line and the simultaneous upgrade of the traditional line. The new route, located farther north than previously, avoids crossing the western part of Modena and is connected to the Verona line by means of a link line. Marzaglia freight yard was opened on the new line. In Modena there are also two interconnections with the high-speed railway, one to the west and one to the east of the city. After
Castelfranco Emilia Castelfranco Emilia ( Western Bolognese: ; Modenese: ) is a town and ''comune'' in Modena, Emilia-Romagna, north-central Italy. The town lies about northwest of Bologna. Castelfranco either occupies or lies near the site of the ancient For ...
, the railway enters the
Metropolitan City of Bologna The Metropolitan City of Bologna () is a Metropolitan cities of Italy, metropolitan city in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. Its capital is ''de facto'' the city of Bologna, though the body does not explicitly outline it. It was created by t ...
, which includes the stations of Samoggia and Anzola dell'Emilia. The last interconnection with the high-speed line is near Lavino junction. In the last kilometres before Bologna Centrale station, where the line ends, the railway runs parallel to the lines from
Verona Verona ( ; ; or ) is a city on the Adige, River Adige in Veneto, Italy, with 255,131 inhabitants. It is one of the seven provincial capitals of the region, and is the largest city Comune, municipality in the region and in Northeast Italy, nor ...
and
Pistoia Pistoia (; ) is a city and ''comune'' in the Italian region of Tuscany, the capital of a province of the same name, located about north-west of Florence and is crossed by the Ombrone Pistoiese, a tributary of the River Arno. It is a typic ...
.


References


Footnotes


References

* * * *


See also

* List of railway lines in Italy {{DEFAULTSORT:Milan-Bologna Railway Line Railway lines in Lombardy Railway lines in Emilia-Romagna Railway lines opened in 1861 1861 establishments in Italy