The Italian Infrastructure and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini and the Mayor of Milan, Giuseppe Sala, inaugurated the first section of the fully automated Milan Blue Line (M4) between San Babila and Linate airport which also provides connections to the other transport services.
The journey time on the Blue Line (M4 Line) between the city centre and Linate airport and the neighborhoods is less than a quarter of an hour, cutting the journey times by two-thirds, from 33 to just 12 minutes.
The new metro line runs entirely underground through eight stations equipped with elevators and escalators.
San Babila – Linate airport metro section is a major milestone for the line marking a significant shift in the transition from private to public transport across Milan, helping to cut carbon emissions, and air and noise pollution.
Upon completion in the second half of 2024, the Blue Line will connect the east and west of the city, linking 21 stations in just 30 minutes. The Blue Line is being delivered by the M4 consortium, comprising Milan City Council (66.6%), Webuild (9.6%), Partecipazione Italia (9.6%) Hitachi Rail STS Spa (11.3%), ATM Spa (2.3%), Sirti Spa (0.10%), Ansaldo Breda (0.1000%), and Mer Mec STE (0.239).
Under the contract, Hitachi Rail is to deliver the modern driverless trains, the signalling system, telecommunication technologies and digital pricing and access control systems. The manufacturer will deliver 47 autonomous trains for the Blue Line equipped with a real-time video system connected to the PCO (Central Operations Centre), where all the automatic operational activities are carried out to manage the flow of trains and control the entire system. They have wide accessibility, and spaces designed specifically for the connection to and from Linate airport.
Hitachi Rail also supplied the ATC signalling system, based on CBTC driverless technology, which will help to deliver a reliable and safe service. The technology enables a high degree of flexibility, allowing the number of trains on the line to easily vary, responding to passenger needs.
Milan Blue Line will be 15 km long with 21 stations connecting the historic centre with the East side (including Aeroporto Linate) and with the West side (towards Stazione San Cristoforo), integrating the urban transport network with new fast, efficient, comfortable and non-polluting transport service.
The Blue Line will deliver a significant boost for public transport, providing a train every 180 seconds during peak hours, with a maximum speed of 80 km/h and, a capacity of up to 500 passengers per vehicle. The train will carry an estimated 24,000 people per hour per train direction.
The new service will deliver a significant modal shift helping to cut 4.43 million car journeys annually. This will result in an annual reduction of 10,310 tonnes of CO2 and 1,511/kg of harmful particulate matter in the air.
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