Malpensa Express
| Malpensa Express | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Malpensa Express at Milano Cadorna | |||||
| Overview | |||||
| Service type | Airport rail connection | ||||
| Status | Operating | ||||
| Locale | Lombardy | ||||
| First service | 28 May 1999 | ||||
| Current operator(s) | Trenord | ||||
| Former operator(s) | LeNORD | ||||
| Route | |||||
| Start |
Milano Cadorna or Milano Centrale | ||||
| Stops | Up to nine | ||||
| End | Malpensa Airport | ||||
| Average journey time |
Cadorna–Malpensa: 29 mins (express); 36 mins (with 5 stops) Centrale–Malpensa: around 50 mins | ||||
| Service frequency |
Cadorna–Malpensa: 2 per hour Centrale–Malpensa: 1-2 per hour | ||||
| Technical | |||||
| Rolling stock |
Treno ad alta frequentazione Convoglio Servizio Aeroportuale | ||||
| Track gauge | Standard gauge | ||||
| Electrification | 3 kV DC | ||||
| Track owner(s) |
Ferrovie Nord Milano Ferrovie dello Stato | ||||
| |||||
The Malpensa Express is an airport rail service linking the city of Milan with Malpensa Airport, in the region of Lombardy, northern Italy.
Trenord operates Malpensa Express services between the Malpensa Aeroporto and both Milano Cadorna and Milano Centrale railway station.
History
First operated in 1999, the Malpensa Express originally ran only between Malpensa Aeroporto and Cadorna. It was operated initially by member companies of the FNM group (most recently LeNORD).
In late 2010, airport rail services to and from Malpensa were reorganised. Malpensa Express services operated by Trenord continued to link the airport with Cadorna. However, to coincide with the timetable change on 10 December 2010, new services to Centrale were introduced, along with connecting services from elsewhere in Milan.
Overview
Trenord operates its trains:
- between 5:07 and 23:58 from Milano Cadorna, and between 5:26 and 00:26 from Malpensa.
- between 5:25 and 23:25 from Milano Centrale, and between 5:46 and 22:47 from Malpensa.
Malpensa Express train tickets are also valid for the shuttle bus service connecting Malpensa Aeroporto railway station with Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. A monorail between the two terminals is currently under construction.
In addition to the Malpensa Expresses, there are other direct high-speed rail services connecting Malpensa Airport with Florence, Bologna, Rome and Naples. These trains are operated by Trenitalia.
Itineraries and schedules
Milano Cadorna–Malpensa
From Milano Cadorna, the Malpensa Express runs along the Milan–Saronno railway to its first stop at Milano Bovisa-Politecnico, where there is interchange with trains to Erba and Asso and the suburban service to Camnago-Lentate. The Malpensa Express then continues to Saronno, which offers interchange with the lines for Varese and Laveno, and Como.
Saronno is also roughly halfway between Cadorna and Malpensa. It is therefore the crossing point for the Malpensa Expresses linking these termini.
From Saronno, the Malpensa Express proceeds along the Saronno–Novara railway, to the junction at Sacconago, located just beyond Busto Arsizio, which is the final stop before Malpensa. It then heads to the airport along a rail link branching off to the right from the line to Novara.
Since 14 December 2008, following the entry into force of the new regional rail services timetable for Lombardy, some Malpensa Expresses have provided a non stop link between Cadorna and Malpensa.
The opening of the new Castellanza rail tunnel, on 30 January 2010, has reduced the running times of the non stop services between Cadorna and Malpensa to 29 minutes, and the running times of the services with intermediate stops to 36 minutes.
Milano Centrale–Malpensa
At Milano Centrale, the Malpensa Express departs from low level tracks (1-2) (Route 1), and heads along the new railway section nicknamed the Umbrella Handle. This section was opened on 31 July 2010, but did not become fully operational until 13 September 2010. The first high-speed train services to Malpensa also operate on this section.
The Malpensa Express then passes through Mirabello junction, and joins the line for Greco Pirelli (which continues to Monza, Chiasso and Lecco) via Porta Garibaldi, where it uses tracks 19 or 20.
At Porta Garibaldi, the Malpensa Express leaves the Chiasso line, and uses the new route (to the north of the old one), which crosses Farini yard, reaches PM Ghisolfa and leaves the RFI network to enter tracks 1 and 2 at Milano Bovisa-Politecnico. The rest of the Malpensa Express's route from there to Malpensa is the same as for its counterparts from Cadorna.
The scheduling for the Centrale to Malpensa services is not as symmetrical as might be expected. Additionally, the stops, the ticket prices (due to the presence or absence of the second class) and, especially, the travel times, also vary greatly.
Rolling stock
The original Malpensa Express trains are Treno ad alta frequentazione (English: High frequency trains) (TAF trains). Their livery is a combination of the colours burgundy, dark green and cream and sometimes sponsored coaches.
Since February 2010, a new class of trains, the Convoglio Servizio Aeroportuale[1] (English: Airport Service Convoy) (CSA trains), has been gradually introduced. The new CSA trains are designed specifically for the Malpensa Express services.
Both classes of train are "push-pull" articulated electric multiple units, with a powered section at each end, and unpowered sections in between. The TAF trains have two unpowered sections; the CSA trains have three.