Current and prospective accessibility to airports

From an airport point of view, i.e. from the point of view of service to demand of transportation generated within the airport relevant area, the scale of priority in terms of land-based accessibility to airport is:

• links to the key city with the highest concentration of transport demand (in this case Milan City);
• links to metropolitan area gravitating around the key city or anyway in the “narrow” catchment area (around the 60-minute isochron from the airport). As far as Malpensa is concerned, this area corresponds to Milan hinterland, the most urbanised parts of the foothill strip (from the provinces of Varese to Bergamo), the eastern provinces of Piedmont (Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, Novara, Vercelli) and the Canton Ticino;
• links to other large and medium-sized cities located at greater distances but served by means of transport (particularly High Speed Rail) that guarantee travel times of less than two hours. In case of Malpensa, this includes first of all Turin and Lower Piedmont (Alessandria, Asti) and then Genoa, Emilia (from Piacenza to Bologna), Florence, East Lombardy (Brescia) and Western Veneto (Verona).

Current rail accessibility to Malpensa Airport

Regarding quantity and quality of rail links, the throughput of Trenord in the offer of connection service between Milan City and Malpensa airport is definitely significant. In overall terms, there are 129 daily journeys that give rise to an average hourly rate during the 20 operating hours of one journey every 18-19 minutes per direction. The minimum travel time (29’) is absolutely adequate and competitive with international standards (the centre of Munich is connected to airport with two different services, 43’ and 53 ‘respectively). All journeys are entirely made with rolling stock specifically designed for airport service, of recent construction, with good performance and good comfort levels. Except for the few municipalities along the route between Malpensa and Saronno (Ferno-Lonate Pozzolo, Busto Arsizio Nord, Castellanza, Rescaldina) served by some of Malpensa Express stops and the cities where Swiss TILO service to Locarno stops within two hours of the airport (Gallarate, Luino), Malpensa is not connected directly by rail to its immediate catchment area.

Future rail accessibility to Malpensa Airport

Upgrading of Novara-Malpensa segment

The overall project consists in enhancing a rail route intended as a northern line for passengers and freight. On one hand, this will decongest Milan hub and, on the other hand, it will establish a direct connection corridor between the high-capacity Turin-Milan railway, Malpensa airport, Brianza and, eventually, the northeast railway line running from the Gotthard to Bergamo. Novara-Malpensa link is indispensable for a direct connection between Turin-Milan high-capacity line and Malpensa airport. The operation concerns an upgrading of Ferrovie Nord Milano (North Milan Railways) segment from Novara to Busto Arsizio, where it connects with Novara-Malpensa line already in operation. At the same time, the functional integration of the line with Novara HS/HC (High Speed/High Capacity) station on Turin-Milan is planned. The executive project of Castano Primo- Turbigo line was approved in December 2011, and the work was completed in December 2014. Galliate variant, which deserves a separate discussion, is a project that also includes the connection between the historic line and HS/HC Milan-Turin line, allowing the activation of a direct service between Turin and Malpensa using the HS/HC network. From 2011 until now, the preliminary project is still pending at CIPE (Interministerial Committee for Economic Planning) for lack of funding needed for its implementation, amounting to 87 million Euro. However, the urgent need to re-modernise three bridges along Langosco stream has made it necessary to carry out a functional fragmentation of works funded with 6 million Euro from Lombardy Region.

Rho-Gallarate rail link upgrade and Y connection for direct connection between Rho-Fiera/Expo and Malpensa

The project includes the creation of a quadrupling segment, alongside the two existing ones, along the railway segment between Rho and Parabiago, with a continuation that includes the construction of a third track between the stations of Parabiago and Gallarate. The upgrade of the above route allows for an increase in available capacity to meet the mobility requirements of the route, as part of the broader infrastructure context of the south access to Malpensa Airport. The overall project involves the construction of a single-track at-grade link connecting RFI line Rho-Arona (at Legnano) to Saronno-Malpensa FNM line (at Busto Arsizio). The total cost of the operations is approximately 622 million Euro. As far as Rho-Parabiago section is concerned, the tender for the executive design and execution of works was in progress in 2011. Following the acceptance by the TAR (Regional Administrative Court) of the appeal lodged by the Rho- Parabiago Civic Committee, which cancelled the CIPE Resolution approving and funding the final project, the Higher Council of Public Works met on September 26, 2014 and made significant changes to the design of Rho-Parabiago and the “Y” junction. At the end of 2015, RFI was still awaiting a response on how to  proceed from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport. Meanwhile, the project, which had 402 million Euro of government appropriations, lost funding for about 380 million as a result of the cancellation of the CIPE Resolution. As for Parabiago-Gallarate segment, the final project, which lacks financial cover, has been pending CIPE approval since 2011.

North link from Malpensa with the railway lines to Sempione and Gotthard

The project consists of a double-track link to Malpensa Terminal 2 and the existing line of Sempione via two connections, towards Gallarate (Milan direction) and towards Domodossola (Sempione direction). This longterm project will meet the strategic goal of networking Malpensa Airport with the local territory through Sempione and Gotthard routes, significantly increasing the catchment area. The recent RFI guidelines provide for a first functional phase with an investment of 135 million Euro (compared to over one billion of the final project), allowing the construction of a simple rail line between Terminal 2 and the Gallarate-Domodossola line to and from the north (direction Sempione) and to and from the south (direction Milan). In 2011, the preliminary draft prepared by RFI had to be approved, setting out a total investment of 1 billion Euro, with a functional carving out of the works costing 135 million consisting of a single track line up to the current Gallarate-Domodossola line. During 2015, Ferrovie Nord and SEA obtained from the European Commission a 50% co-funding of the cost of designing a dual-track line between Terminal 2 and the current Sempione line. The preliminary project, currently underway, should be completed in September 2016, and the cost of the operation should be between 170 and 250 million Euro.

New railway works to upgrade accessibility to Malpensa

Arcisate-Stabio railway

The project involves the construction of a new railway line between Mendrisio and Varese linking the historic Gotthard line, via Milan-Varese line, to Malpensa Airport (via X-link at Busto Arsizio). The project involves the construction of a new dual-track line that connects the existing Stabio track with Varese-Porto Ceresio line at Arcisate. The new connection is approximately 8 km long, of which 3.3 km are newly built. Work on the Swiss segment was underway in 2011, and was completed on November 26, 2014. in 2011, work was underway on the Italian segment (started in 2010), interrupted in 2013 for problems related to the disposal of excavated soil containing arsenic. At the session of August 6, 2015, CIPE approved the variant of the excavation soil and rocks management plan and the identification of new landfill sites. The work is approximately 50% complete. The activation of the new line is scheduled for December 2017.

Road accessibility to Malpensa Airport

Roads are currently the most important link system to Malpensa Airport. Private vehicles can rely on two existing motorways (A8 and A4 connected via Malpensa-Boffalora motorway link) and one under construction(Pedemontana). Private vehicles also include hotel shuttles and tourist buses.
The road system is also used by a variety of collective and individual public transport: airport bus, taxi, limo and car sharing (e-Vai).
Over the next few years, large-scale infrastructure investments are planned on Lombardy road network. These should have a positive impact on the quality of links to Milan airports, both in terms of travel time and ease of access.⁽²⁾

Magenta-Abbiategrasso-Vigevano-Milan West Ring Road

The operation is a continuation of Malpensa-Boffalora/A4 motorway and, as part of the links to Malpensa, it provides a roadway outside Milan West Ring Road, aimed at facilitating the connections between Milan, the west of Milan and A4 at Malpensa-Boffalora motorway. The Project is divided into three sections: segment A from Magenta to Albairate; segment B from Albairate to Milan west ring road; segment C from Albairate to Vigevano (Abbiategrasso variant and adaptation to the new bridge on the Ticino River). In 2011, the final design phase of Magenta-Abbiategrasso-Vigevano functional carving out was underway, due to be launched as a priority with the available funding, and the construction of the new Ticino bridge at Vigevano was underway. In 2015, the operation was funded under ANAS Economic Regulation Agreement for 220 million Euro, but due to the opposition of several local authorities regarding the planned route, ANAS is preparing a feasibility study for a new route between Albairate and Magenta to be presented to CIPE by the summer of 2016 along with the final project of Vigevano-Albairate segment (whose route has been confirmed). The construction sites of the new bridge on the Ticino river in Vigevano, under the jurisdiction of the Province of Pavia, were underway in 2011, and at the end of 2015 they had progressed only 35%, following the bankruptcy of the contracted company, which stopped the works for over a year.

SS341 Vanzaghello-Samarate variant

9.4 km operation aims to connect Malpensa-Boffalora, at Vanzaghello, and A8 motorway, through the new Gallarate road link. Works will reach Pedemontana Lombarda, in order to make a quick link between the north of Lombardy with A4 (Turin direction) and Milan (SS11 and West Ring Road). Works cost 261.78 million Euro, of which 133.02 million Euro are available, which make it is possible to achieve a functional segment consisting of the section between SS 336 and A8 motorway (Bretella di Gallarate), indispensable to ensuring transport continuity of vehicle flows from Pedemontana Lombarda towards Malpensa and vice versa. The final project was completed in 2011 and at the end of 2015 it was still pending (since 2013) at the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport for the approval by CIPE.

SS33 variant of the Sempione Rho-Gallarate

Sempione variant, known as “Sempione bis”, consists of a single roadway of about 30 km with one lane in each direction of travel. The proposed route splits off from the current SS33 at Rho, at the intersection with Milan West Ring Road, and crosses the municipalities of Pogliano Milanese, Vanzago, Nerviano, Parabiago, Canegrate, Busto Garolfo, Dairago, Villa Cortese and Busto Arsizio, ending at Samarate, where it intersects with another infrastructure being designed, variant of SS341, creating a link with A8 motorway. The cost of the works is 420 million Euro, of which 42.27 million are funded. In 2011, the preliminary draft of a  functional carving out was underway, due to be launched with the available funding, and at the end of 2015 it was still pending (since 2013) at the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport for the approval by CIPE.

New roadworks to upgrade accessibility to Malpensa

Current and future accessibility to Linate Airport

Metro system Line 4 Lorenteggio-Linate

The project involves the construction of a completely automated metro line (without driver) connecting along 14.2 km Linate airport with FS San Cristoforo railway station (on Milan-Mortara railway line), with a total of 21 stops. The total cost of the works is 1.8 billion Euro, of which 958 million Euro are funded by the State, 461 by private entities and 400 by the Municipality of Milan. In 2011, construction sites were yet to be opened, and they were launched in 2012. At the end of 2015, work was ongoing on the segment between Linate and Forlanini FS, as well as the preparatory works at stations outside Cerchia dei Bastioni. Tunnel  excavation and station construction will be launched between 2016 and 2019, while plants will be built between 2020 and 2022, when operation is expected to open.

⁽¹⁾OTI North-West, “Objective 2021: Intermediate Report”, 2016
⁽²⁾Source: Nomisma processing of the 2010-2013 Economic and Financial Planning Document, Infrastructures Annex