Milan Metro Line 1 Explained

M1
Type:Rapid transit
System:Milan Metro
Status:operational
Locale:Milan, Italy
Start:Sesto 1º Maggio
End:Rho Fiera / Bisceglie
Stations:38[1]
Daily Ridership:500,000[2]
Operator:Azienda Trasporti Milanesi
Depot:Gallaratese, Precotto
Stock:63 trains:[3]
UdT (various series)
AnsaldoBreda Meneghino
Linelength:27km (17miles)
Electrification:750 V DC fourth rail or overhead catenary (overground depots only)

Line 1 (Linea Uno in Italian) is the first underground rapid transit line built in Milan, Italy. It is part of the Milan Metro and it is operated by ATM. Works on the line began in 1957, and the first part was opened on 1 November 1964,[4] [5] running from Sesto Marelli to Lotto station. The line is also called Red Line (Linea Rossa in Italian), as it is visually identified by red signs. Due to its premiership, the line gave its red color to the Milan Metro logo.

Route

The line runs underground from the northern suburb of Sesto San Giovanni to the city centre, then to the western district with two different branches, one northwest to Rho, the other to the west to Bisceglie. It is 27km (17miles) long and serves 38 underground stations.[6]

Key points served by the line are Duomo, considered the center of Milan; Castello Sforzesco (with Cairoli station); Cadorna, one of the busiest stations in Milan and in Italy; Corso Buenos Aires (with stations Porta Venezia, Lima and Loreto), an important shopping street; and Rho Fiera, one of the largest fairgrounds in the world.[7]

Station NameTransferBranchOpening
Sesto I MaggioMain route28 September 1986
Sesto Rondò
Sesto Marelli1 November 1964
Villa San Giovanni
Precotto
Gorla
Turro
Rovereto
Pasteur
Loreto
Lima
Porta Venezia
Palestro
San Babila
Duomo
Cordusio
Cairoli
Cadorna
Conciliazione
Pagano
BuonarrotiRho Fieramilano branch1 November 1964
Amendola
Lotto
QT88 November 1975
Lampugnano12 April 1980
Uruguay
Bonola
San Leonardo
Molino Dorino28 September 1986
Pero19 December 2005
Rho Fieramilano
WagnerBisceglie branch2 April 1966
De Angeli
Gambara
Bande Nere18 April 1975
Primaticcio
Inganni
Bisceglie21 March 1992

History

On 6 April 1952 the city administration asked for a project of a metro system and on 6 October 1955 a new company, Metropolitana Milanese, was created to manage the construction of the new infrastructure.[8] The project was funded with 500 million from the municipality and the rest from a loan. The construction site of the first line was opened in viale Monte Rosa on 4 May 1957. Stations on the new line were designed by Franco Albini-Franca Helg architecture studio. Bob Noorda designed the famous wayfinding and signage system.

At first, stations were designed without the mezzanine floor. However, these were added to the final design to allow street crossing and the use of gates to collect tickets.

The line from Lotto to Sesto Marelli (21 stations) opened on 1 November 1964, after seven years of construction works.[9]

Rolling stock

There are 4 types of trains running on the line: the original first series trains, revamped original trains, AnsaldoBreda Meneghino trains and the new train introduced in 2015. The track gauge is the . The entire line is electrified by means of a third or fourth rail at 750 V DC.[10]

Among the 63 trains running on the line, 20 entered service between 1964 (opening of the line) and 1970. Those trains are planned to be replaced by new Meneghino trains in the next few years. There are 17 Meneghino trains already operational as of March 2012.

Extension

An extension towards the north from Sesto Primo Maggio to Monza Bettola is currently under construction. It is expected to be completed by 2023.[11] The new section will be 1.9km (01.2miles) long with 2 stations (Sesto Restellone and Monza Bettola), entirely underground. The total cost will be €206 million.[12]

Station NameTransferGrade
Sesto RestelloneUnderground
Monza BettolaUnderground

An extension of the western branch from Bisceglie towards the city limits has been approved. The new stations will be located at Baggio, via Valsesia and at Quartiere Olmi. The national government will provide €210 million, while the total cost is estimated at €350 million.[13]

Station NameTransferGrade
ValsesiaUnderground
BaggioUnderground
Quartiere OlmiUnderground

References

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Metropolitana Milanese - Milano M1 . 2013-07-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131019230930/http://www.metropolitanamilanese.it/pub/page/it/MM/metropolitane_milano?contentId=905 . 2013-10-19 . dead .
  2. News: 1964-2014, Milano festeggia 50 anni della linea 1 del metrò: "Così siamo diventati europei". 4 November 2014. la Repubblica. 1 November 2014.
  3. News: Metrò rossa a rischio paralisi da cambiare un terzo dei treni. 9 March 2012. la Repubblica. 8 March 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120311010134/http://milano.repubblica.it/cronaca/2012/03/08/news/metr_rossa_a_rischio_paralisi_un_terzo_dei_treni_da_cambiare-31149158/. 11 March 2012. dead.
  4. Web site: ATM - Storia. Azienda Trasporti Milanesi. 5 October 2011.
  5. Web site: Carta della mobilità 2011 . Azienda Trasporti Milanesi . 5 October 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120329192453/http://www.atm-mi.it/it/IlGruppo/ChiSiamo/Documents/carta_della_mobilita2011.pdf . 29 March 2012 .
  6. News: Linea M1 di Milano: il nuovo segnalamento entra in attività durante il ponte del 1°novembre. 3 November 2011. I binari - CityRailways. 31 October 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20120403160449/http://www.cityrailways.it/home/2011/10/31/linea-m1-di-milano-il-nuovo-segnalamento-entra-in-attivita-d.html. 3 April 2012. dead.
  7. Web site: About us. FieraMilano. 19 October 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110722033256/http://www.fieramilano.it/portal/page?_pageid=36,39304&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL. 22 July 2011. dead.
  8. Web site: La storia della linea 1. Metropolitana Milanese Spa. 31 October 2011. 5 March 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160305010039/http://www.metropolitanamilanese.it/pub/page/it/MM/metropolitane_milano?contentId=904. dead.
  9. Milan Opens Its First Metro International Railway Journal February 1965 page 22
  10. Web site: Milan Metro. metrobits.org. 5 October 2011.
  11. News: Quattrone . Ilaria . Metro M1 fino a Monza, si sblocca il cantiere: ripartono i lavori a Sesto San Giovanni . 6 April 2021 . FanPage.it . 15 January 2021 . it.
  12. News: Stella. Armando. Metrò per Monza, ad aprile primi cantieri. 5 October 2011. Corriere della Sera. 14 March 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110621073025/http://milano.corriere.it/milano/notizie/cronaca/11_marzo_14/monza-metro-190217793326.shtml. 21 June 2011. dead.
  13. News: Dazzi. Zita. Arrivano i fondi per il prolungamento della M1 a Baggio: il governo stanzia 210 milioni . 19 December 2019. Repubblica. 5 November 2019.