BOLZANO. From December 15th a new train connects every day Milan Porta Garibaldi at the Bolzano station: it’s about the RegioExpressthe modern “Caravaggio” train by Trenorth. The provincial councilor for Mobility Daniel Alfreider and the councilor of the Lombardy Region Franco Lucente they presented all the details of the new connection and gave some priorities on future developments.
Alfreider, who underlines the efficiency and sustainability of railway transport, recalled: “150 years ago railways were built because there were no cars yet, today we need the railway, because we have too many cars”. And the new RegioExpress represents a step forward in the creation of increasingly attractive alternatives to the car. The project was born from the collaboration between Trentino-Alto Adige and Lombardy.
Teamwork that guaranteed the quick completion of the project: the idea was born on April 18th with a declaration of intent signed by councilors Lucente and Alfreiderand the first race can be dated to 15 December of the same year. The president of the Province, Arno Kompatscher, underlined how rail transport represents the backbone of public transport: “The new direct train marks the beginning of a joint journey: it is important to be able to connect the regions better and better by train”.
During the press conference to present the project, the councilor of the Lombardy Region Franco Lucente added: “Thanks to rail transport, Lombardy and Trentino-Alto Adige are closer. After a month of direct connections, we can certify the success of the ‘initiative”. Lucente highlighted some of the data recorded: “Every day there are on average over 2 thousand passengers who use the Milan-Bolzano also for the numerous intermediate stops; of these, more than 200 arrive as far as Bolzano and then return from Alto Adige to in Milan”. The new RegioExpress offers greater accessibility, both for residents and visitors. The train, to and from Trento, can be used with all “Alto Adige Mobilità” tickets.
The improvement therefore does not only concern the connectivity of Alto Adige to central Milan, but adds a connection for commuters between Trentino, Bassa Atesina and Bolzano and also facilitates and it also speeds up reaching Malpensa airport. Furthermore, the train allows a direct connection to Lake Garda, in particular to Peschiera and Desenzano. The “Caravaggio” train has 18 bike spaces, mostly with electrical sockets for e-bikes.
(photo Ansa)