Turin–Milan railway

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The Turin–Milan railway is a major Italian rail line that connects Turin and Milan. It runs about 153 kilometers in length, with double tracks, standard gauge, and is fully electrified at 3 kV DC. The line passes through Settimo Torinese, Chivasso, Santhià, Vercelli, Novara, Magenta and Rho, with five key junctions along the route. Most trains travel up to 160 km/h, and a section between Magenta and Pregnana Milanese allows speeds up to 180 km/h. It serves both passengers and freight, with Trenitalia and Trenord as the main operators. There are six daily high-speed services on the Milan–Turin–Paris route, and the Novara–Milan segment is used by suburban and metropolitan services on other parts of the line. The Turin–Milan high-speed line runs alongside this main route, offering several connection points at Torino Stura, Settimo, Bianzè, Novara and Rho Fiera.

History and development: The line was built by Thomas Brassey for the Victor Emmanuel Company and opened between Turin and Novara in the mid-1850s, with the connection to Milan completed in 1859. It played a notable role in the Italian unification, including the Battle of Magenta. Over time the line passed through several railway companies before becoming part of Ferrovie dello Stato in 1905–1906. Electrification began in the 1960s (Novara–Rho in 1960 and Turin–Novara in 1961). In the 2000s, management moved to Rete Ferroviaria Italiana. The line is considered fundamental by its infrastructure manager and runs alongside the Turin–Milan high-speed line, with connections at several stations.