Milan Metro Line 5

Line 5 is an underground rapid transit line in Milan, Italy, part of the Milan Metro. The line, also known as M5 or the Lilac Line (Linea Lilla in Italian), is 12.8-kilometre (8.0 mi) long and goes through the city from the north to the north-west.^[4] It opened in stages between 2013 and 2015.^[3][6][5][7]

M5
Garibaldi FS station
Overview
Status	Operational
Locale	Milan, Italy
Termini	Bignami San Siro Stadio
Connecting lines
Stations	19
Service
Type	Rapid transit
System	Milan Metro
Operator(s)	Azienda Trasporti Milanesi
Rolling stock	Hitachi Rail Italy Driverless Metro
Daily ridership	130,000 (October 2015)[1]
Ridership	37 million (2022)[2]
History
Opened	10 February 2013[3]
Technical
Line length	12.9 km (8.0 mi)[4][5]
Number of tracks	2
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	750 V DC third rail
Operating speed	30 km/h (19 mph) (average) 80 km/h (50 mph) (maximum)
Route map

The line operates using Hitachi Rail Italy Driverless Metro vehicles.^[8][9]

Route

The line is fully underground, with a total length of 12.8 kilometres (8.0 mi) and serving 19 stations. It runs from Bignami to the north of the city to San Siro Stadio to the south-west in less than 26 minutes.^[10]

Station name	Transfer	Opening
Bignami		10 February 2013
Ponale
Bicocca
Ca’ Granda
Istria
Marche
Zara
Isola		1 March 2014
Garibaldi FS
Monumentale		11 October 2015[11]
Cenisio		20 June 2015[12]
Gerusalemme		26 September 2015[11]
Domodossola		29 April 2015
Tre Torri		14 November 2015
Portello		6 June 2015[12]
Lotto		29 April 2015
Segesta
San Siro Ippodromo
San Siro Stadio

Map

Operation

The line is equipped with a third-rail power supply at a voltage of 750 V in direct current. It is the first line in Milan with a fully automatic management and driving system, as well as the first to have platform screen doors. The entire line is controlled and managed by a single control centre, located at the depot at the Bignami terminus. The line is connected to the rest of the network by a track between Isola and Garibaldi FS stations, which allows trains to reach the M2 line and then the Precotto depot on the M1 line, the closest one that is able to carry out repairs.

The platforms and trains are 50 meters (164 ft 1 in) long, compared to 110 of the other three lines of the Milan Metro. However, thanks to very high frequencies the passenger capacity is high at 24,000 passengers per hour.^[13] Although the complete automation allows a maximum frequency of one train every 90 seconds (75 in some cases), the current maximum frequency is 150 seconds due to the limited number of trains available.

Management

The company responsible for construction works and operation is Metro 5 S.p.A., a consortium of:^[14]

• Ansaldo STS (24.6%)
• Astaldi (23.3%)
• Azienda Trasporti Milanesi (20.0%)
• Torno Global Contracting (15.4%)
• Alstom (9.4%)
• AnsaldoBreda (7.3%)

Metro 5 covered 40% of global construction costs^{[further explanation needed]}, and will operate the line for 27 years from the opening.^[14]

Rolling stock

Main article: Hitachi Rail Italy Driverless Metro

AnsaldoBreda driverless train in service in Milan.

The line uses 21 four-car articulated driverless trains from AnsaldoBreda^[15] (now Hitachi Rail Italy), part of the AnsaldoBreda Driverless Metro system.

Classified Series 5500, they were designed by Giugiaro, and are about 50 meters (164 ft 1 in) long,^[16] 2.65 meters (8 ft 8 in) wide, with seating for 96 and a maximum capacity 536 passengers.^[17]

The systems are controlled by a fully automated computer system, located at the control and maintenance center.

Future extensions

A northern extension from Bignami to Monza has been approved. It will consist of 11 new stations and the opening is foreseen in 2027.^[18]

Station name	Transfer	Grade
Testi-Gorky		Underground
Rondinella-Crocetta
Lincoln
Bettola
Campania
Marsala
Monza Fs
Trento e Trieste
Villa Reale-Parco di Monza
Ospedale San Gerardo
Polo istituzionale

See also

• Medium-capacity rail transport system