Milan Metro Line 5 Extension, Italy

Metro Line 5 will be the first fully automated driverless urban light rail system in Milan. It is a 13km-long subway that will operate between Bignami and San Siro Stadium passing via the Repubblica area at Garibaldi station. The route will feature a total of 19 stations.

The line is being developed in two phases. Phase I consists of 6km-long underground track featuring nine stations between Bignami and Garibaldi. The first phase has been under construction since 2007.

The first section between northern Bignami terminus and Zara station is scheduled for opening in the first quarter of 2011 and the second section between Zara and Garibaldi is expected to open a year later in April 2012.

A special purpose venture called Metro 5 SpA has been created to carry out the project. It is a joint venture of Astaldi (€440m), Ansaldo STS (€105m), Ansaldo Breda (€51m), state metro operator Azienda Trasporti Municipalizzata (ATM) and Alstom. The consortium is led by Astaldi.

Already a concessionaire for Phase I of the Metro Line 5, the consortium signed a new contract with the Municipality of Milan in February 2011 for a further 7km extension from Garibaldi station to San Siro Stadium in the west. The contract is worth €872m and involves design, civil and technological works.

Metro 5 will operate and maintain the new stretch for a period of 25 years and seven months from the date of completion.

Project details

The Metro Line 5 extension was approved in July 2010. The 7km route will be fast-tracked by performing excavation activities on two different fronts simultaneously using four tunnel boring machines rather than the original plan of using two TBMs. The project is expected to be completed in 57 months before the opening of EXPO 2015.

Astaldi is the general contractor and will be performing all the construction works at an investment of €440m.

Ansaldo STS will be providing the electrical systems based on those already in service on the Copenhagen Metro. The rolling stock is being supplied by Ansaldo Breda under a €35m contract signed in June 2006. It will be used both on the Phase I and the extension.

The 12 train fleet will serve Line 5 at a headway of three minutes during peak hours. The passenger capacity of the entire Metro Line 5 (Bignami to San Siro Stadium) is estimated to reach 25,600 passengers per hour, per direction at a headway of 75 seconds.

Milan Metro finance

The extension is being financed partly by the Ministry of Infrastructures for up to €391m and Milan Municipality for up to €83m. The remaining €398m will be sourced through private funding.

The consortium has also raised €294m in loans to finance the project with the expectation of revenues over €1.3bn during the operating period. It is seeking financial advisory services from a US-based consultant Cohen & Company.

Infrastructure

The stations will have 50m-long platforms capable of accommodating four carriage trains. All the stations will be equipped with automatic doors.

Stations will be permanently staffed. The onboard staff will be in charge of duties such as passenger assistance, checking tickets and supervision.

Signalling and communications

The signalling and automation system on Metro Line 5 will be in compliance with the CENELEC standards.

The line will be monitored and controlled from a central control room. The signalling system will enable routine and emergency communication within the stations and trains.

Rolling stock

The fleet consists of three-car train sets designed by the Giugiaro Design team for Ansaldo Breda.

The train has seating capacity for 100 passengers and space for 200 standing passengers. The carriage has wall mounted seats and hence the floor is free of support legs, enabling easy cleaning. Four large flex zones at the sides with folding seats are available for wheelchairs, prams and bicycles.

Each car is equipped with two electronic display boards that will show information regarding the time, next station, train connections and other relevant messages. A calling point and CCTV camera are equipped on each door.

CCTVs assist the control staff to monitor few selected areas in the train. When a call is made from the call point, the system automatically switches to the camera and shows the person using the call phone.

There will be six automatic sliding doors in each car. A flashing light and an audio signal precede the closing of the doors to warn passengers.