With these developments, Malpensa Airport is now fully connected to Italian and European high-speed rail networks, enhancing regional mobility and broader European connectivity.

Since 2010, a broad plan by Ferrovienord and SEA to connect Malpensa with Milan and northern Italy by rail has progressed through planning and construction, aiming for easier intermodal travel and stronger integration into Europe’s transport network.

A new train connection from Milan Malpensa Airport Terminal 2 began operation on 22 January 2026, linking the airport directly to Gallarate and Casorate Sempione and branching toward the Simplon line to Switzerland.

A roughly 6-kilometer double-track electrified line now fills a missing link between the airport and the Rhine-Alpine Corridor, cutting Malpensa’s travel time to Gallarate Station to about seven minutes.

The MXP North Rail Access project has drawn around €64 million in EU funding via the CEF Transport programme, supporting Malpensa’s integration with Italy’s and Europe’s high-speed networks.

The initiative seeks to shift passengers and potentially freight from road to rail, reducing traffic and greenhouse gas emissions while boosting Lombardy’s local train services.

From 2010 to 2018, ambient planning and initial works were supported by EU funding for rail connections, with about €14.8 million allocated across several phases.

Since 2010, the EU has contributed more than €78 million toward studies and construction for Malpensa’s rail connections to Northern and Southern Italy.