Hitachi Rail Completes Milan’s M4 Metro Line, Enhancing City Transport

Image generated with Ai

On October 12, Milan inaugurated the southwestern expansion of its metro system with the completion of the M4 line, stretching all the way to the San Cristoforo terminus, courtesy of Hitachi Rail. This new segment introduces a vital piece of infrastructure and an additional connection to the San Cristoforo railway hub. Traversing the Cerchia dei Navigli, it forges a novel diagonal corridor through the city, vastly expanding the public transport’s coverage, easing road congestion, enhancing accessibility, and fostering a shift towards more sustainable transportation options.

This development is part of a broader initiative that previously saw the launch of the M4 line’s segments from Linate to Dateo and then to San Babila, seamlessly connecting Linate Airport with the heart of Milan in just 12 minutes.

Hitachi Rail has played a pivotal role, not only by installing 47 cutting-edge autonomous trains but also by overseeing the implementation of the signaling, power supply systems, telecommunications, platform screen doors, and the SCADA system for management and data acquisition. They were also behind the installation of the ATC signaling system, which employs driverless CBTC technology, enhancing operational reliability and passenger safety. Spanning 15 kilometers and featuring 21 stations, the line enhances the city’s transport capacity significantly.

The new metro trains, capable of hitting speeds up to 80 km/h, run with a base frequency of 90 seconds between trains, reducing to 75 seconds during peak times, and can accommodate 500 passengers each. With the new line operational, it’s projected to handle about 24,000 commuters per hour in each direction.

The M4 is expected to replace over 4 million annual car trips in Milan, which is likely to cut down air and noise pollution markedly. Predictions suggest a reduction of annual CO2 emissions by 10,310 tons and particulate matter (PM10) emissions by 1,511 kg, contributing significantly to improved urban air quality.

“The completion of Line 4 represents another step forward for the citizens of Milan in the process of transitioning from private to collective mobility,” said Luca D’Aquila, COO of Hitachi Rail Group and CEO of Hitachi Rail Italy. “The inauguration of the final section to San Cristoforo will have a significant environmental impact, with over 4 million fewer car trips each year. This is an achievable target, according to estimates, thanks to the comfort and reliability of our vehicles, and safety of our signalling systems, which will enable citizens to travel safely.”