‘But Bologna doesn’t have a metro… right?’ This is probably what some surprised visitors to the northern Italian metropolis might say when they first see the sign for a fast train connection to the city centre at the airport.
In fact, the Marconi Express is a modern monorail that connects Guglielmo Marconi Airport with Bologna Centrale main station. And so, of course, it is no competition for the new tram, which is finally under construction after a long period of preparation.
Route and stops
The Marconi Express route is 5.1 kilometres long and runs mainly on an elevated track – completely independent of road traffic and mostly at a height of 6 to 7 metres. The journey takes only about 7 to 8 minutes. There are three stops in total:
1. Aeroporto – located directly at Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport.
2. Lazzaretto – intermediate station with Park&Ride facilities and bus connections.
3. Bologna Centrale – the main railway station with connections to regional and long-distance services (Trenitalia, Italo).
The trains operate daily from approximately 5:40 a.m. to midnight, every 7 minutes during peak times and every 15 minute off-peak.
Technical data
- Design: monorail, fully automated
- Operating system: driverless people mover (DPM)
- Vehicles: 3 trains, each with 2 cars, capacity approx. 50 people per train
- Travel speed: max. 70 km/h, average speed approx. 40 km/h
- Drive: electric
- Power supply: 750 V direct current via side conductor rails
- Track guidance: Concrete beams with two guide rails, rubber-tyred running gear
- Integrated photovoltaic panels in the running gear
- Automation: Control via central control centre, no drivers on board
The entire system was supplied by Swiss vehicle and system manufacturer Intamin, which delivered three 17-metre-long trains of its P30/48 model. The engineering firms MATE and STS from Bologna coordinated the construction of the infrastructure.
Conclusion
Since its opening on 20 November 2020, the Marconi Express has provided an environmentally friendly and very fast connection between Bologna Airport and the main railway station. However, its contribution to genuine urban transport is extremely limited; only at the single intermediate station do a few commuters use the P&R car park, and visitors and employees of the nearby hospital are also likely to be among the passengers. Due to its high fare of currently EUR 12.80 for a single journey, the connection to the airport is hardly recommended as a means of transport for daily commuters; only the journey to the Lazzaretto intermediate station is significantly more affordable at EUR 2.30. Nevertheless, demand is quite high, the service is a very fast connection for airline passengers, and an additional shuttle bus service is offered on the same route during the summer months. The railway has carried around 6 million passengers since its opening until March 2025. Further expansion of the facility is not currently on the agenda, with efforts to expand the public transport network currently focusing primarily on the new tramway.
