ITALY: Lombardia has approved an additional €25m for the Milano–Seregno light rail project as its revised cost reaches €381.7m and the 2029 opening remains exposed to financing and construction risks.

Milano–Seregno light rail funding gains €25m as the project cost reaches €381.7m, while the planned 2029 opening faces risks.
Photo: Città metropolitana di Milano

Milano–Seregno light rail funding follows higher costs

The regional contribution will be provided through the City of Milan, with €15m scheduled for 2029 and €10m for 2030. It supplements €30m already allocated by Lombardia. The project’s estimated cost has moved from €258.5m, approved in 2022, to €381.7m in the updated 2025 programme—almost 50% above the earlier budget.

In a July 9 statement, Città Metropolitana di Milano welcomed the new regional funding and said it was still seeking national government support to address the remaining cost pressures. The authority also said it had committed an additional €13m in December 2025.

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What the 14.3 km line will deliver?

The official project outline describes a 14.3 km route with 25 stops, spaced an average 540 m apart, through Milano, Bresso, Cormano, Cusano Milanino, Paderno Dugnano, Nova Milanese, Desio and Seregno.

The line will replace the discontinued Milano–Desio interurban tramway and extend it north to Seregno railway station. The northern terminus will connect with national rail services towards Saronno, Malpensa Airport, Como, Carnate, Bergamo and Monza. At the southern end, the project page identifies an interchange with Milan Metro Line M3 at Maciachini.

Plans also call for 18 new 25 m bidirectional trams. Peak services are planned every five minutes as far as Paderno Dugnano and every 10 minutes farther north, with 30-minute intervals during off-peak periods.

Financing still shapes the 2029 timetable

Construction began several years ago and has faced contractor insolvencies, design revisions and higher building costs. The programme was revised during 2025–26, while work accelerated in Desio, including early removal of the former tram infrastructure.

The project is still scheduled to enter service in 2029, but that date remains subject to financing and construction risks. In April 2026, Seregno, Desio and Nova Milanese asked for assurances that the remaining funds would be secured so work could be completed on schedule.

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