Italy's Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport has confirmed that construction on the long-awaited Metro extension to Monza will begin in early 2027, finally ending 25 years of stalled projects and political stagnation. The €1.9 billion extension of Milan's M5 Lilac Line will connect the Bignami terminus to Monza's Royal Villa and the historic Autodromo Nazionale, with completion expected by 2033.
Why This Matters
• Construction Timeline: Excavation begins in 2027; the line opens in 2033, allowing direct metro travel from Milan's city center to the Monza racetrack in under 30 minutes.
• Total Investment: The project costs €1.9 billion, financed through state funds, Regione Lombardia, and the municipalities of Milan, Monza, Cinisello Balsamo, and Sesto San Giovanni.
• New Stations: A 12.6-kilometer extension will add 11 new stops, including Monza Bettola, Monza FS, Villa Reale, and San Gerardo Hospital.
• Race Day Impact: Traffic congestion that paralyzes the Brianza area during the Italian Grand Prix will be substantially reduced.
A Project Almost a Century in the Making
Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini's announcement at the Italian Grand Prix—that fans will soon reach the Autodromo via metro—belies an exhausting history. Monza has been waiting for a metro connection not for decades, but for nearly a century. The first serious proposal dates to 1927, when a plan for a metropolitan railway was developed as part of an urban renewal project in 1933. In 1959, engineers proposed extending the Red Line (M1) from Sesto Marelli to Monza, but it never materialized.
The reasons were familiar to any longtime resident: funding disputes between the state and municipalities, rising construction costs, bureaucratic hurdles, and the absence of a unified governance structure capable of steering the project through multiple administrations.
For the current M5 extension, costs ballooned from early estimates to nearly €2 billion. A €100 million funding gap nearly derailed the project entirely before the Court of Auditors approved an emergency decree allocating the overrun funds.
Where the Money Comes From
Financing one of Lombardy's largest public works required coordination across all levels of government. The financing structure reflects this complexity.
The Italian state rightly assumes the lion's share at approximately €1.5 billion, channeled through the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Ministry of Economy. Regione Lombardia contributes €293 million, while the Municipality of Milan provides approximately €589 million, part of which comes from reallocating funds originally destined for the M4 extension to Segrate. The municipalities of Monza, Cinisello Balsamo, and Sesto San Giovanni collectively cover the remainder, amounting to €45 million.
What Happens Next: The Construction Phase
For residents of Monza and the northern Milan suburbs, the timeline is now concrete.
In June 2026, MM Spa, Milan's public transport infrastructure company, published the main tender for the excavation of tunnels and station construction, valued at €1.2 billion. The deadline for bids passed in October 2026, with contract award expected by December 15, 2026. Ground will break in early 2027.
But the machinery won't arrive tomorrow. Before tunneling begins, authorities must first address the utility network beneath. BrianzAcque, the local water utility, has already begun drilling two new drinking water wells to replace those located too close to the future tunnel path.
Additionally, the expropriation process affects approximately 100 properties in Monza—mostly underground rights beneath buildings or temporary surface occupancy. Full property expropriations are limited to a few cases.
Impact on Residents and Commuters
Once operational, the M5 extension fundamentally changes mobility for Brianza's residents.
Hospital Access: The San Gerardo Hospital stop brings one of Lombardy's major medical centers directly onto the metro network—a crucial benefit for elderly patients and those traveling for specialized treatment.
Commuting: Workers currently dependent on suburban rail lines or driving to Milan will have a direct, traffic-immune connection. A commute from Monza's institutional district to Milan's Bignami will take approximately 25 minutes.
Race Weekends: Monza's Autodromo currently draws over 250,000 spectators during the Italian Grand Prix weekend, creating notorious gridlock on the A52 ring road and surrounding arterial roads. Direct metro access to Villa Reale—a short walk from the track's main gates—represents a paradigm shift. The model mirrors what worked for Zandvoort in the Netherlands, where the circuit's proximity to the train station eliminated the need for cars entirely.
Lessons from European Circuits
Monza has long been criticized for its car dependency during major events. Compared to European counterparts, it lagged behind. Silverstone in the UK operates a robust shuttle system connecting Milton Keynes Central station to the track. Barcelona-Catalunya offers direct trains to Montmeló station. Zandvoort remains the European benchmark, with frequent trains delivering fans a 15-minute walk from the gates.
The Nürburgring in Germany illustrates the opposite scenario—deep in the Eifel countryside, it remains accessible almost exclusively by car. Monza, barely 15 kilometers from Milan's city center, had no excuse for similar isolation.
By 2033, the Autodromo will join the ranks of circuits seamlessly integrated into a metropolitan transit network. For a venue that has hosted Formula 1 since 1950, the arrival of the metro is less a luxury than a necessary adaptation to modern urban sustainability standards.
The promise of reaching the Temple of Speed underground is no longer political talk. Contracts are signed, funds are secured, and excavations begin next year. For Monza's commuters and Formula 1 fans alike, the countdown to 2033 has officially begun.
