Sunday, June 9 marks an important date for fans of historic trains and tourists of Lake Garda. The long-awaited inaugural journey of the ‘Garda Express’ will depart from Milano Centrale station at 9:20 am, with Desenzano del Garda-Sirmione as its destination, where it is expected to arrive at 11:00 am.
This event represents the first run of the historic train on the Brescia line, an initiative that is in its eighth edition thanks to the Department of Transport and Sustainable Mobility of the Lombardy Region, in collaboration with the Italian State Railways Foundation and FS Italian Tourist Trains.
The train used for this journey will be composed of an electric locomotive and several vintage carriages, including the famous ‘Centoporte’ from the 1930s and the ‘Corbellini’ from the 1950s, as well as an equipped baggage car. After departing from Milano Centrale, the train will make intermediate stops at Treviglio, Rovato, and Brescia before reaching the Lombard shores of Lake Garda.
For those who cannot participate in this first run, the Garda Express will return on Sunday, September 1.
The regional councillor for Transport emphasized the importance of the initiative: “Thanks to the collaboration between the Lombardy Region and the FS Foundation, thousands of people discover itineraries and landscapes of our region through an authentic journey back in time.” The aim is to promote sustainable mobility and railway tourism that enhances the historical and cultural heritage of the Italian railway.
The Lombardy Region supports these activities with an annual budget of 600,000 euros dedicated to the enhancement of the historic railway heritage. Of these funds, about 300,000 euros are specifically allocated to the historic trains managed by the FS Foundation.
Details of the journey:
Departure from Milano Centrale: 9:20 am
Stops:
– Milano Lambrate: arrival 9:25 am, departure 9:27 am
– Treviglio: arrival 9:49 am, departure 9:58 am
– Rovato: arrival 10:25 am, departure 10:26 am
– Brescia: arrival 10:39 am, departure 10:40 am
Arrival at Desenzano del Garda-Sirmione: 11:00 am
Return journey:
Departure from Desenzano del Garda-Sirmione: 3:50 pm
Stops:
– Brescia: arrival 4:13 pm, departure 4:15 pm
– Rovato: arrival 4:30 pm, departure 4:32 pm
– Treviglio: arrival 4:58 pm, departure 5:06 pm
– Milano Lambrate: arrival 5:32 pm, departure 5:34 pm
Arrival at Milano Centrale: 5:42 pm
During these historic trips, it will be possible to transport bicycles for free using specially equipped baggage cars.
Tickets are available on all official Trenitalia channels (physical ticket offices, app, and website), with special rates that allow children up to fourteen years old to travel for free.
The historic train calendar includes twenty runs this year with several new features compared to the past:
– Laveno Express for Lake Maggiore (next run on September 8)
– Lario Express to Como and Lecco (next run on October 13)
– Sebino Express for Lake Iseo (next dates on June 16, September 15, and October 20)
– Besanino Express to Besana, Molteno, and Lecco (September 22 and October 27)
In addition, two special runs will be made on the Milan-Chiavenna itinerary (June 23) and Milan-Cremona (November 17) for the Torrone Festival.
Italian Version