“No-one is going to take this trip; everyone wants to travel into the city centre”
This trip, takes 30 minutes by car
I took it by public transport:
This is even not possible on Sunday, because line z501 has no Sunday service anymore. This has been temporarily suspended due to covid-19
There is no way to take any trip today, because it’s Sunday. Next scheduled trip, is tomorrow (lunedì, Monday) on 5:32
As shown, there is a more direct route, but this takes even longer
As shown, there is no way to take any trip today, because it’s Sunday. Next scheduled trip, is tomorrow (lunedì, Monday) on 5:32
As shown, there is a more direct route, but this takes even longer
This takes longer because of:
- Lack of an integrated pulse timetable (Taktfahplan): Every trip is different, and the timetable has no structure. Waiting times for the connecting services can be very long
- The line diverts to serve more destinations: This could be acceptable in extremely rural areas. Not in Europe’s second largest urban area
- Lack of information: Timetables does not change based on EU standards (second Sunday of December and second Sunday of June). They change nearly on weekly bases, depending on school’s needs (!!). So, good look to find the current timetable. Maybe the right one is on the operator’s website. Or the one on CityMapper. Or the one at the stop.
- Unsafety: Bus stops are often in the middle of some stroads (and they are really unsafe), with no live departure boards. The timetable shown at the stop, is often not the one in operation. Some live departure boards were bought in 2019, but they only have properly worked for some weeks.
- Lack of service: Let’s look at the timetable of line z555
Last service on weekdays, is at 18:40. There is no service between 15:50 and 18:40
Last service on saturdays is at 15:10 (!!). Obviously, there is no Sunday service.
This is not a serious public transport service.
This is a school bus you can access with public transport tickets.
This “service” is funded with public money, and it does not serve the community at all
So, it was Saturday, and I needed to get to my destination at around 18:30
Scheduled departure time was at 16:00
Because of road works, part of the z501 line is diverted.
I’ve tried to understand where the intermediate stops have been moved but, it wasn’t possible via internet
So, I went to the terminus bus stop of the line. Actually, there was a paper invoice about the diversion. But… This wasn’t easy to understand at all if you’re not a local
Bus timetables at stop where also completely different to the one I found on internet
So, it was Saturday, and I needed to get to my destination at around 18:30
Scheduled departure time was at 16:00
Because of road works, part of the z501 line is diverted.
I’ve tried to understand where the intermediate stops have been moved but, it wasn’t possible via internet
So, I went to the terminus bus stop. There was actually an invoice about the diversion. But… This wasn’t easy to understand at all if you’re not a local
Bus timetables at stop where also completely different to the one I found on the operator’s website
Anyway, I took the bus from the terminus stop at 16:00. I was lucky. The timetable on the operator’s website was right.
The trip to metro station Famagosta, takes 32 minutes.
Although an extension to Assago Forum was constructed on the metro line in 2011, all busses still enter the highway to connect to the old underground terminal in Famagosta.
I preferred to take the underground in Assago Forum. The walk between bus and metro is longer, but it’s really nice to ride along the countryside by metro.
Anyway, I took the bus from the terminus stop at 16:00. I was lucky. The timetable on the operator’s website was right.
The trip to metro station Famagosta, takes 32 minutes.
There is actually a S-Bahn stop at literally five minutes by car, but there is no public transport connection. (More on that in a future post)
Despite a metro line extension to Assago Forum opened in 2011, all busses still enter the highway to connect to the old underground terminal in Famagosta. This causes less ridership on the new portion of the metro, and it’s extremely inefficient.
Anyway, preferred to take the underground in Assago Forum. The walk between bus and metro is longer, but it’s really nice to ride along the countryside by metro.
As I arrived at Porta Genova station, I sadly missed the train at 16:42, and so, I need to wait for the following service at 17:08
This is an additional service for the afternoon commute. The train comes directly from the depo.
At 16:57, a train from Mortara enters the station. But this was scheduled to take service on the following service, so not the 17:08, but the 17:42
At 17:08, no sign of the train, and absolutely no information was given.
Trenord’s staff at the station had no idea about where the train was.
At 17:15, the rolling stock was pulled into the station.
While waiting for the train, I had an argument with two guys who that were trashing the station
I felt really unsafe when I boarded the train
Because of the single track between Porta Genova and San Cristoforo, we needed to wait for the incoming train in order to departure
The train, has departed at 17:25
I arrived at Abbiategrasso station at 17:56 instead 17:40
After that, I was “lucky enough” to be driven to my final destination, instead of trying to get on a bus.
I arrived to my final destination at 18:07. This 25 km trip took 2h07 by public transport. And it was painful.
This does not even include the time I spent trying to understand where the bus stops because of road works.
Just to make a comparison: This is where I can get by car in 2h07, from my yesterday’s departure position
“No-one is going to take this trip; everyone wants to travel into the city centre”
This, is what a typical Italian transport planner would replay
We know that this is simply not true. “Everyone” on public transport “travels into the city centre” because that’s the only kind of trip an antiquated and outdated public transport network will serve.
In the real world, we know people do move for any kind of reason. From any point to any point.
There will be always a kind of “inconvenient” atypical trips where public transport isn’t the best option, but an integrated public transport network allows you to take all trips you wish to take
Isn’t this place really nice? (Anyway, you can’t explore that coastline by train anymore because the railway was moved away from the coast in 2018.)
Because every time you talk about bad public transport in Italy, well they give you the solution to all your problems: Buying electric busses.
Ironically, I took this trip, because I was going to talk in a local meeting about the desperate situation of our public transport
The poster advertising the event on the broken glass of a bus stop in Abbiategrasso: Live music to attract public, and then… Talk about public transport. Thanks to the association “MiMoAl” who cares about the Milano-Mortara-Alessandria railway (https://www.mimoal.it/)