Porta Garibaldi is effectively two railway stations stacked together. The surface station has 20 passenger tracks and handles regional, airport, long-distance and several suburban services. The Passante station below it has only two tracks and handles the cross-city S-line trains that run through central Milan. The key to Milano Porta Garibaldi platforms is to read the station name on your departure, not just the track number: “Milano Porta Garibaldi” normally means surface; “Milano Porta Garibaldi Passante” or “Sotterranea” means underground.
Temporary August 2026 closure: Trenord has closed Milano Porta Garibaldi Sotterranea from 3 to 30 August 2026 for works in the Milan Passante. Trains are not using the underground railway platforms during this period, and affected S lines are diverted, shortened or suspended. Check the official Trenord works notice before travelling. A train that normally uses the tunnel may temporarily be shown at Milano Porta Garibaldi Superficie instead.
The simple rule: read the full station name
Track numbers alone are not enough at Porta Garibaldi because the surface and underground railway areas have separate numbering. RFI lists 20 passenger tracks at the main station and two passenger tracks at the underground station.
- Milano Porta Garibaldi or Milano Porta Garibaldi Superficie: go to the surface railway station and follow signs for Binari 1-20.
- Milano Porta Garibaldi Passante or Milano Porta Garibaldi Sotterranea: go to the underground suburban railway station and check tracks 1 or 2.
- Garibaldi FS M2 or Garibaldi FS M5: this is the Milan Metro, not either set of railway platforms.
This means “binario 1” can refer to two different places. If an app shows track 1, look at the station name beside it before moving. The words Passante, Sotterranea and Superficie matter more than the number.
Which trains normally use the surface station?
The surface side is the larger railway station. Under the normal timetable it handles regional and RegioExpress trains, airport trains, some long-distance and high-speed services, and suburban lines that do not use the city-center Passante tunnel.
For travelers, the most useful examples are:
- S7, S8 and S11: these suburban services use the surface station under normal operating patterns. S8 is useful for Lecco, while S11 serves the Como corridor and Rho direction.
- Malpensa Express: the Milano Centrale-Malpensa services that call at Porta Garibaldi stop at the surface station. The official airport-rail page explicitly distinguishes the surface station from the Passante below.
- Regional and longer-distance departures: check the main departure board for your train number and destination. Do not assume that a fast or intercity train will use the same part of the station as an S-line.
If you are going north toward Como, the surface station is often the part of Garibaldi you need. Our guide to traveling from Milan to Lake Como explains the main rail choices from Garibaldi, Centrale and Cadorna.
Which trains normally use the underground Passante?
The underground railway stop is part of the Passante Ferroviario, Milan’s cross-city suburban rail tunnel. In normal service, lines S1, S2, S5, S6, S12 and S13 run through the Passante, although individual line patterns can change during engineering works. Trenord’s suburban rail information is the place to check the current pattern.
These trains continue through central Milan via stations such as Repubblica, Porta Venezia and Dateo rather than terminating at the main Garibaldi surface platforms. If your journey planner says “Milano Porta Garibaldi Passante,” you are looking for the railway tunnel, not the metro.
Do not memorize “track 1 means this direction” or “track 2 means that direction.” Check the live display on the day. Planned platform assignments can change, especially during works or disruption.
How to move between the two railway levels
- Check the departure board before committing to a direction. Confirm the train number, destination and whether the station name includes Passante, Sotterranea or Superficie.
- From the surface platforms, descend toward the station concourse and follow signs for the Passante or suburban S lines. Do not simply follow the first sign that says “underground,” because M2 and M5 are separate metro lines.
- From the Passante, follow railway signs for Binari 1-20 when changing to a surface train. Follow M2 or M5 only if your next leg is actually on the metro.
- Recheck the board after you reach the correct level. If your platform has changed, the station display is more useful than an old screenshot or a platform number saved earlier in the day.
This is an internal station transfer, but it is not a cross-platform connection. With luggage, a stroller or a need for elevators, do not plan a three-minute dash. A 10-15 minute planning buffer is sensible for a surface-to-Passante change, with more time if the connection is important or you need step-free routing.
Do not confuse S5 with M5
This catches people because both appear at Garibaldi and both involve going below ground. The letter tells you the system:
- S means servizio suburbano, the suburban railway. S5 normally uses the Passante.
- M means metropolitana, the Milan Metro. M5 is the lilac metro line, and M2 is the green metro line.
The metro station name is Garibaldi FS. “FS” signals the railway interchange, but the M2 and M5 platforms are not the Passante railway platforms. If you see metro turnstiles and line-direction signs for Bignami, San Siro Stadio, Assago Milanofiori Forum or the M2 branches, you are in the metro system.
Luggage, strollers and step-free access
RFI lists elevator access to all 20 passenger tracks at the main station and to both underground railway tracks. That makes the change possible without stairs, but lift outages can alter the route. RFI recommends checking lift and ramp status when accessibility is essential.
The metro has its own accessibility equipment. ATM’s live accessibility information separately lists Garibaldi FS for M2 and M5. If you need step-free travel, check both the railway and ATM information rather than assuming that a working railway lift means the metro lift is also operating.
With a large suitcase, the easiest habit is to identify the correct system before entering any gated area. “Passante” means suburban rail; “M2/M5” means metro; “Binari 1-20” means the main surface railway station.
Tickets: one station, several fare systems
For travel inside Milan, integrated STIBM tickets can be valid across Trenord urban rail, the Passante, metro and other local transport within the zones purchased, but they must be activated or validated according to the ticket type and at the required changes. A normal railway ticket with destination Milano can cover the urban Trenord rail network and Passante, but that does not automatically make it a metro ticket.
If you are changing systems, read the ticket product rather than assuming that all gates at Garibaldi accept the same fare. During special engineering closures, Trenord and ATM may temporarily accept rail tickets on defined replacement metro or surface routes, but those arrangements apply only when officially announced.
If you arrive at the wrong level
Do not leave the station and start again. First check the departure display or your operator’s live journey information. If your train is listed as Superficie, follow signs toward the main railway tracks. If it is listed as Passante or Sotterranea, follow the suburban rail signs downward. If the train is missing from the level you expected, look for a disruption notice before assuming you have missed it.
Engineering work is the main reason the usual rule can fail. An S-line that normally runs underground can be diverted to the surface, terminated early or replaced for part of its route. The live board and current operator notice outrank the normal line pattern.
If your day combines a Garibaldi transfer with Malpensa, Lake Como or another onward train, the Italy on Foot trip planner can help keep the sequence of stations and connections in one place.
Italian signs that matter at Porta Garibaldi
- Binario / Binari: platform / platforms.
- Passante ferroviario: the cross-city suburban railway tunnel.
- Sotterranea: underground, usually referring here to the Passante railway station.
- Superficie: surface station.
- Metropolitana: metro.
- Uscita: exit.
- Coincidenze: connections.
- Ascensore: lift/elevator.
The safest mental shortcut is simple: first identify surface railway, Passante railway or metro; only then follow the platform number. That prevents the classic Garibaldi mistake of being at the right station, on the right-numbered platform, but on the wrong railway level.