Green light for the Lombardy-Ticino Agreement (cross-border guide)

Context

In brief

• The Regional Council ratifies the Lombardy-Ticino Agreement
• Agreement signed on 16 June 2026: lasts five years
• Services scheduled every 60 minutes: S40 and S50
• RE50 Malpensa-Lugano and new cross-border buses planned

Key facts

• Bill → no. 197
• Agreement → signed on 16 June 2026
• Validity → five years, renewable for another five
• S40 and S50 → frequency every 60 minutes
• Varese-Mendrisio service → integrated every 30 minutes
• RE50 → Malpensa-Varese-Mendrisio-Lugano, hourly frequency
• S30 → Cadenazzo-Luino-Gallarate
• Fares → goal of integration between the Lombardy and Ticino systems

An agreement that starts in the Varese area

The Regional Council approved Bill no. 197, which ratifies the new Agreement between Regione Lombardia and Canton Ticino for the development of cross-border mobility. The agreement was signed on 16 June 2026 and will be valid for five years, with the possibility of renewal for an additional five-year period.

For the province of Varese, the measure is directly relevant: the area is affected by daily travel to Switzerland and by connections between Ticino, Malpensa and the Lombardy railway network. For cross-border commuters, the stated objective is to offer concrete alternatives to private cars, with more coordinated, accessible and efficient rail and road-based services. The practical reference therefore becomes the mezzi pubblici Ticino network.

Giuseppe Licata, regional councillor and vice-president of the Special Committee «Enhancement and protection of mountain and border areas; Relations between Lombardy and the Swiss Confederation», described the Agreement as an important step for Varese and called for the area to play a leading role in the next phases. The priorities identified include Malpensa, the Varese-Mendrisio-Lugano axis and the Luino corridor.

The railway network and new connections

The Agreement considers the system formed by the S10, S40 and S50 lines, which connects Bellinzona, Lugano, Chiasso, Como and Varese via the Mendrisio hub. Medium-term planning confirms the S40 Varese-Mendrisio-Como and the S50 Varese-Mendrisio-Lugano-Bellinzona-Biasca, both with a frequency of every 60 minutes. Between Varese and Mendrisio, the integrated service is scheduled every 30 minutes.

For the Varese area, the RE50 Malpensa-Varese-Mendrisio-Lugano is also indicated, with hourly frequency and stops, among others, at Malpensa Terminal 1, Busto Arsizio, Gallarate, Varese and Mendrisio. The Verbano and Upper Varese corridor is instead connected to the S30 Cadenazzo-Luino-Gallarate. The agreement also provides for new bus connections in the border areas of the provinces of Varese and Como and the coordination of road-based lines with railway routes. A permanent Technical Working Group between Regione Lombardia, Cantone Ticino and Agenzia per il TPL del bacino di Como, Lecco e Varese is also planned.

Operational details

The network as a decision-making tool

The practical value indicated by the Agreement lies not in a single route, but in the connection between rail, buses, interchanges, fares, and Malpensa. For a cross-border commuter from the province of Varese, Mendrisio is the reference point for understanding the network: from here, routes toward Como, Lugano, Bellinzona, Biasca, and Malpensa can be considered. The plan therefore concerns different destinations and not just one connection.

Three horizons for frequencies

The source distinguishes between medium-term planning, planned service, and long-term objectives. This distinction is useful for correctly interpreting the indications: S40 and S50 belong to medium-term planning, RE50 is presented as a planned service, while for S30 the text separates the medium-term frequencies from the long-term target.

| Route | Indication | Practical interpretation | | S40 and S50 | 60 minutes; every 30 minutes between Varese and Mendrisio | shared corridor as far as Mendrisio | | RE50 | hourly frequency | connection also intended for Malpensa | | S30 | 120 minutes Cadenazzo-Luino; 60 minutes Luino-Gallarate; target of 60 minutes over the entire route | development in phases |

For those based in Alto Varesotto, the S30 therefore has a different service pattern depending on the segment. The figures given for Cadenazzo-Luino and Luino-Gallarate describe a non-uniform service pattern in the medium term; the subsequent objective is to bring the frequency to 60 minutes across the entire service span and the entire route.

Buses and tickets in the same plan

The Agreement provides for new bus connections in the border areas around Varese and Como and the coordination of road-based lines with rail lines. For a cross-border commuter, this must therefore be understood as a combination of modes, not as an isolated choice of train.

The same logic appears in fares: completing the range of cross-border tickets and passes, further integrating rail and road transport, and combining the Lombardy fare system with the Ticino one. The Agreement also envisages the mutual recognition, at least on certain routes or services, of certain Swiss tickets and the Lombardy regional passes Io Viaggio and Io Viaggio in Famiglia on the Como-Varese corridor. Anyone comparing public transport with the car can supplement the analysis by using the costo auto pendolare.

Recommended tools

For an updated estimate, use the net salary calculator and the CHF-EUR exchange comparator.

Key points

From reading to action

For a cross-border commuter who wants to follow the implementation of the Agreement, it is useful to separate the rail route, any bus segment, fares and the political level. This distinguishes the planned service, medium-term planning and the long-term objective.

Five steps to find your bearings

1. Identify the route. Associate your mobility with S40, on the Varese-Mendrisio-Como route, with S50, on the Varese-Mendrisio-Lugano-Bellinzona-Biasca route, with RE50, between Malpensa and Lugano, or with S30, between Cadenazzo, Luino and Gallarate. This clarifies which axis of the Agreement to follow.

2. Mark the time horizon. Next to the line, note whether the source refers to medium-term planning, a planned service or a long-term objective. For S30, also distinguish Cadenazzo-Luino from Luino-Gallarate: the indicated frequencies are not the same.

3. Verify intermodality. When following implementation, look for the connection between the new buses in the border areas and the rail routes. The point to follow is the coordination between rail and road transport provided for by the agreement.

4. Read the fares together with the stated condition. The objective concerns cross-border tickets and passes, integration between the Lombard and Ticinese systems and the possible mutual recognition, on certain routes or services, of Swiss passes and Io Viaggio and Io Viaggio in Famiglia on the Como-Varese corridor. Do not automatically extend this provision to every route.

5. Follow the institutional steps. Giuseppe Licata, vice-president of the Special Commission for Mountain Areas, has requested a meeting with the councillor to examine developments and concrete implementation in greater depth; the session has already been scheduled for Thursday 1 October. The funded study on the former Castellanza-Malnate Olona-Mendrisio railway is also part of this monitoring, aimed at identifying a strategy for using the railway right-of-way, while assessing trams, an interconnected railway and cycling infrastructure.

This framework helps you read future updates without confusing a planning decision with a service that is already available. To complete your personal commuting planning, use calcolatore stipendio.

Source: varesenoi.it