Trenord, 3.88% increase on lines with Ticino

Context

In brief

• Trenord: 3.88% price increase from Tuesday, September 1st
• The increase also affects cross-border lines with Canton Ticino
• Malpensa Express and Como-Malpensa via Chiasso and Mendrisio: prices unchanged
• Decision taken by the Lombardy Regional Council

• What: 3.88% price increase on tickets and season tickets of the Trenord regional rail service
• When: from Tuesday, September 1st
• Where: Trenord regional lines, including cross-border lines with Canton Ticino
• Who: Lombardy Regional Council (decision); Trenord (operator); unions and commuter associations (protesting)
• Cause 1: adjustment to the average of two Istat indices
• Cost of living index (April 2025 – April 2026): 2.6%
• Transport sector index: 3.9%
• Exceptions: Malpensa Express (tariff frozen until September 1st, 2027); Como-Malpensa connection via Chiasso and Mendrisio (price unchanged)
• Reactions: unions and commuter associations criticize the price increase, contesting the quality of the service

From Tuesday, September 1st, travelling with Trenord costs more. The decision was taken by the Lombardy Regional Council, which ordered a 3.88% increase applied to tickets and season tickets of the regional rail service. The measure, as reported by the Ticino daily newspaper La Regione, also affects the cross-border lines connecting Lombardy to Canton Ticino, that is, the rail connections used daily by commuters and cross-border workers who return to Italy after work or, conversely, reach Swiss territory.

How the 3.88% was reached

The increase is not an isolated initiative by Trenord, but stems from a mechanism introduced with the reform of the regional transport law, which effectively makes it automatic. The price increase indeed derives from the average of two Istat indicators: the cost of living index between April 2025 and April 2026, equal to 2.6%, and the transport sector index, equal to 3.9%. Added to these is the assessment (positive or negative) on the achievement of the performance targets set in the service contracts with transport companies.

The exceptions to the tariff

Not the entire Trenord network will undergo the increase. The Malpensa Express tariff — the dedicated connection between Milano Centrale and Malpensa airport — remains frozen until September 1st, 2027. The price of the ticket for the Como-Malpensa connection via Chiasso and Mendrisio is also unchanged, a route that crosses the border twice and represents a transport option for those travelling between the eastern strip of Canton Ticino and the Como area or the airport.

The front of discontent

The news of the price increase was received negatively by unions and commuter associations, which contest the quality of the regional rail service. The criticisms, as reported by La Regione, focus on the relationship between the rising cost of travel tickets and the reliability of trains, an issue that in recent months has cyclically returned to the centre of the debate on Lombardy rail infrastructure, particularly on the routes with the highest commuter traffic density.

Operational details

What changes for those travelling between Lombardy and Canton Ticino

The 3.88% increase also explicitly applies to the cross-border lines with Canton Ticino — an important clarification for cross-border workers who return to Italy every day — or several times a week — from stations in Ticino, as well as for Italian commuters who work at companies situated beyond the border. For these people, the ticket or season ticket represents a fixed cost item, on which the new regional fare is now applied.

The fact that the decision was formalised by the Lombard regional government, and not by Trenord on its own, signals that the mechanism is of a political-administrative nature: the increase is tied to national statistical indices (Istat) and to contractual performance targets. In practice, the end user — whether a cross-border worker or a commuter — cannot intervene in determining the fare increase, but can evaluate their own mobility options in light of the exceptions provided.

Who is NOT affected by the increase

There are two cases in which the fare remains unchanged. The first is the Malpensa Express, the service dedicated to Malpensa Airport, whose price is frozen until 1 September 2027. The second is the Como–Malpensa connection via Chiasso and Mendrisio, a route that — crossing the Chiasso border and the Mendrisio hub — links the Lake Como area with the airport hub passing through Canton Ticino. For those who regularly use this route, therefore, the expense item remains unchanged compared with the previous period.

A dispute that also concerns cross-border traffic

The protest from unions and commuter associations fits into a context of growing dissatisfaction with the price/quality ratio of the regional rail service. The most critical issues — delays, cancellations, overcrowding during peak hours — also directly affect travellers moving between Lombardy and Canton Ticino, particularly on the lines that converge towards the border points of Chiasso and Lavena-Ponte Tresa. For a cross-border worker who takes the train every morning to reach their workplace, the 3.88% increase is therefore added to a service picture that the trade associations themselves consider unsatisfactory.

A look at the calendar

The increase comes into force precisely on 1 September, coinciding with the full resumption of work and school activities after the summer break. For cross-border workers returning from their holidays and for commuters resuming their routine after the summer, the first renewed ticket or season ticket will therefore already be calculated at the new fare. The date of 1 September 2027 — the end of the Malpensa Express freeze — instead represents a long-term time reference, useful for those planning regular trips to Malpensa Airport over the next twelve months.

Recommended tools

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

Key points

What to do, concretely

For a cross-border commuter using Trenord lines on the cross-border routes with Canton Ticino, the first step is to check on which routes the 3.88% fare increase actually applies and on which, instead, the exceptions apply. The Malpensa Express and the Como-Malpensa connection via Chiasso and Mendrisio — as reported by La Regione — are not subject to any price changes.

Anyone who holds an annual or monthly Trenord pass can already check on their profile (on the app or on the Trenord website) the renewal date and the updated amount. For single tickets purchased at the ticket machines or at the ticket office, the new price will be automatically applied starting from 1 September. It is advisable to keep the receipts of purchases made close to the date the fare increase comes into force, in case it is necessary to report an abnormal charge.

Reporting service disruptions

Unions and commuter associations have announced their opposition to the fare increase, contesting the quality of the service. Travellers can help document service disruptions by using the official Trenord channels (app, website, contact centre) and reporting delays, cancellations or overcrowding. Trade associations collect the reports to support their claims with the Region and the operator.

Travelling to Malpensa

For those using the Malpensa Express to reach the airport, the fare remains unchanged until 1 September 2027: no price changes are expected on this route over the next year. For the Como-Malpensa connection via Chiasso and Mendrisio, the ticket price remains the same as before, with no freeze deadlines communicated.

Useful tools

For those who need to reorganise their daily travel between Italy and Canton Ticino, it is useful to consult the page dedicated to public transport in Ticino, with up-to-date timetables and routes. For those who prefer to travel by car, the section on waiting times at the border crossings allows you to monitor traffic at Chiasso, Brogeda and Ponte Tresa. The net salary calculator for cross-border commuters remains available to simulate the impact of transport costs on the monthly pay slip.

Source: laregione.ch