Buses instead of trains between Domodossola and Milan

Due to construction work in Italy, rail journeys via the Simplon axis to Milan will take significantly longer this summer. Between June 8 and July 27, and again from August 30 to September 13, 2025, travelers from Switzerland will need to transfer to replacement buses in Domodossola.

According to SBB, the railway line between the Piedmontese towns of Arona and Premosello will be fully closed during these two periods. As a result, the shift from trains to buses on this section will reduce the number of available seats.

Online timetable is being adjusted

To mitigate the impact of the closure, SBB and the Italian railway company Trenitalia are providing additional bus services from Geneva to Milan via Martigny, the companies announced.

The online timetable will also show alternative routes for rail travel to Italy, such as those via Zurich and the Gotthard Pass. However, travelers should expect travel times to be extended by at least one hour, according to SBB.

According to the press release, the work between Domodossola and Milan will also have further impacts. As in 2024, only three Eurocity trains per direction will run between Basel, Bern, and Milan during the week throughout the year, instead of four. The same applies to the connections from Geneva via Brig to Milan. On weekends, there will be four trains per direction on both routes.

According to SBB, the construction will expand the four-meter corridor between Domodossola and Milan—a project aimed at enhancing transalpine freight traffic.