Milan Train Delays: The Real Story Behind “Suicides” on the Tracks

Milan train delays can feel random until you’ve lived through a few of them. I have. You’re on the platform, the board flips from “on time” to “delayed,” an announcement mumbles something vague, and everyone just… waits. A recent Corriere della Sera article finally put words (and hard details) on what many rail workers already know, but most passengers never see.

What keeps happening near Milano Rogoredo

Milano Rogoredo isn’t a small local stop. It’s one of Milan’s key rail nodes, with high-speed trains, regional lines, and commuter services moving through all day long. And yet, right next to this modern, high-traffic infrastructure, there’s a daily crisis unfolding.

According to the report, people in vulnerable situations routinely cross the tracks toward San Giuliano Milanese, where a large open-air drug market operates in the area. The access point is described as shockingly simple: a gate off Via Sant’Arialdo. From there, people walk in a line toward dealers who hide under bridges, near electrical cabins, and along the southern line—just meters from tracks used by fast-moving trains.

What train crews deal with

For drivers and rail staff, this isn’t an occasional incident. It’s part of the job—and one of the heaviest parts.

One driver told Corriere that passing Platform 8 is when the tension kicks in. In seconds after leaving Rogoredo, you may already see people on or near the tracks. Sometimes they’re unsteady. Sometimes they don’t react the way you’d expect. And when there’s any report or detection of people on the line, trains are required to slow down dramatically and proceed “on sight” (in Italian rail language, marcia a vista), at around 30 km/h, so crews can spot any presence on the tracks and avoid tragedy.

That’s why a delay that sounds like “technical issues” can stretch into something much longer. The report describes an episode in late January when service was disrupted for hours because of repeated track incursions and the safety procedures that follow.

The human side most passengers never hear about

The part that stays with you isn’t the logistics—it’s the emotion in the testimonies. There’s no macho anger in how these workers talk about it. It’s sadness. One rail worker basically says: people label them as addicts, suicides, desperate—but they’re human beings in awful conditions.

Another describes what an impact feels like from the cab, without drama: like branches snapping.

And the psychological toll isn’t abstract. The report notes that many trains run with just one driver for long stretches, which can mean hours alone in the cab with no rotation. Some workers have sought support from Simone Feder, a psychologist active in the Rogoredo area.

What this means for visitors and expats in Milan

If you live in Milan or you’re visiting and relying on trains—especially if you’re connecting through Rogoredo—this helps explain the delays that never seem to have a clear reason. Sometimes the “suicide” explanation passengers hear isn’t the whole story, and sometimes it’s not even accurate in the way people assume. In many cases, what’s happening is a high-stakes effort to prevent someone from being hit, in a zone where vulnerable people are repeatedly crossing active rail lines.

Read also: High-Speed Train Tickets in Italy: Where to Buy and How to Save

Rogoredo is convenient on a map. In real life, it’s also a mirror of a serious social problem Milan hasn’t solved yet—even with the Milano Cortina 2026 spotlight and the Santa Giulia area right nearby.

And honestly? The next time I’m stuck staring at a delay screen, I’ll still be annoyed. But I’ll also remember there may be a situation on the tracks, and a driver up front carrying a kind of pressure most of us will never have to feel.