The line was designed by the AustrianKingdom of Lombardy-Venetia to connect its two joint capitals and built by a company named the Imperiale Regia Privilege Strada ferrata Ferdinandea Lombardo-Veneta dell'Imperatore in honour of Ferdinand I of Austria. It was built in sections: the first section to be completed was between Padua and Marghera, opened on 13 December 1842, and was the third railway opened in Italy. On 13 January 1846 a bridge over the Venetian Lagoon between Mestre and Venice was opened, with 222 arches supported on 80,000 larch piles. It was followed by the opening of the Padua–Vicenza section on 11 January 1846 and the Milan–Treviglio section on 15 February 1846. The First Italian War of Independence slowed construction of other sections: the Vicenza–Verona Porta Vescovo stretch was inaugurated on 3 July 1849; it was extended across the Adige river to Verona Porta Nuova on 14 December 1852. An extension followed to Brescia and Bergamo via Coccaglio on 22 April 1854. The line was completed with the opening of the section between Bergamo to Treviglio on 12 October 1857, following the inauguration of the bridge over the Oglio at Palazzolo. The original route via Treviglio, Bergamo and Brescia was 285 km long. The direct between Rovato and Treviglio, bypassing Bergamo was opened on 5 March 1878, and the line took its current form. In 1852 the original operating company was taken over by the state, but it was privatised in 1856, being sold to the Rothschild banking family of France for 156.25 million gold francs to form the Societé IR Privilégiée des Chemins de Fer Lombards-Vénitiens et de l'Italie Centrale, with a concession to complete the Milan–Venice line and to extend it to Trieste and to build branches to Lake Maggiore, Como, Pavia, Piacenza and to Mantua and Borgoforte. The Rothschild's rail interests were collectively referred to as the Südbahn. With the transfer of Veneto to Italy as a result of the Third Italian War of Independence in 1866, the Milan–Venice railway became part of the Società per le strade ferrate dell'Alta Italia. In 1885 it became part of the Rete Adriatica and in 1905 it was absorbed into Ferrovie dello Stato on its foundation. Electrification at 3000 volts DC was completed in 1956.
The current line
The railway is long, double track and fully electrified. The most important cities passed are Brescia, Verona, Vicenza, Padua and Mestre: these are also the key interchange points with other public transport services. The line has four tracks between Milan Lambrate and Treviglio and between Padua and Venezia Mestre, including high-speed lines on those sections. The high speed pair of lines is referred to as DD and the other pair is referred to as the Linea Lenta. The high-speed line between Treviglio and Brescia was completed in December 2016 and planning for its extension from Brescia to Venice is under way. The line is served by Trenitalia and Trenord regional trains between Milan and Verona and between Verona and Venice. The section from Pioltello to the Milan Cintura line is also served by trains of the S5 and S6 lines of the Milan Suburban Railway Network. The Padua–Venice section is also used by the lines of the Metropolitan Regional Rail System of the Veneto region. Long distance passenger traffic is served by Trenitalia Eurostar and Cisalpino trains. The railway is also used by freight trains operated by several railway companies.
