Bologna Centrale

What isn't particularly obvious when using Bologna Centrale railway station for the first time, is that there are multiple routes within the station to the platforms/tracks/binari that most of the express trains depart from.

There are also two routes to the AV (high speed) station from the main entrance(s) on the city side of Bologna Centrale - the AV station is on the opposite side of the station to the city centre.

USING THE OVEST DEPARTURE HALL

DEPARTING FROM THE AV STATION

DEPARTING FROM THE EST STATION

USING THE MAIN DEPARTURE HALL TO ACCESS THE TRAINS:

As you approach Bologna Centrale from the city, its main departure hall is directly in front of you - it's the part of the station with the clock on its roof.
It houses the main ticket office and over to the left, in this main hall, is the entrance to the central passage way.

This is one of the TWO  passage ways which cross the station beneath the railway lines and give access to many of the trains.

The central passage way:

Above the stairs and the lift that lead down to this central passage way - there is a large sign indicating that this is the route to the high speed trains from binari 16-19.

This central passage way;
(i) is ONE of the access points to the AV (high speed) station,
(ii) ALSO gives access to platforms/binari 4 -11 in the main station,
(iii) has lift access from the departure hall and lifts up to platforms/binari 4 -11,
(iv) has no escalators.

Queues can inevitably build up in this departure hall for the one lift.
So if you're happy to use escalators, a better option for accessing platforms 4-11 and 16-19 (the AV station) is to use the Ovest passage way - see below.

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USING THE OVEST DEPARTURE HALL TO ACCESS THE TRAINS:

As you approach Bologna Centrale from the city, the Ovest departure hall is to the left of the station forecourt and the main departure hall.

Only Regionale trains to the north depart from the Ovest binari/platforms that are directly linked to the street level Ovest concourse (piazalle Ovest) 
If you see Ovest beside the platform/binario number on the electronic departure screens - you need to head to this part of the station.

However, what isn't obvious is that this Ovest departure also has easy access to the platforms/binari which ALL the long distance trains depart from.
If you;
(i) don’t want to buy a ticket from the booking office, because you already have one, or are happy to use a ticket machine,
(ii) don't need to take the lifts,
 then use this OVEST concourse to access the trains that depart from binari/platforms 4 – 19.

The Ovest departure hall:
-  is much quieter than the constantly busy main hall
-  has better food/drink outlets
-  has electronic screens showing all departures/partenze - irrespective from which part of the station the trains are departing from.

The Ovest passage way:

This Ovest part of the station is linked to the both the platforms/binari (4-11) in the main station AND the AV station (platforms/binari 16-19) - by the Ovest passage way.

There is no need to use the stairs to access this Ovest passage way.
The escalators are behind the stairs at the far end of the Ovest concourse (the piazalle Ovest) - by the platforms/tracks/binari that are in this part of the station

This Ovest passage way;
- isn't equipped with lifts,
-  but it has escalators (and stairs) that give access to/from the platforms/binari 4 -11 in the main station
- leads to the same access point to the AV (high speed) station, the taxi drop-off zone,  that the central passage way exits on to.

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DEPARTING FROM THE (AV) HIGH SPEED STATION:

Platforms/binari 16-19 were built with the high speed line - they are located on the opposite side of the station to the main entrance, hence this part of the station being referred to as the AV station (Alta Velocita = high speed).

It isn't a separate station as it is adjacent to the main station - and the pedestrian access to the AV station from the city centre side of Bologna Centrale, is through the older station.

Departure summary:

The train services* which depart from the AV part of Bologna Centrale station are:
(1) All the Italo trains.
(2) All Frecciargento trains to Verona, Brescia and Bolzano.
(3) All Frecciargento, Frecciarossa and Frecciarossa 1000 trains to Padova and Venezia
(4) All Frecciarossa and Frecciarossa 1000 trains to Torino and Salerno
(5) All Frecciarossa 1000 and Frecciargento trains to Firenze, Napoli and Roma
(6) 99% of the Frecciarossa trains to Roma and Milano

*The type of Trenitalia 'Frecce' train which you will be taking will be shown towards the top of your ticket.

Arriving by taxi:

If you'll be taking one of the train services listed above from Bologna Centrale, tell the driver to take you to the AV station - it has a dedicated taxi drop-off zone.

Accessing the AV station from main (city side) part of the station:

If you enter by the main entrance of Bologna Centrale, do check the electronic Departure/Partenze indicators to see which specific binario/platform/track your train will be departing from.
If it is departing from binari/platforms 16-19, you need to head to the AV station.

Allow a minimum of 5 mins to make the transfer from the main entrances to the station and being on platforms/tracks/binari 16-19.
Allow 10mins if you want to use the lifts to access the AV platforms/binari.

If you enter the station through the main (city side) entrance - you can use one of two passage ways to access the AV station.
If you need to use the lifts, then use the main departure hall to access the central passage way.

If you don't need to use the lifts, then our recommendation is to access the AV station from the Ovest departure hall.
Both these passage ways exit by the AV station's taxi drop off zone:

To the trains:

From this taxi drop off area, the AV station concourse below, can be accessed by escalators and somewhat hidden lifts.
This enormous AV concourse houses numerous Trenitalia ticket machines - which are much less busy than those in those in the main booking hall.
You can access this AV concourse without having to buy a ticket.

The platforms/binari 16-19 are on the level below, but they are linked to that concourse above them by escalators and multiple lifts.
It doesn't particularly matter which escalator and lift you use to descend to each platform/binario, but it's best to initially wait for your train towards the middle of the binario/platform.
Make sure you can see the departure screens - your train may not be the next train to leave.

Around 3-5 mins before the train arrives, the coach/carrozza numbers will appear on the red info screens.
So be aware of the coach/carrozza number in which your reserved seat will be located - and make your way to the matching number on the screens.

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DEPARTING FROM THE EST STATION:

The Est station at Bologna Centrale is used by some Regionale (R) trains between Bologna and destinations to the south, including trains to Prato.
It has its own entrance hall at Piazalle Est - which is some distance from the main station.

In the main Bologna Centrale departure hall, if you see Est on the departure boards/posters next to the binari/platform number - then your train will be departing from here.
Don’t confuse it with the Ovest binari/platform numbers.

To the trains:

Head out of the main departure hall on to platform/binario 3 and turn right - the Est station/piazalle Est is a 3 min walk away along binari 3.
A plus is that the platforms/binari 1 Est - 4 Est have step free access from the main departure hall.

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