Bologna, August 15, 2026 – It will be the autumn of the tram, for Bologna and for Mayor Matteo Lepore, who outlines the arrival times of the new trains on city streets for testing (“from the end of September”). But it will also be an autumn of preparation for the 2027 Municipal elections, which the mayor approaches without fear and with the intention of mending ties with the former Green allies.
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The Red Line is essentially finished, while for the Green Line there are still impactful construction sites in the Corticella area: when will the people of Bologna be able to see the complete end of the works?
“For the tram we are really in the final phase: we have laid all the rails on the route of both lines and met the times and conditions required by the Pnrr, which for 20.7 kilometers built allowed us to have 731 million in funding (out of 840 million total for the works; ed.). In these weeks we will continue with the installation of shelters, asphalting, cable laying, and all the related civil works. Between September and October the construction sites will be closed and the testing phase of the work will begin.”
What are the timings?
“The first train will arrive on September 8 at the port of Livorno, then it will be transported to the Borgo Panigale depot, where it will be assembled within 48 hours and subjected to the first tests on the internal track of the depot, then it will start running, at the end of September, the first kilometer that separates the depot itself from the Ducati stop. From there on it will cover more and more kilometers and, after having done 1,000, it will enter service. Before testing, there will also be grinding and cleaning of the rails.”
Is the goal to see it running before the elections?
“Yes, but it will depend on the testing times. Certainly the first service (that is, the actual operation of the tram; ed.) will have via Riva Reno as the terminus to respect the frequency of seven minutes between runs, which will then become five and, as anticipated, for the first months it will be free, although we still have to decide for how long. The 39 trains in total will not all arrive immediately, but as the fleet increases in number, the service will also be extended to cover the entire Red and Green routes. Our goal was to finish the works on time to free the streets from construction sites and we achieved it in record time, thanks to the work of the companies and the decisive collaboration of the whole city, which we will soon invite to discover a fundamental work at the base of the tram.”
Namely?
“The Borgo Panigale depot, an infrastructure designed for the whole city, with 380 parking spaces, an urban park and 2,000 new trees, and where most of Tper’s offices will be relocated.”
Are there any updates on the Blue and Yellow Lines?
“For the Blue we are waiting, like the rest of the Italian municipalities, for the outcome of the ministerial call for resources. For the Yellow, instead, we still have to move to the executive project. But before doing so we want to complete the definition of metropolitan urban transport as a whole.
Is there a risk that the Yellow Line will never see the light of day?
“No, we will build it, but we will not proceed according to the project conceived ten years ago, because the city has changed in the meantime, it will also change in the coming years, and with it the mobility needs.”
The Green Line, on the other hand, has been reduced: is the hypothesis that one day it could reach Castel Maggiore as per the initial project then modified a utopia?
“For the moment it is not a discussion on the agenda.”
Speaking of infrastructure: will 2027 be the year of the Ravone overflow tunnel to prevent floods?
“Many minor works in size, but very useful in terms of impact on the city, have already been carried out by the Reclamation Consortia, Hera, the Municipality and the Region. The project for the overflow tunnel under San Luca is in the hands of the regional agency, which by the end of the year must deliver it to the commissioner’s structure and the government for funding. Likely 2027 will be the year for the final design of the work and the next term of the mayor of Bologna will be the one in which construction will begin.”
The city approaches the Municipal elections in an almost perpetual climate of tension. Is there a risk that it will worsen further from now until the vote?
“Both on social media and with the writings that continue to appear on the city walls, there is an attempt by the most extremist fronts to divert attention from the real problems of the country and to pollute the debate. However, the Bologna institutions are strong and united and I am sure they will repel this attempt. From the resumption of political activity in September, a democratic, constructive and civil debate on the future of the city must prevail.”
Regarding the Fakir vigil in Piazza del Nettuno, there was a communication problem with the Police Headquarters and the Prefecture that affected institutional relations. Was the lack of notice a mistake?
“The dialogue between us has always existed and has never been interrupted. Someone tried to set us against each other, but it didn’t work. The police chief and the prefect know that the Municipality is grateful and close to the law enforcement for the work they do daily in the city, and also to the healthcare workers. The Carabinieri barracks in Pilastro and the police station in Bolognina are the most important examples of the work done together in these years.”
Next spring there will be elections: are you worried about the possible candidacy for mayor of a member of Azione like Elisabetta Gualmini?
“Welcome anyone who wants to run with a constructive approach for Bologna. My esteem for Gualmini and Marco Lombardo does not change and would not change even if they ran personally. I understand that Azione, which at the national level wants to become effectively the Third Pole, is also considering whether to run independently in the city up for election.”
The center-left that governs the Municipality, some critics say, is too skewed to the left. Is there something to fix ahead of the vote?
“It seems to me that since 2021, in all the elections held, the center-left in Bologna has always achieved excellent results. So also for 2027 a broad and participatory coalition of progressive and civic forces is needed. More than revising the coalition’s balances, I believe the relationship with the Greens, with whom a dialogue is already underway, must be recovered.”
Will there be a mayor’s list?
“Certainly. And it will serve to intercept those forces of civil society who want to contribute to the growth of the city.”
Priorities for the electoral campaign?
“What should be the priority of every center-left coalition, namely strengthening services for citizens as we have done with the creation of 1,300 additional places in schools from 0 to 10 years and the elimination of the nursery waiting list; keeping taxes and fees steady, a goal achieved albeit with difficulties; and finally being a shield for the middle classes of society and for those who struggle more. For this we have launched ‘Bologna supports you’, a set of measures totaling 31 million euros ranging from civic loans to food support to housing and which will start this very autumn.”
