by InTrieste
The regional government of Friuli Venezia Giulia has approved a framework agreement that will bring buses and regional trains under a single integrated fare system, a move aimed at simplifying travel and encouraging greater use of public transportation.
Under the new plan, passengers will eventually be able to travel across much of the northeastern Italian region using one ticket valid on both buses and trains. The measure, approved this week by the regional executive, is part of a broader effort to modernize local mobility and reduce reliance on private cars.
Cristina Amirante, the regional councillor for infrastructure and territory, said the system is designed to make public transport easier and more affordable. The goal, she noted, is to offer travelers “a simpler, more efficient and more convenient” way to move across the region, while also lowering costs and promoting more sustainable travel habits.
The initiative is anchored in the Region’s Public Transport Plan and in existing service contracts with local transport operators, including TplFvg and the rail line between San Daniele and Udine. After several years of partial and experimental coordination between road and rail services, the new agreement establishes a formal, region-wide framework for integration.
The convention sets out how the system will work in practice: from shared rules for ticket use and inspection to the coordination of sales systems and a timetable for rolling out the changes. Periodic reviews will monitor how the new model affects ridership and revenues.
The first operational phase will begin on March 1, 2026. At that point, today’s “combined” subscriptions will be replaced by fully integrated passes, priced according to the total number of kilometers traveled across both buses and trains. These passes will be offered in annual, six-month, monthly and 15-day versions and will apply to the region’s main transport corridors, including Udine–Trieste, Udine–Pordenone, Udine–Tolmezzo, Udine–Grado and Gorizia–Monfalcone–Grado.
Later phases will extend the integration to single tickets and eventually to the entire regional network, including routes connecting to Venice. Full integration, including the Udine–Tarvisio rail line, is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2026.
For travelers, the region says, the changes will mean one ticket, uniform rules and lower costs compared with buying separate bus and train fares.
The regional government has also confirmed that discounted travel for residents aged 65 and over will remain in place in 2026. Seniors will continue to be eligible to buy annual or six-month subscriptions for regional buses and trains at 50 percent of the standard price. The discount can be combined with other regional or national benefits and will be available through the same procedures used in previous years, without additional paperwork for those who already hold a valid card.
The subsidy has proved popular since it was introduced on an experimental basis in 2023. Over that period, 38,380 annual and semi-annual passes have been sold, generating more than €4.4 million in revenue. Sales rose from 13,295 in 2023 to 15,967 in 2024, with another 9,118 subscriptions sold in the first half of 2025, a trend that regional officials say reflects steady demand among older residents.
The regional executive also reaffirmed free travel on urban and regional public transport for members of Italy’s Armed Forces — including the Army, Navy and Air Force — stationed in Friuli Venezia Giulia.
Together, officials say, the measures are intended to make the region’s transport system more accessible, more efficient and better suited to the daily needs of commuters, students and older residents alike.
