by InTrieste
Following the success of the GO!2025 European Capital of Culture program, the cities of Gorizia and Nova Gorica will maintain their cross-border bus and train connections. Between February and December 2025, approximately 83,000 passengers used the urban cross-border service alone.
Regional Councillor for Infrastructure and Transport Cristina Amirante announced the extension of the service during a press conference at Gorizia’s city hall on Tuesday. The event was attended by the mayors of Gorizia and Nova Gorica, Rodolfo Ziberna and Samo Turel.
“The transport services launched for GO!2025 achieved very positive results, with around 83,000 passengers on the urban cross-border route alone,” Amirante said. “We have therefore decided to renew the service, leaving a permanent mark on a territory that has strengthened cultural and social ties between the two communities.”
Amirante emphasized that the regional government aims to consolidate long-term services that facilitate integration across the border. “Our goal was not only to support the European Capital of Culture initiative but also to leave a lasting impact, strengthening the connections between the neighboring communities beyond 2025,” she said. “The renewal of the urban cross-border service is part of this strategy, particularly for young people and students, as well as for those without private transport.”
Under the renewed agreement, the services launched last year will continue throughout 2026. Weekend train connections will operate along the route Venice-Mestre-Treviso-Pordenone-Udine-Gorizia-Nova Gorica, with two round trips. Departures from Venice Mestre are scheduled at 7:50 a.m. and 3:20 p.m., arriving in Nova Gorica at 10:47 a.m. and 5:52 p.m. Return trips depart at 12:21 p.m. and 6:10 p.m., arriving in Venice at 3:04 p.m. and 8:43 p.m., respectively.
“The services, fully funded by the regional government and operated by Trenitalia with Blues trains, continue a connection that was reactivated after many years,” Amirante said. She noted that compared with the 2025 trial, the route has been reorganized along a northern corridor to also connect Pordenone and Udine, providing a direct link between Gorizia and Nova Gorica without requiring trains to reverse direction.
On the urban transport front, beginning April 1, 2026, a daily bus line will link Gorizia and Nova Gorica, jointly operated by Tpl Fvg and the Slovenian operator Nomago. The route will connect Gorizia Centrale station and the new terminal for urban and regional buses through the center of Gorizia to the transalpine station and central bus terminal in Nova Gorica. The service will run every day with 16 outbound and 16 return trips, with intervals ranging from 40 to 60 minutes, coordinated with train schedules.
Amirante added that the cross-border connections will use environmentally friendly vehicles, including trains suitable for non-electrified lines and electric buses for urban routes, reflecting a broader focus on sustainable and integrated transport services.
