Milano–Cortina 2026: Dolomiti Bus expands capacity with 14 new buses for Winter Olympics mobility

The public bus operator serving Italy’s Dolomites, Dolomiti Bus, announces it is reinforcing its operational capacity in preparation for the Milano–Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games due to be held in February.

According to a press release issued by Dolomiti Bus, the public transport operator serving the province of Belluno has introduced 14 new buses to support mobility during the Games, which will involve more than 3,500 athletes from 93 countries across a geographically unprecedented Olympic area of around 22,000 square kilometres.

Dolomiti Bus: public transport key at the 2026 Winter Olympics

The operator expects a sharp increase in passenger volumes during the Olympic and Paralympic period, with public transport playing a central role in managing millions of additional journeys linked to venues, park-and-ride facilities and last-mile connections.

The new vehicles comprise five Setra S531 DT double-deck buses, four Mercedes-Benz Citaro K Hybrid city buses and five Mercedes-Benz Tourismo coaches. With these additions, Dolomiti Bus (which is owned by major Italian private public transport player Autoguidovie) reports an average fleet age of around six years, positioning it among the youngest fleets in Italy and broadly aligned with leading European public transport operators.

All vehicles are equipped with advanced on-board and safety technologies, including driver assistance systems (ADAS), CCTV, fire-suppression equipment, passenger-counting sensors, new-generation ticket validators and USB charging ports for passengers.

During the Games, the Setra S531 DT double-deckers will be deployed on the most demanding routes leading to Cortina d’Ampezzo, one of the core Olympic hubs. Cortina will host several high-profile disciplines, including women’s alpine skiing, bobsleigh, skeleton, curling and luge, generating significant peak demand on key corridors.

The €5.2 million investment forms part of a wider €12 million fleet renewal programme implemented over the past six months. It follows the introduction of 23 low- and zero-emission vehicles during 2025 and reflects a longer-term strategy aimed at strengthening operational resilience and sustainability ahead of the exceptional mobility requirements of Milano–Cortina 2026.

“Our continuous investments in fleet renewal are even more significant in the year when the world’s attention turns to our mountains”, says CEO Stefano Rossi. “Our buses will accompany athletes, workers, volunteers and spectators throughout the event. In this sense, they will “coach the Olympics themselves”.