On the south-west outskirts of Bologna, lies the popular district of Barca in the administrative district called Reno. In this district, planned and in part built after the Second World War, is a unique residential and commercial building: the so-called “Train”. A structure almost 600 meters long, which owes its name, the Train, to its similarity to a train of many carriages that seems to curve along bending rail tracks. Designed in the early 60s by bolognese architect Giuseppe Vaccaro it was inaugurated in 1962 mainly as a housing building for working class families, mostly those who had emigrated for work from the South of Italy. Considered the backbone of the district it has a ground floor portico housing shops, with apartments on the two floors above. Vaccaro was an architect who designed some renowned buildings in the city of Bologna and in the case of the Train he focused the attention on making the best use of the economic resources available, using a language of contemporary architecture, very different from that of the local historical tradition. Each block has a staircase leading to four apartments, two on each floor, with the living rooms provided with balconies overlooking the convex part of the complex. The whole plan is shaped like the letter H with enclosed courts but with a lot of light coming in from the open portico at ground level and from the widening open space above towards the sky. Vaccaro left the wall facing in brick, with the supporting structures in reinforced concrete visible. The wooden fixtures, specifically designed for this project are a further example of how the building element was simplyfied and standardised. To the east of the Train is the public sector of the area. Here one finds a social centre, offices, a cinema, a restaurant, a church and a market with square. The Train of Barca is the contemporary expression of the portico, built in a new suburb, physically distant from the historic city, but strongly linked to it perpetuating the original idea of the bolognese portico’s function: that of a place which welcomes people, a place to meet and enjoy a stroll for both visitors and locals who live in the area. A civic place to be enjoyed by people from every walk of life and every social class.