Opened in 1854, it forms part of the Turin–Milan and is the origin point of the lines to Arona, to Alessandria, to Biella, Varallo, Domodossola and Luino.

At the end of the goods yard is the Centro Intermodale Merci (CIM), built at the turn of the twenty-first century, while along the track north of the triangle is the new Novara Nord railway station.

Finally, the goods yard is linked with the Treno Alta Velocità (TAV) by a couple of tracks that are bypassed by the FNM line to Novara Nord.

Combined with the many and repeated delays, the uncomfortable travelling conditions have led to numerous protest actions, with resonance at the national level.

Goods traffic, which is also significant, is characterized by the presence of the CIM and a related rolling highway to northern Europe.